In the history of the late Qing Dynasty, the reparations for land cutting were the main theme, foreign wars were repeatedly defeated and rarely won, and in the history of humiliation, only Zuo Zongtang's recovery of Xinjiang was a perfect war, the only bright spot in modern history, and it is still talked about today.
In fact, Zuo Zongtang's recovery of Xinjiang has many unfavorable factors, such as long-distance conquests, ethnic contradictions, the other side's strong military strength, and the support of Britain and Russia behind it.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > so under such unfavorable circumstances, why was the expeditionary army of 70,000 people led by Zuo Zongtang successfully retake Xinjiang? </h1>
In many legends, Agubai, who divided Xinjiang in the late Qing Dynasty, had millions of troops, but it should be pointed out that the total strength of Agubai's army was not one million, and the total population of Xinjiang at that time was only about 4 million, and he could not have so many troops.
To be precise, Agubai's strength was about 50,000 people, of which only about 15,000 cavalry could be recruited.
Despite this, Zuo Zongtang was still very difficult to recover Xinjiang, because the Qing army went far away, and there were religious and cultural differences with the residents of Xinjiang, which added some difficulty to the counterinsurgency. If you are not careful, you will lose everything.
So how did Zuo Zongtang recover Xinjiang in one fell swoop under difficult conditions?
In addition to the support of the imperial court and the advanced weapons, there were several major factors, namely, Zuo Zongtang adopted a correct ethnic policy, divided and disintegrated the enemy, and the rebels were unpopular.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > numerous rebel factions, not monolithic</h1>
Born in Tashkent in 1820, Agubai was not from Xinjiang, China, but from Uzbekistan (others say he was Tajik).
In 1864, civil unrest broke out in Xinjiang, and several local separatist regimes appeared in Kucha, Khotan, Kashgar, Turfan and other places, and the situation was chaotic.
In the spring of 1865, Agubai, an officer in the Kokand State, went to Xinjiang on the orders of Alimukur Khan to participate in the activities to split China.
At that time, Xinjiang was not only a rebel regime, there were many armed forces, they were independent, each pregnant with a ghost fetus, and even attacked each other between various factions.
The main reason for Agubai's entry into China was the inextricable killing between the tribes, and he went to Xinjiang at the request of one of the tribal leaders, Busuluk, to fight a war for hegemony with another tribal leader, Sidir.
Although these tribes adopted a hostile attitude toward the Qing army that suppressed them, none of them listened to anyone's command, did not forget to make a single emissary, and would not take unified action.
The tribes looked like enemies, which gave Zuo Zongtang the opportunity to break through, and no one could help Agubai when he was attacked, and it was good that these tribes did not fall into the well.
Although Agubai formally unified the tribes in Xinjiang, it did not really regain the hearts and minds of the people. When Agubai went to Xinjiang, he took only 50 soldiers, many of whom were militants who had been temporarily recruited after defeating other tribes.
Agubai went to Xinjiang to live in a sparse place, and he supported the puppet , Busuluk (Bussilk).
Under his support, Busuluk established the "Zhedshar Khanate" in April 1865, controlling seven cities including Kashgar, Ingisha, Yarkand, Khotan, Aksu, Kuqa, and Ush. Later, Busuluk was not willing to be a puppet and launched a mutiny in Kashgar, but was suppressed by Agubai.
In May 1867, with the continuous military victories of Agubai, he announced the abolition of the "Jedshaar Khanate" and the establishment of the "Hongfu Khanate" (.2017). Since then, Agubai has become the largest ruler of Xinjiang.
However, the masters of these people were eliminated by Agubai, and they did not sincerely submit to him, and they would not fight for him at the critical moment.
Not only that, Agubai's army also included the remnants of the Shaanxi-Gansu Hui rebels led by Bai Yanhu, and the remnants of the Qing army garrisoning He Buyun.
The latter, in particular, were forced to surrender, forced to convert to Islam, and when Zuo Zongtang's army arrived, they not only did not fight for Agubai's life, but also turned their guns to make internal responses.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > regime is brutal and unpopular</h1>
Agubai is brave and good at war, but most of such people are cruel, can only fight and will not govern the country, let alone know how to buy people's hearts.
The "Hongfu Khanate" established by Agubai not only did not bring Hongfu to the people of Xinjiang, but also brought endless disasters.
In order to expand the armament war and for the sake of extreme luxury, Agubai intensified his exploitation of the people of Xinjiang and adopted a heavy tax policy against the peasants, and the people's taxes were about 3 times higher than those of the Qing Dynasty, making the people overwhelmed and complained.
In addition to economic oppression, religious oppression has also caused resentment to boil. The "Hongfu Khanate" made the Shariah code "Shariat" the supreme law, set up religious courts in various places, forced other ethnic groups or infidels to convert to Islam, rudely deprived the people of freedom of belief, and ignited the anger in the hearts of the people.
Under the power, the people dare not speak out, once the Qing army suppresses the territory, the anger of the people will erupt, they will not support Agubai, such an anti-human pseudo-regime, hastening the demise of Agubai.
Most importantly, Xinjiang has been China's territory since ancient times, and Agubai's act of splitting China is a perverse act, which is naturally opposed by all ethnic groups in Xinjiang.
A regime that has lost the hearts and minds of the people, no matter how advanced its weapons and equipment, is doomed to be weak.
The Russians are also on the defensive.
