Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture

Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in northern Xinjiang, China. Its capital is Yining, also known as Ghulja or Kulja.
Covering an area of 268,591 square kilometres (16.18 per cent of Xinjiang), Ili Prefecture shares a 2,019 kilometre-long border with Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia. There are nine ports of entry in Ili Prefecture at the national level, including Jeminay and Khorgas. Directly administered regions within the prefecture cover 56,622 square kilometres (21.08 per cent of Ili's total area) and have a population of 4,930,600 (63.95 per cent of Ili's registered population). Kazakhs in China are the second largest ethnicity in the prefecture after the Han, and make up a little over a quarter of the population.
Ili is the only autonomous prefecture in China that has prefectures (Altay and Tacheng) under its administration. The term "sub-provincial autonomous prefecture" has often been applied to Ili, but it has no legal basis under Chinese law and is a misnomer.
History
Early history
Before the advent of the Qin dynasty (221BC – 206BC), Ili was inhabited by the Wusuns, a tributary tribe of the Huns. The Wusuns were driven away in the 6th century AD by the northern Xiongnu, who established the First Turkic Khaganate in 552. The area later became a dependency of Dzungaria. During the Tang dynasty (618–907), the khanate became the Protectorate General to Pacify the West of the Tang Empire.
Ili came under the control of the Uyghur Khaganate in the 8th and 9th centuries, the Qara Khitai in the 12th century, and Genghis Khan in the 13th century. The Oirats, specifically the Dzungars, conquered Ili at the end of the 16th or the beginning of the 17th century.
Qing dynasty
The Dzungar Khanate controlled both Dzungaria and the Ili basin until 1755, when the region was conquered by the Manchu-led Qing dynasty under the Qianlong Emperor. Having defeated the Dzungars in the Dzungarian and Ili basins, as well as the Afaqi Khojas in Kashgaria, the Qing court decided to make the Ili basin the main base of their control in Xinjiang.
In the 1760s, the Qing built nine fortified towns in the Ili basin:
Huiyuan Cheng, as the residence of the General of Ili, the chief commander of Qing troops in Xinjiang, became the administrative capital of the region. It was provided with a large penal establishment and a strong garrison. This city was called "New Kulja", "Manhcu Kulja" or "Chinese Kulja" by foreigners to distinguish it from Ningyuan / Yining, known as "Old Kulja" or "Taranchi Kulja".
The first General of Ili was Ming Rui. The Qing tradition, unbroken until the days of Zuo Zongtang in the 1870s, was to only appoint Manchus as officials in Xinjiang.
During the Muslim revolt of 1864, Dungans and Taranchis of the area formed the Taranchi Sultanate. Huiyuan Cheng was the last Qing fortress in the Ili basin to fall to the rebels. The Dungan rebels massacred most of the city's inhabitants; Governor General Mingsioi (Mingxu) assembled his family and staff in his mansion and blew it up, dying under its ruins.
The insurrection led to the occupation of the Ili basin by the Russians in 1871. Ten years later, part of the territory was returned to China in accordance with the 1881 Treaty of Saint Petersburg.
In October 1884, the Qing government officially approved the establishment of Xinjiang Province and the local political system in Ili consequently went through major reforms. The Amban and Baig systems were abolished and replaced by circuit, urban prefecture, prefecture, and county systems. The position of General of Ili was renamed Ili Garrison General and its responsibilities were greatly reduced. The Ili Garrison General would only oversee the military affairs of Ili and Tacheng instead of the whole of Xinjiang, the latter responsibility being delegated to the newly-created position of Xinjiang Grand Coordinator. The Ili Garrison General was based in Huiyuan Town.
Yita Circuit was formed in Ili and Tacheng in 1888, as a subdivision of Xinjiang Province. It was headquartered in Ningyuan County (present-day Yining). Yita Circuit was divided into Ili Prefecture, Tacheng Directly Administered Division, and Jinghe Directly Administered Division. Altay region was formed from Khovd (seat in Khovd Town) in 1904.
