In the long history of China, there is a small country that is not well known, known as the last vassal state of China. Despite its small scale and the fact that it has been oppressed by foreign invasions throughout its history, it has always been loyal to China and has continued to pay tribute for hundreds of years. It was not until 1947 that the vassal state severed ties with China and went to its own destiny. Yet, surprisingly, even after decades, the country still sings slogans of unconditional support for China. What kind of story is this? What ups and downs has the country experienced? Where does its loyalty to China come from? What are the forces driving it to part ways with China? With these heart-wrenching questions, let's walk into this little-known history.
1. The rise of the Kanjuti tribe and the bond with the Tang Dynasty
The desert is lonely and the smoke blows for thousands of miles, and the quicksand and grass hide the peaks and cliffs. Sit in the saddle on the pillow at night, and the howling wind thunders and the waning moon. In the remote corner of the Pamirs, a small nomadic tribe has inhabited it for generations. They are known as the Kanjuti Tribe, and the geographical environment of this plateau surrounded by cliffs and overlapping mountains and rivers has created their vigorous and agile temperament.
After the Tang Dynasty unified the Central Plains, the territory became increasingly vast, and the Kanjuti Department in the far west was gradually incorporated into the territory of the Tang Empire. In the early years of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, the Kanjuti tribe was invaded by the Tibetan army, the city was breached, and the tribe was displaced. Helpless, King Kanjuti had to go to Chang'an to meet Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and beg the Tang army to come to the rescue.
Xuanzong was well aware of the important strategic position of the Kanjuti Division, and once it was lost, the Tubo army and horses would be able to go straight to the Hexi Corridor. Therefore, the imperial decree Zhang Xiaosong guarded the elite 4,000 men and horses in Hexi to gallop to the aid of Kanjuti, and wreaked havoc with the Tibetan army, and finally drove it out of the territory of the vassal state. With this military exploit, the Kanjuti Department was also canonized as the "Suiyuan Army" of the Tang Empire.
Since then, Kanjuti has formed an indissoluble bond with the Tang Empire. Every year during the spring ploughing season, the leader of the Kanjuti tribe would personally lead his subordinates to Chang'an to pay tribute and offer sand gold and local specialties. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty would give them a large amount of silk, silverware and other precious gifts in return. Year after year, the people of the Kandjuti tribe became more and more aware of the Central Plains culture and the Tang Empire. For a time, the shadow of the Tang Dynasty could be seen everywhere on the Pamir Plateau - the Kanjuti people wore the robes of the Central Plains, the calligraphy and paintings given by the Tang Dynasty were hung in their homes, and even the language began to be mixed with Tang Chinese.
It is this moving historical relationship that closely links Kanjuti with the Han civilization of the Central Plains, and establishes their identity as a vassal state. The harmonious coexistence during the Tang Xuanzong period made the Kanjuti tribe, far beyond the Tianshan Mountains, impressed by the Chinese civilization, and regarded it as its own suzerainty from the bottom of their hearts, and remained unswerving until their death.
2. The ups and downs of Sino-Kan relations from the Yuan Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty
The Yellow River is thousands of miles away, and the turbid waves stand on the stretching plains. The Yuan Dynasty unified the whole of China, but it also brought unprecedented turmoil to this fertile land. During this long period of war, the sectarian subjects of the Kanjuti people also experienced drastic changes.
As soon as the Mongol army entered the Central Plains, it expanded non-stop to the Western Regions. In 1253, Kublai Khan personally led his elite generals to Kanjuti, forcing the once wealthy vassal state to be incorporated into the Mongol Empire. From then on, the Kanjuti were no longer subordinate to the Chinese Dynasty, but were forced to accept the rule of this emerging nomadic empire.
In order to better control Kanjuti, Kublai Khan built a magnificent Taiyuan provincial city on this plateau, and set up a commander-in-chief yamen, with local nobles who were close to flattery as the commander-in-chief, responsible for maintaining law and order here and collecting tribute. During Kublai Khan's time, Kanjuti was richer than the Tang Dynasty, but it also came at a greater cost.
After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, Kanjuti was plunged into decades-long turmoil. Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang pacified the world and wanted to re-incorporate Kanjuti into the territory. So the army pressed the border and wiped out the remnants of the Mongol forces entrenched in Kandjuti in one fell swoop. Zhu Yuanzhang then canonized the new king of Kanjuti and restored the vassal relationship.
However, due to the lack of power of the Ming Dynasty, the actual control of Kanjuti remained in the hands of a few hereditary local nobles. The nobles secretly colluded with foreigners, and they were never sincere about the tribute paid by the central court of the Ming Dynasty. By the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Kanjuti had already existed in name only, and had completely become an autonomous and semi-independent regime.
