Travel
Kashi
Kashi
is namely the abbreviated name of Kashigeer.
It lies in the southwest in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous
Region and it is the Westest City in China.
The name “Kashigeer” originally means “jade-like
place”. Its surface area is 96.3 square kilometers
and its broth from east to west is 13 kilometers.
The
population of Kashi is 225.9 thousand. The Uygur
is the principal part of this city, occupying
the 73.84% of the total population.
The
Kashi City is an ancient city that has a long-term
history in China's border area. According to
the historical records, it has existed for more
than 2100 years. Because of being located in
the hinterland of he Eurasia, it used to be
the joint point of China section of the famous
“the Silk Road”, which joined up the southern
part, the northern one and the central one.
From the West Han Dynasty to the initial stage
of the Ding Dynasty, it had always been the
most famous local regime center of politics,
economics, military affairs and religion.
About
6 or 7 thousand years ago, there had been the
New Stone Age culture which featured the exquisite
stone implement, and it was alike to the Yangshao
culture in corresponding period. The primitive
mankind must be in inevitable connection with
the Yellow River valley more than 6000 years
ago. It could be proved that the primitive mankind
who has lived here moved from the east. They
were tribes who moved from the hinterland to
the west, including “Various Qiangzus” who lived
in Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai in early
stage of the Qin Dynasty and Saizhong men who
originally lived in the area from the north
of the “Tian Mountains” to the “Aisle of the
Yellow River’s West Bank”. (The written Chinese
historical records call it “the minority nationality
named ‘Yun’, and the western historical records
call it “Sack”.)
The
king of “Jiman” of the West Zhou Dynasty arrived
at the western area for going on a western expedition.
“Sleeping in the top of the Kunlun Mountain
and the northern side of the “Red River”. The
“Red River” which is pointed out is “Kezile
River”. At that time, people who lived in that
area had settled down with mainly going in for
agriculture, secondly farming, fishing and hunting.
About
B.C.128, the massager of the West Han Dynasty
named Zhangqian, who visited the western area
and came back from “Darouzi”, arrived here.
The city had been the capital of “Shule” which
was one of the 36 nations in the western area.
When Zhangqian arrived here, there had been
some regular streets and companies because the
business highly concentrated for the improvement
of the trade in the Silk Road. According to
“Han History” records, there were 1510 families;
the population is 18647; the troop is 2000,
and there had been a complete politics organization,
including the king, the marquis, the general,
the cavalryman, the director and so on.
In
B.C.60, the king of Huni surrendered to the
Han Dynasty. The West Han Dynasty ordered “Duhu”
of the western area and the Huni's rule of “Shule”.
Last years of the West Han Dynasty, Huni controlled
the western area when Wangmang was in power
because the locate of Shule was so important
to the Silk Road. In A.D.74 (Yongping 17, the
East Han Dynasty), Banchao led 36 brave soldiers
to capture the puppet king of Shule who was
ordered by Huni, and conquered Shule. So the
southern part of the Silk Road, which had been
closed 65 years, was opened again. After that,
Banchao led the army to fight with Shule's rebel
noble, Shule, Guizi, Dazi, Yan and Gumo for
17 years. He recaptured and controlled the whole
western area.
In
“Three States” period (A.D.220-A.D.265), Chaowei
government ordered “Zhangshi” in that area and
appointed the king of Shule with giving the
official seal.
In
A.D.376, the general Luguang of the Qianqin
Dynasty declared himself to be the king of Houliang
Dynasty; in A.D.400, the former director of
Dunhuang established the Xiling Dynasty. In
A.D.422, the king “Songwu” conquered the western
area. Shule had sent the massager 15 times from
A.D.435 to A.D.512 since North Wei Dynasty being
established, despite the disorder western area
communicating with the hinterland in economy,
politics and culture.
From
the Han Dynasties to the Northern and Southern
Dynasties, the civilian of Kashi married the
civilian of Dazhouzi, Huni, Han Dynasty and
Middle East Asian Sogdien. After the Northern
and Southern Dynasties, the local civilian had
obviously the new feature “big eyes and high
nose”.
From
A.D.563 to A.D.567, the Western Tujue was invading
the western area and ruled that area instead
of “Yanda”.
The
Shule's massager visited Changan City twice
after the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, the
Tang army were set to the western area and the
“Duhu” was ordered in Gaochang in A.D.640.
The
Shule became one of the four towns, which were
ruled by Anxi Duhu in A.D.648. In the duration
of 150 years (A.D.640-A.D.790) when the Anxi
Duhu Office existed, the Shule governor was
formally ordered in A.D.675. The Anxi Duhu Office
had protected the political unity between the
hinterland and the western area, and ensured
that the Silk Road was unblocked in the prosperity
of the Tang Dynasty.
From
the middle period of the sixth century, the
Tujie tribe had entered this area. The Shule's
name was changed into “Jiashijieli”, then into
“Kashigeer”. The origin of the name “Kshengeer”
appeared after the seventh century in spite
of it being formally defined.
The
Huihuhan nation moved to the west in A.D.840.
The largest branch tribe of them entered the
“Seven Rivers” area, the south to the YabaerKashi
Lake, and established the Kalahan Dynasty for
371 years (A.D.840-A.D.1211). The Kashigeer's
place in history was the highest in that period.
