Thousands of miles away from their homeland, why did they abandon the pastures of the Hexi Corridor and embark on the road of the westward expedition full of difficulties and obstacles? Is it the deterioration of the living environment that forces them to leave? Or is it that the intertwined contradictions eventually lead to the tribes being scattered? Or is it in the blood of the ancient nomads, an impulse to explore and pioneer doomed their fate? How did the Great Migration take place? The oppression of the Xiongnu directly gave birth to this great change? Or is there something else going on? In this magnificent westward expedition, how did they get out of the Hexi Corridor, climb over many obstacles, and finally arrive in the Ili River Valley?
1. The contradictions between the Xiongnu and the Yueshi intensified
In the 3rd century B.C., after the Xiongnu unified the Hexi Corridor of the Yueshi, they did not exterminate all of these nomads. The Xiongnu Shan Yu adopted a brutal partition method against the Yue clan, dividing the Yue clan into several small tribes and placing them around the Hexi Corridor and keeping them under close surveillance.
The Hexi Corridor lacks resources and cannot support such a large population, and the contradictions between tribes are intensifying. The Xiaoyue clan and the Lu Shuiyue clan lived at the foot of Longshou Mountain, living in a difficult environment and starving all year round. The Huangshui Yue clan was placed at the foot of the Qilian Mountain, mixed with the local Xiqiang people, and conflicts were inevitable. Only the Juyanyue clan is a little easy and can graze on the banks of Juyanze, but with the growth of the population, it is gradually embarrassing.
Although the Yue people were scattered and besieged, they all had a desire for revenge on the ancient land. They secretly formed alliances, exchanged news, and plotted to break away from the shackles of the Xiongnu. Although the Otsuki clan wanders outside the Hexi Corridor, they have always kept in touch with their fellow clans in Hexi.
In order to suppress this arrogance, the Xiongnu sent troops to attack from time to time and plundered the wealth of the population. The Yueshi people resisted desperately, and the contradictions between the two sides intensified. Until 162 BC, King Youxian personally led the army to the south, and completely destroyed the resistance of the Yueshi people in the two major battles of Longshou Mountain and Huangshui Canyon.
This battle can be called the Zhuxia of the Yue people, and it became the fuse for them to completely leave the Hexi Corridor. The contradictions between the two sides could not be resolved, and the Yueshi people began to plan a large-scale westward migration. The Xiongnu's iron-fisted rule over the Yue clan not only gave birth to the hatred of the Yue people, but also laid the root of the Great Migration in Central Asia.
2. The reasons and ways for the Otsutsuki clan to move westward in the first place
After decades of deliberation and planning, the Otsuki clan first launched the westward migration. The Ili River region was chosen as a migration destination for the following reasons:
First of all, the geographical environment of the Ili River is very similar to that of the Hexi Corridor, with an arid climate, open terrain, and abundant pasture resources, which are very suitable for nomadic life. This is undoubtedly the best choice for the people of the Otsuki clan.
Secondly, the Ili River basin is sparsely populated and has vast land, which can accommodate a large number of nomadic peoples. In contrast, the Hexi Corridor is already overpopulated, and staying any longer will only exacerbate internal friction.
In addition, the upper reaches of the Ili River are close to the Altai Mountains, where the famous "Kunlun Iron Metallurgy" was located in ancient times, where the Dayue people could buy weapons and iron tools without looking east to the Central Plains.
Finally, the Ili River Valley is located at the heart of the Silk Road, and controlling it is equivalent to mastering the lifeblood of east-west trade, and the space for future development is infinitely broad.
In order to ensure the success of the westward migration, the Dayue clan first sent secret agents to the north along the Peacock River to explore the route of the westward migration. The pathfinders successively bypassed Qiuzi, Gushi and other countries, and finally arrived in the Ili River Valley.
With the complete opening of the line, a large number of Dayue people began to leave the Hexi Corridor in batches. They adopted roundabout tactics, avoiding the national points and advancing along different paths. Some go straight up the Peacock River, some go north around the Kuruktag Mountains, and some go west through the Turpan Basin.
In order to lighten the burden of the march, the Otsuki clan abandoned heavy equipment and furniture, carrying only necessities and weapons. They drove a large number of livestock and trekked thousands of miles through the desert Gobi. Fortunately, although the Xiongnu and other regimes tried to stop it, they failed to resolutely curb it due to lack of vigilance.
In the "Iron Hoof Urging", the people of the Dayue clan overcame all the obstacles and finally arrived in the Ili River Valley. During this period, they had to exchange fire frequently with the local people, and suffered heavy losses. And throughout the westward migration, the Otsuki clan also had to leave part of their forces behind to defend in the areas along the way.
3. The new difficulties encountered by the Yueshi after arriving in the Ili River Valley
Although the people of the Otsuki clan have finally arrived in the coveted Ili River valley after many hardships, new challenges have also arisen.
First of all, there is a territorial dispute with the local nomads. The Ili River Valley has been the base of the Wusun people since ancient times, and when the Yueshi people poured in, the Wusun people naturally regarded it as an incursion. In order to seize the water source of the pasture, the two sides exchanged fierce fire many times. Relying on their geographical advantages, the Wusun people put up stubborn resistance, and the losses of the Yueshi people were not small.
