China is a multi-ethnic country, and throughout the history of our country, the development of Chinese civilization has never been able to leave the integration and contradictions between nationalities. It should be said that this process is very complicated, and it is through the efforts of countless generations that the great unity of all nationalities today has flourished. In this complex process, there is no lack of war and tolerance, let alone blood, tears and desire.
During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, there was such an event that deserves the praise of future generations:
Due to historical reasons, they were forced to leave their homeland, but these people always cared about the motherland and finally returned to their homeland after all kinds of hardships. This story is truly singable and weeping, and it can be called a great feat, which is the "return of the Turks to the East".
Above_ Turgut East Return
Turkitben is one of the four major tribes of Erut Mongolia and has lived in the northwest region of our country for generations. During the Three Dynasties of the Qing Dynasty, rebellions in the northwest emerged in an endless stream, which not only brought great disasters to the interior of the Central Plains, but also broke the harmony within the Mongol tribes. With the rise of the Dzungar Khanate, the leaders of the Dzungars began to vigorously attack dissident forces, and the Turks were one of the dissident targets of the Dzungars.
In order to avoid their sharp edge, the Turks fled the blows of the Dzungar Khanate, and were even more reluctant to collude with the Dzungar Khanate's betrayal of the Central Plains Dynasty, and the Turks were forced to leave their homeland and migrate west. The Turks were originally nomadic peoples and were not unfamiliar and fearful of migration, but this migration was different from the past, they were not grazing grass by grass, but going far away. The northwest region is located inland and a high-latitude region, and the harsh environment along the way can be imagined. After some twists and turns, the Turks finally found a foothold in the lower Volga, where the Turks began to multiply.
The Turks, who wanted to stay away from oppression and war, did not expect to encounter a new "claw" at their new foothold, which was Tsarist Russia.
Above_ Mongol ministries in the early Qing Dynasty (Chahar Ministry, Moxi Dzungar Ministry)
In fact, the rebellion of the Northwest Mongolia was never less than the support of Tsarist Russia. Instead of taking advantage of the northeast region of our country (the Russian invaders were defeated by the Kangxi Emperor and signed the Treaty of Nebuchu), Tsarist Russia turned to supporting some unstable elements in the northwest in an attempt to gain profits by splitting the Qing Dynasty, which is one of the reasons why the leaders of the Qing Dynasty spared no effort to crack down on the rebellion in the northwest. Despite the support of Tsarist Russia, several rebellions led by the Dzungar Khanate ended in failure. In the face of great chagrin in Tsarist Russia, the Turks became a psychological placebo for them to send to their homes, turning the Turks into slaves of the Tsar, and becoming their ugly conspiracy.
Tsarist Russia first expropriated the Turks in the form of "the underworld collecting protection fees". The Turks who paid the "protection fee" were not protected, and the Tsarist Russia also arranged for the Cossacks who had returned to live in the lower Volga River area, which was obviously intended to create a contradiction between the Turks and the Cossacks, and used the Cossacks to contain the Turks. What was even more intolerable to the Turks was that when Russia was at war with other European countries, it recruited a large number of Turks and used them as a vanguard. The Turks were able to fight good battles and make great contributions to Tsarist Russia, but they did not get the "return" they deserved.
Above_ The waist knife of the Turks
Faced with the dilemma of the pressure of life, the leaders of Turgut realized that returning to the motherland was the best choice for their survival, so despite the distance from the motherland and the obstruction of the Russians, the Turks have been trying to maintain contact with the Qing government, and the emperor's record of receiving turks and envoys can be seen in many historical materials of the Three Dynasties of Kangyongqian.
With the news that the Qianlong Emperor had completely conquered the Dzungar Khanate and eliminated the rebels, the Turks finally made up their minds to return to the motherland, and the chief planner and leader of the return to the motherland was the young and promising leader of the Turks, Wolbasi.
Although the determination to return to the motherland has been determined, it is not easy to truly implement it in action. After decades of life and operation, while the population has grown, there has also been economic growth, and it is inevitable to abandon these decades of hard work, which is still secondary. And the tiger's eye of Tsarist Russia and the surveillance of the "dog-legged" Cossacks, this is the biggest difficulty. With such a large-scale migration operation, how to keep it confidential and how to make the plan smoothly implemented is even more difficult. In order to hide his eyes and ears, Wolbasi had to behave more deferentially in front of Tsarist Russia.