The Kalahan Dynasty was the hegemony in Central
Asia in its prosperity period, and its territory
was northeast to the west of Kuche, east to
the Ruojiang and Jiemo, north to the BaerKashi
Lake, south to the Hetian which was near the
Kunlun Mountains, west to the “Two Rivers” valley.
The important event of the Dynasty was that
it conquered the Buddhists in western part of
the Talimu Basin and introduced the Islam. So
the Kalahan Dynasty formally conferred the title
of the Tuogewuer·Kalahan·Mahemude the “Tejingguizhongbaoshunhoulin
King”.
In
that period, the civilian included Huihu, Yangmo
and Geluolu who spoke Tujie's language, besides
the original inhabitants who were assimilated
by Tujie tribe in the early stage. Although
there were lots of villages whose civilian spoke
Sute's or original inhabitants` language, the
Huihu language must be used in many formal occasions.
Later, Huihu language was the main language.
The characters were Arabic and people trusted
in Islam. So the modern Uyger basically formed.
From
A.D.1124 to A.D.1211, Kashigeer became the dependency
of the West Liao Dynasty. In early stage of
the thirteenth century, Chengjisi Han destroyed
the Laiman tribe in the Altay Mountains. In
A.D.1218 Chengjisi Han succeeded in invading
Kashigeer, defeating and killing Quchulu. Chengjisi
Han established the office named “Luhuachi”
to rule Kashigeer. Kashigeer became one of the
manors what were owned by Chengjisi Han's second
son Chahetai. When the Yuan Dynasty was established,
Kashigeer was subordinate to the “Amu River”,
Shangshushen set up in Central Asia.
From
fourteenth century to early years of sixteenth
century, Kashigeer was ruled by Dugela tribe.
In
the middle years of seventeenth century, Ksshengeer
was the foil capital of Yeerjianghan Nation.
In
A.D.1755 (Qianlong 20 years, the Qing Dynasty),
the troops of the Qing Dynasty attacked the
north of Tian Mountains. In A.D.1757, Boluonidu
and Huojizhan, whose father was the former king
of White Mountains` “Huojia Regime”, started
to rebel and wanted to create dissentions. The
Qing troops put them Down in A.D.1759. The Qing
Dynasty established the councilor in Kashegeer,
who managed the military and political events
of the eight cities located in the south of
Tian Mountains (Kashigeer, Yinjisha, Shache,
Hetian, Akesu, Wushenkuche, and Yanqi). At the
same time, the Uygur Aqimuke Assistant was established
to deal with the nationalities` events in southern
area.
In
A.D.1884 (Guangxu 10 years, the Qing Dynasty),
the central government repealed the military
leading office of the north and south of Tian
Mountains and Boke local autonomous regime.
Xinjiang province was formally and the system
of state and county began to work. The Binge
Ado of Guard Western Four Cities was established
in Kashigeer, and it was located in Sheaf County
(Kashi City).
In
A.D.1902, Sheaf County attached to Girdle Office.
Sheaf County directly attached Kashigeer Ado
in A.D.1912 and was changed into attaching to
Kashi Administration Office of Xingjiang province
in A.D.1927. After the peaceful liberation of
Xingjiang province in September 1949, Shufu
County was established to attach to Kashi Specialty
Area. On May 23, 1952, Kashi City was approved
to establish.
The
whole Kashi radiated towards all aspects, the
Aitier Square with famous big mosque place as
the center. The four spacious avenues constituted
the sign “crossing”. And there was landscape
of inside Asia among the surrounded buildings.
The ancient Aitier big mosque was located in
the northwest of the square and it was established
400 years ago (in A.D.1422). It was the biggest
Islamic mosque in the whole province or even
the whole country. It had influence in the domestic
and international religious conscience. It was
the protection unit of key culture relics and
covered 25.22 mu. It was sumptuous and impressive
looking. There were more than 2000 or 3000 people
who went to churching and more than 6000 or
7000 in “Juma Day” (Friday). There were more
than 20000 Moslem who went to churching inside
or outside the mosque.
The
Aizikete village was set up in A.D.1640, which
was 5 miles away from the northeast to Kashi
City. It was the most influential Islamic “Huojia”
mausoleum. Its owner was the king of “Huojia
Regime” in Kashigeer, who was the leader of
White Mountains Branch and had five generations
with 72 people. It was said that the Qing Dynasty’s
“Fragrant Imperial Concubine” had been buried
in it, so it was called “the Fragrant Concubine
Grave” among the local people. It is the protection
unit of key cultural relics in Xinjiang Uyger
Autonomous Region.
In
addition, More Buddhist Temple is the famous
relics of Buddhist temple near the near the
ancient Shule in the western area. There are
Saxiandong Buddhist Cave, Nine Dragons Spring,
Aersilan Han Mausoleum, Laining City’s Relics,
Rebiya-Saiding's Double Graves, Aersikandeer
King's Mausoleum, Russian Consulate and British
Consulate in Kashigeer, the ancient Kashigeer
City and so on.
Translated by Beijing Star-light Translation
Center
Compiled by www.travel-silkroad.com
February 4, 2002