In addition to Wusun, the Yueshi were also held back by Tocharian and other nomadic tribes. These nomads had always been warlike and lived by plundering, and they hated the arrival of the Yueclan. The two sides are in the upper and middle reaches of the Ili River, sometimes firing and sometimes lurking, you attack and I defend, protracted.
Even the remnants of the Otsuki clan, who were fugitives, were hostile to their newly arrived kindred. Since the Otsuki clan had left many men and horses along the way during their previous westward migration, these remnants often clash with newcomers and grab resources.
The territorial dispute has dealt a heavy blow to the Yueshi people who have just settled in the west. Even more frighteningly, it was a drought year, and the flow of the Ili River plummeted, and the pastures were severely damaged. Yue's livestock were already hungry and thirsty due to the long journey, and they died in large numbers in such a harsh environment in the new situation.
Faced with a terrible living situation, the Yueshi people had to change their lifestyle. They switched from nomadic to sedentary farming, ploughing fields and sowing crops. However, the Yueshi people, who have lived on the Gobi Desert for a long time, have unfamiliar farming techniques, have little harvest, and lack the necessary agricultural tools, so many people have suffered casualties again and again.
All kinds of hardships are coming, so that the Yueshi people can't resist it. At this moment of crisis, the old grievances and grievances between the Otsutsuki clan and the Wusun clan were once again completely intensified. This endless contradiction is destined to push the entire Central Asian region into a new vortex of turbulence.
Fourth, Wusun followed the footsteps of the Otsuki clan to the west
For the Wusun people, the westward migration of the Otsuki clan is undoubtedly a slap in the face. They realized that if they didn't act soon, they would be overwhelmed by the torrent.
As a result, King Wusun also made the determination to follow the Great Moon Clan's westward expedition. This is not only to keep the base, but also to have a vision for the future.
King Wusun first gathered elite troops and strengthened his defenses along the lower reaches of the Ili River to stop the further spread of the Dayue clan. At the same time, he sent an envoy to search for the remnants of the Otsuki clan who had left behind in the Hexi Corridor, hoping to attract these forces to help him.
The envoy traveled thousands of miles, and finally found the traces of the Dayue clan in Shule South Road, Qiuzi North and other places. These scattered remnants were already living in difficulty, and when they saw that there were strong reinforcements coming, they naturally responded to the call of the Wusun people with the ambition to regain their homeland.
After some digging and wooing, King Wusun successively gathered tens of thousands of elite soldiers and began to advance the western expedition step by step. They first fought against small groups of local tribes in the area of Qiuzi and Shule, and eliminated the remaining Otsuki clan forces to ensure that nothing went wrong.
Next, they crossed most of the desert, crossed the Karakoram Mountains, and headed for the Ili River Valley. The march was strict and orderly, and the river flowed endlessly.
By the time the Wusun elite arrived in the Ili River Valley, the Otsuki clan had redeployed there. A decisive clash ensued between the two sides in the upper reaches of the Ili River.
At the beginning, the people of the Otsuki clan were defeated and retreated, and it was difficult to defeat the full force of the Wusun people. But they are brave and good at fighting, and they are not servileEasily. At the bottom of the valley, the two sides launched a large-scale bloody conflict, and the scene was extremely tragic.
In the end, the Otsuki clan retreated to the upper valley, while the Wusun people sat downstream, and the two sides faced off into a stalemate. Although there was no winner or loser in this battle, it completely broke the relationship between the two clans. The upper and lower reaches of the Ili River have since become their dividing line.
Although both are from the Hexi Corridor, they have been unable to work hand in hand in Central Asia due to long-term enmity. This is destined to cause long-term instability in the entire Ili River valley region, and also bring greater threats to future Silk Road business travel.
5. The final ownership of the Otsuki clan and Wusun in Central Asia
After years of conquest, the Otsuki clan and the Wusun clan finally fought against each other in the Ili River valley area, temporarily drawing a dividing line.
The Dayue clan controlled the upper reaches of the Ili River, and their sphere of influence roughly included the area around present-day Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang. They re-tribesified in this fertile valley and resumed their nomadic life.
At the same time, the Otsuki clan also scattered the remnants and their families in a wider area, building a huge territory. They had active footprints in present-day northern Kyrgyzstan, southeastern Kazakhstan, and Ili, Tacheng, and Aksu in Xinjiang, China.
In this way, the Otsuki clan gradually developed from a single nomadic people to a new, nomadic alliance of large tribes. They had a long presence in Central Asia and had a profound influence on the Turkic culture of later generations.
As for the Wusun people, they mainly occupied the middle and lower reaches of the Ili River, with Yining City in present-day Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture as the center, radiating a vast surrounding area.
With their strategic location, the Wusun people soon regained control of the trade routes between Central Asia and the Central Plains. They levied exorbitant tolls on the Silk Road caravans, and made a fortune from them.
In addition, the Wusun people often fought in the east and west, and became a powerful force in ancient Central Asia. Sometimes they formed an alliance with the Otsutsuki clan and joined hands to expand externally; Sometimes they turn against each other and kill each other.
In any case, the Wusun tribe was an important force to be reckoned with in Central Asia at that time, and together with the Otsuki clan, they dominated the region for hundreds of years.
Although the two clans do not offend each other for the time being, the seeds of hatred have long been planted in the old grudges. One day, this grievance will completely erupt, triggering a new wave of war and reshuffling the map of Central Asia. At that time, the entire Silk Road will be shaken and turbulent.