Wolbasi (1743-1775) Qing Dynasty Chieftain of the Mongol Turbat Clan
The obedience of the Turks did not win the slightest sympathy from the Tsarist Russian government, and in the war between the Tsar and turkey, all the men over the age of 16 were conscripted, and the Turks were frightened! And when the Turks who charged on the battlefield returned triumphantly, they received only a small amount of pitiful symbolic compensation and the discrimination of the Russians, which undoubtedly gave the Turguts another shot of strength to their determination to return to the motherland.
After returning from the Turkish battlefield, the leadership of Wolbasi and Turgut accelerated the planning of the return. Despite the great importance of secrecy, the news of the return did not go away, and after the Gossats received the wind, they actively reported it to the Russian ambassador to Turgut, Kisshinskov. Kishenskov has always been arrogant and rude to the Turks, and perhaps it was this arrogance that overwhelmed his mind, or perhaps he himself was so stupid that he said to Wolbassi very provocatively that turks could not and did not have the courage to flee from Tsarist Russia, and that the Great Khan himself was a chained bear. Wolbassy's only promise deceived Kishenskov, who did not take seriously the news that the Turks were fleeing.
Above_ Wolbasil led the troops to return to the east
The matter has been exposed, and it cannot wait any longer. Originally, it was planned to lead more than 10,000 Turgut compatriots on the other side of the Volga River back to the east, but that year was just warm winter, and the river did not freeze for a long time. In desperation, Wolbassi had to take a step forward with 170,000 people.
With resentment against the bullying of Tsarist Russia and a yearning for their hometown, the Turks embarked on the journey of returning to the east without hesitation. When the Russians discovered that such a large area of Turks had slipped away under their own eyes, Empress Catherine II immediately said that this was the greatest shame of the Tsarist dynasty.
The Russians were not willing to let the Turks go, and sent an army to pursue them, and the Cossacks joined in the siege of the Turks. Led by the leader Wolbasi, the Turks cut through thorns and thorns along the way, repelling the incoming enemy troops in waves and escorting their own people home step by step. At this time, it was a severe winter, and in addition to stubbornly resisting the pursuing soldiers, the Turks also had to fight against the harsh environment, and the tribulations experienced by the Turguts along the way could be imagined. When the Turks came to Ili and came to their hometown, there was less than a quarter of the people left, and these living people were all ragged, and the tragic situation was really tear-inducing.
Above_ Qianlong receives the chief of the Turbat tribe, Wobaxi
How to deal with the returning Turks became a subject for the imperial court. Some courtiers did not agree to take in these Turks, and the starting point was threefold:
(1) The Erut Mongols were dishonest, and the fact that the Turks were in the ranks of the Dzungar rebels of the year would destabilize the border areas;
2. These people are poor and poor, and taking them in only increases the burden;
3. It will cause dissatisfaction in Tsarist Russia and affect diplomatic relations.
At the critical moment when the fate of the Turks was decided, the Qianlong Emperor, as the supreme ruler, stood up at this time, and he resolutely expressed his intention to take in the Turks and actively give material support.
The Qianlong Emperor believed that they were the people of the Heavenly Dynasty, and that the so-called rebels were all things of the past, and that only one or two rebels would not cause any trouble, and as for Tsarist Russia, inform them that the Turks had returned to the motherland because they could not bear the humiliation of your country, and if they dared to send troops to attack, our dynasty would certainly fight back by force. In the face of such a tough attitude of the Qing Dynasty, the Tsarist government had no choice but to give up fiercely, and the Turks finally multiplied in their homeland. On the question of dealing with the Turks, the Qianlong Emperor once again demonstrated the wisdom of a decision-maker, which should be praised.
Above_ Monument to the Return of the East in Turgut
The English writer De Quincy, in his work The Rebellion of the Tatars, said of the return of the Turks: "Since the earliest historical record, there has not been a great cause as sensational and exciting as the migration of a major Tatar nation across the vast steppes of Asia and eastward in the second half of the last century. "The deeds of the Turks returning to the motherland are indeed a feat that can be sung and wept, and the earth is earth-shattering.
We look back at history, but we must look forward to the future. Today, our country is no longer what it used to be, and the strength of the country is by no means comparable to that of any feudal dynasty in the past; on the harmony between the various famous ethnic groups, it can also look at history; on the wisdom of the leaders, I don't know how many grades higher than the ancient Ming emperors. So we have reason to believe that our motherland will be better tomorrow!
On this 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the day of universal celebration, I wish our motherland prosperity and strength to a higher level.
Text: Wang Jinbai
The text was created by the History University Hall team, and the picture originated from the Internet and the copyright belongs to the original author