It was not until the middle of the Qing Dynasty that Kanjuti was once again reincorporated into the territory of the Central Plains Dynasty. At that time, it was the reign of Qianlong Zhongxing, the centralization of power was stable step by step, and Kanjuti had to bow down to the Qing Emperor who was in the dragon robe. However, this time, the Qing Dynasty was quite resourceful, and did not directly conquer Kanjuti, but appointed several local noble families to serve as generals and governors in order to win their allegiance.
During the Qianlong period, the Qing court set up a special "Junggar Yamen" to govern Kanjuti, and the generals' salaries were also allocated by the central government. Once again, Kanjuti became a veritable vassal state, and the Qing Dynasty was able to control the choke point to South and Central Asia. Emperor Qianlong once had a poem: "The jade sky is full of six combinations, and the mountains are stacked with moth eyebrows." The Yan Yan came to call Wang Youying, and the tribute horse was a thousand horses. It can be seen that the prosperity of Kanjuti at that time.
At the peak of the prosperous Kangqian era, Kanjuti sent a mission to Beijing every year to pay tribute to local specialties in accordance with the ancient tributary system. And whenever the envoys of Kanjuti left Beijing and returned, they would also be given a large number of gold and silver treasures, and they were never treated badly. All this bears witness to the long-standing friendly relations between China and Kenya.
Third, in the process of modernization, Kanjuti made a difficult choice
Heaven and earth are furnaces, clouds cover the sun, and yellow sand is long. In the 1830s, a new power from the West had invaded the heart of Central Asia. It was none other than the Great Powers led by Great Britain, who brought with them the power of artillery, gunpowder and industrialization, and was unstoppable.
In the face of this torrent, China's sleeping ship has been hit like never before. The Great Powers had their eye on Central Asia, which they coveted as an important strategic base radiating eastward from the crossroads connecting North and South Asia.
As an important town in the Pamirs, Kandjuti's geopolitical significance is becoming more and more prominent. In order to monitor Russia's movements in Central Asia, the British succeeded in 1876 in kidnapping the ruler of Kandjuti, Said Brown. Muhammad Khan, forcing him to submit to the British. After that, it was logical that the British stationed a permanent military force in Canjuti.
However, Russia did not want this important choke point to be annexed by Britain. As a result, the two powers launched a protracted struggle in the area around the Pamirs, known as the "Great Game". Naturally, Kanjuti was also involved in it, becoming a pawn of two foreign forces.
In 1888, the British were the first to send an officer, Lockhart, to Kanjuti with the intention of building a railroad there to monitor Russian movements. Kanjuti was so helpless that he had to obey British coercion. The following year, the British invaded Kandjuti, drove the ruler Ali Khan out of the country, and declared Kandjuti a British territory.
In the face of British arrogance, Kanjuti begged the Qing government for help. However, at that time, the Qing court had become increasingly decaying under the rule of the Empress Dowager of the West, and was powerless to stop the British expansion in the Western Continent. Canjuti had to be forced to accept British control.
Under the oppression of the British, Kandjuti was also in turmoil. In 1895, Saeed Abdullah Khan rallied his people to launch an uprising against the British, which he fought bravely for several months. But in the end, due to the disparity in troops, it was still severely suppressed by the British army.
In the decades that followed, Kanjuti was once a condominium between Britain and Russia. In order to further divide the sphere of influence, the two powers did not hesitate to use force, so that the flames of war on this plateau were not extinguished.
What is suffocating is that Kanjuti, as the origin of the former Chinese vassals, was actually at the mercy of a chess piece, with internal divisions and poor livelihoods. The Qing government was also on the verge of collapse, and had no time to take care of this remote vassal domain. Dawn will come, but the night of Kanjuti seems to be fading away.
Fourth, the unique religious culture of Kanjuti has a relationship with the Central Plains
Despite its remote location, Kanjuti is not without nothing. On this rolling plateau, a long-standing cultural force nourishes the hearts and minds of local residents.
As early as the 7th century AD, Islam was introduced to Khamjuti. Messengers from Arabia brought this new faith to the Pamirs along the Silk Road. Although they live in remote areas, the Kanjuti people have always been very tolerant and open to new things. The "monotheistic" ideas of Islam soon took root here, replacing the sacrificial worship of the past.
Later, with the spread of Islam throughout Asia, Kandjuti was gradually incorporated into the map of Islamic civilization. The verses of the Qur'an were translated into the local language, mosques sprung up, and the once-rugged nomads embraced Islam, changing their way of life.
Islam not only brought a new concept of life, but also cultivated the noble spiritual pursuits of the Kandjuti people. As devout Muslims who believe in "obedience to Allah", the Khanduti people regard the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca as their greatest wish. Countless caravans and pilgrims traveled south along the Silk Road just to catch a glimpse of the birthplace of Islam.