At the beginning of 1877, the Russian Minister of The Interior Kulopatkin arrived in Xinjiang, and he mentioned in his book "Kashgar" that Agubai was self-conscious, perverse, and often beat and scolded his subordinates, which was unpopular.
Another Russian, Przewalski, later wrote in his memoirs: "Aguberbeck himself, like all the peddlers in Asia who buy and sell used goods ... The Kingdom of Kashgar (referring to the "Hongfu Khanate") was also not worth even a copper plate. ”
During his expedition to southern Xinjiang, Przewalski found that the local people were very disgusted with Agubai and that his regime was only sustained by military terror.
On the other hand, "soldiers dressed in ragged clothes and tattered shoes and forcibly recruited were demoralized and fled. ”
Tsarist Interior Minister Kurobatkin once pointed out to the point: "Judging from the morale of the Agubai army, it is not suitable for a hard battle." ”
< h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > the qing army's policy, dividing and disintegrating the enemy</h1>
Zuo Zongtang realized that the main contradiction in the invasion of Xinjiang was not the contradiction between the Qing court and the local people, but the contradiction between the Chinese nation and the foreign invader Agubai, so he adopted the policy of "suppressing and appeasing at the same time."
With regard to those who support the rule of the Qing Dynasty and safeguard the reunification of the motherland, they have adopted the policy of uniting and striving for it, and not blaming those who have made mistakes in the past, that is, what we often call "patriotism without distinction between the two sides" today, as long as they oppose separatism, they will actively strive for it and will not settle accounts after the autumn.
Zuo Zongtang's slogan was "The return of the army to Xinjiang is a master of hanging, which is different from ordinary thieves." That is to say, we are not targeting the people, but at separatists, and we hope that "80% of the Hui people will go to the mouth of the tiger and throw themselves into the arms of a loving mother."
He demanded that all civil and military officials "treat them as equals and do not treat them as cattle and sheep," that they should be strictly enforced in the military, that "those who commit adultery and plunder will never be lenient," and that those who harass the people and blackmail people for money and goods "should be strictly prohibited."
The Qing army discipline was strict, the autumn did not violate the law, "the people rushed to tell each other, all day and night, waiting and seeing" The Arrival of the Qing Army.
As for the militants, as long as they lay down their weapons, they will no longer be prosecuted - "those who hold ordnance in their hands will be cut off, and the rest will not be asked."
For the displaced refugees, Zuo Zongtang also allocated funds, gave them clothing, and gave them "cattle and grain", even if "each returned to the original department" to appease.
Zuo Zongtang's policy greatly won the hearts and minds of the people, disintegrated the rebels, and fought for "being wrapped up in the masses, at 100,000."
This strategy also succeeded in dismantling the enemy, and in the winter of the second year of Tongzhi (1876), the former Aqimusadik Burke of Kelping, the former Yalbashi, Zamubakshi and other villages of AchimbakShirk burke "fled from Turpan to the Chinese".
Ashir Azunaga (treasurer in charge of the silver treasury) "took the kuyin of Agubai Burke and led forty-one able jijettes (cavalry) to flee to the Chinese.
Hamili Khan, the brother of Achimu in the cities of Kucha and Kashgar, and Agubair Khan, the brother of Agubai Khan, the emissary of Agubai Burke in Constantinople, and many others also fled, escaping about 400 people from 1876 to February 1877. ”
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > Tsarist Russia had a ghost fetus and fell from it</h1>
Agubai's division of China ostensibly reached the support of Britain and Russia, but in fact it was Britain who really supported Agupa.
The British aim was to support Agupa and divide China into a puppet state of its own.
Russia's goal is also to split China, but the initial support is not Agubai, Russia's goal is not to split China, but through China's civil strife, directly encroach on Chinese territory and incorporate it into Russia's territory.
Agubai's goal is to split China and take the lead himself, which is incompatible with the goals of Tsarist Russia, so initially Russia did not recognize the "state" established by Agubai. Not only that, but Russia adopted a policy of containment against Agubai, and it was in this context that Russia sent troops to occupy Ili.
Russia did not have to contact him until Agupa controlled most of Xinjiang, but Russia would not actually support him.
When Agubai was facing pressure from the Qing army, the Tsarist Russia not only did not rescue each other, but instead fell into the well, took advantage of the fire and robbery, and sent a special delegation headed by Kurobatkin, director of the Asian Department, to Kashgar in November 1876. Threatening Agubai to "demarcate the boundary between the old Kokand State and Kashgar" and forcing the signing of the "Russian-Afghan Boundary Treaty" in an attempt to seize a large area of Chinese territory from Agubai, creating a fait accompli.
Although Tsarist Russia's actions could not deal a fatal blow to Agubai's rule, the impact of Tsarist pressure on Agubai was negative.
The main reason for this is that the division of Agubai is unpopular; therefore, the Agubai people are rebellious and the rebel army is vulnerable.
By the end of 1876, Agubai had lost all of its territory in northern Xinjiang. Just as the Qing army was breaking through and began to move south, the 57-year-old Agubai suddenly died in Karashar (Yanqi County, Xinjiang) on May 29, 1877, ending his sinful life.
There are different theories about the cause of his death, one is that the Qing Dynasty's army suppressed the territory, and his subordinates rebelled and separated, which made Agubai restless and mentally broken.
One said it was poisoning and death. According to the History of Imid, Niyazibük bribed Agubai's guards and put poison in the tea, and Agubai died after drinking it.
Agubai's fate shows that reunification is the wish of the people, and since ancient times, division has been unpopular.