To this day, Kandjuti still retains its authentic Islamic cultural traditions. The round arch lintel of the green-roofed mosque is inlaid with Moorish glazed patterns, reminiscent of a picture scroll from One Thousand and One Nights. Every year during the holy month of Ramadan, it becomes a sacred place of worship for the faithful.
Amazingly, despite its remote location, the spoken and written language of Kanjuti has deep roots in the culture of the Central Plains. Canguri is the lingua franca of Khangjuti, with a strong accent and even the alphabet with a strong Arabic flavor. However, if the language is carefully studied, it actually retains a large number of Central Plains words. "Tömür" means "steel" in Mongolian, and "Ürgän" means "city".
Even the writing system of the Canguli language is heavily influenced by the Central Plains script. The Canguri language is spelled using the Arabic alphabet, but bears a striking resemblance to Central Plains Chinese in terms of the pronunciation and structure of the Chinese characters. Linguists speculate that this may be due to the formation of the Canguri language, which was influenced by both the Central Plains and Turkic languages.
The special nature of the Canguri language reflects the unique national culture of the region. During the long tributary years, although the Kanjuti people believed in Islam, they never severed their long-standing ties with the Central Plains civilization. Not only are they fluent in the language of the Central Plains, but they are also obedient to the manners and concepts of the Central Plains, which they regard as an important symbol of their cultural identity. Perhaps it was this admiration and recognition of Chinese culture that made Kanjuti choose to submit to the Central Plains Dynasty again and again.
Under the dual influence of the Central Plains culture and Islamic civilization, Kanjuti slowly gave birth to its own unique culture. This multicultural mix is the charm of Kanjuti.
Fifth, the Kanjuti people's persistence in Chinese culture is the same as China's modernization
After hundreds of years of ups and downs, the Kanjuti people's recognition and feelings for Chinese culture are still the same. Even during the turbulent years of invasion by the Western powers, the Kanjuti did not completely turn their backs on the subordination mentality to China.
In 1912, the Xinhai Revolution broke out, and the Chinese Dynasty, which had lasted for more than 2,000 years, was finally overthrown. After this, Kanjuti officially broke away from the Qing Dynasty. Surprisingly, despite freeing himself from the long-term suzerainty of the suzerain, Kanjuti still calls itself a "vassal state of Chinese culture" and unswervingly supports the government of the Republic of China.
In 1933, at the age of 26, Asui Chahan IV succeeded him as King of Khambang. As a lover of Chinese culture, he spared no effort to promote Chinese education in his country. At that time, there were only a few Chinese schools in the whole territory of Kanjuti, but Chahan IV still saw them as a ray of hope for Han culture in his homeland.
Interestingly, Chahan IV himself was a man who was obsessed with Chinese culture. He is not only proficient in writing in Chinese, but also a lover of poetry and songs. During the festive season, Chahan IV would personally splash ink and write Chinese poems to celebrate the festival. One of the most well-known is:
Towering slope trees, gurgling white stone stream.
The slope road is blue, and the flat forest is light and inky.
Kan'er's homeland is beautiful, and the Chinese Qushui is a fairy in the world.
Wan Shizhen auspicious holy dynasty, brocade cultural relics reflect the front of the river.
This prose poem with a strong Chinese style is full of admiration and pursuit of Chinese culture. The Kanjuti government has recruited Chinese teachers to Kambang all year round to be responsible for disseminating knowledge of the Chinese language.
It is worth mentioning that even in those turbulent times, Kanjuti still sent missions to the Chinese government as always, and personally gave rich gifts. In 1935, Chahan IV even sent an expedition to Nanjing to visit the government of the Republic of China. Along the way, the mission was presented with generous gifts weighing in tons, and its tribute to China never stopped.
The British colonial authorities entrenched in Kandjuti were concerned about his actions, but Chahan IV ignored them and insisted on going his own way. In his view, no matter whether there is no tributary relationship between the monarch and the court, Kanjuti's submission to Chinese civilization is eternal. At one point, there were rumors that he was a lackey of the British and used by the Great Powers. But Chahan IV flatly denied it, saying: "I am loyal to China, and I will always be loyal to China." ＂
In December 1947, Cambang finally officially announced the severance of diplomatic relations with China and became a fully independent country. But before his death, Chahan IV still shouted the slogan "Support China, unify China". This astonishing sense of cultural identity has made Kanjuti indissoluble with China again and again.
end
As the saying goes, the Kanjuti people's adherence to Chinese culture coincides with the modernization process of contemporary China. Today, China is once again moving to the center of the world stage, exporting its cultural soft power to the outside world. Kanjuti, a small and remote country, still maintains a deep-rooted identity with Chinese culture and has become an envoy of Chinese civilization in South Asia. Exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations will surely create a more colorful tomorrow.