Modern history
The Xinhai Revolution broke out on 10 October 1911. Under the leadership of Yang Zuanxu, a general of the Ili New Army, an armed rebellion against the Qing broke out on 7 January 1912. The rebels occupied Huiyuan Town and killed Zhi Rui, the Ili Garrison General. On 12 February 1912, the Provisional Government of the Republic of China was established in Beijing, and on 15 March, it ordered the Xinjiang Grand Coordinator, Yuan Dahua, to end Qing rule in Xinjiang.
With the end of hostilities between Qing and Republican forces, the position of Grand Coordinator of Xinjiang was abolished and replaced with the position of Military Governor of Xinjiang. Guang Fu, Zhi Rui's predecessor as Ili Garrison General, was appointed Xinjiang's first military governor. On 25 April, Yuan Dahua was forced to resign as Grand Coordinator of Xinjiang. On 18 May, Yang Zengxin was recommended for the position of Military Governor of Xinjiang. On 8 July, the Qing and Republican governments signed a peace agreement, which stipulated that the position of Ili Garrison General would be replaced by the position of Defence Governor of Ili, under the direct supervision of the Republican government in Beijing. Guang Fu was subsequently appointed as the first Defence Governor of Ili. The agreement also recognised Yang Zengxin as the top military and political authority in all of Xinjiang.
In August 1912, the Republican government adjusted Ili's administrative divisions. The Defence Governor of Ili headquarters were established in Huiyuan Town, the Counsellor's in Tacheng, and the Business Executive's in Altay. Yita Circuit was retained to govern local civil affairs; it was placed under the administration of the Defence Governor.
The position of Ili Defence Governor became vacant after Guang Fu died of illness on 1 February 1914. Yang Zengxin flew to Beijing to petition the Beiyang government (Republican government) to appoint Yang Feixia as Guang Fu's replacement. The appointment was approved by Beijing, and the administrative jurisdiction of the position was transferred from the central government to the government of Xinjiang Province. Yita Circuit was then divided into two circuits, Ili and Tacheng, in 1916. The Circuit Governor of Tacheng replaced the Counsellor of Tacheng with the establishment of Tacheng Circuit.
In 1919, the Beiyang government placed the Altay Chief under the jurisdiction of the government of Xinjiang Province and Ashan Circuit was established from the Altay region. In August 1939, by decree of the Beiyang government, the mingyan and centenari administrative divisions were abolished and replaced with district and township divisions. Kazakh pastoral affairs were gradually integrated into local government services.
Ili Prefecture was established in 1943, with 11 counties and Xinyuan Division (present-day Xinyuan County) under its administration. The 11 counties were Yining, Suiding (part of present-day Huocheng), Khorgas (present-day Huocheng), Gongliu, Tekes, Gongha (present-day Nilka), Ningxi (present-day Qapqal), Jinghe, Bole, Wenquan and Zhaosu. In December 1953, the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Region was established. It was declared a prefecture-level division under the jurisdiction of Xinjiang Province, with the three prefectures of Ili, Tacheng, and Altay under its administration. Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture was created in July 1954 from the counties of Bole, Jinghe, and Wenquan, three counties of Ili Prefecture. Ili Kazakh Autonomous Region was renamed Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture on 5 February 1955.
Geography
Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture is located in the hinterland of Eurasia, in the northwest of Xinjiang, north of the Tian Shan. It covers a total area of 268,591 square kilometres, accounting for 16.18 per cent of the total area of Xinjiang. The autonomous prefecture is bordered to the north by Russia, to the east by Mongolia, to the west by Kazakhstan and Bortala Autonomous Prefecture, and to the south by Aksu Prefecture, Bayingolin Autonomous Prefecture, Changji Autonomous Prefecture, Ürümqi, and Shihezi. Karamay is an enclave within Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture.
Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe Railway, G218 National Highway, G217 National Highway and S316 Provincial Highway pass through the autonomous prefecture. It has a 2,019 kilometre-long international border with nine ports of entry, including Khorgas, Bakhty, and Jeminay. Due to its strategic location in the middle of Asia, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture has become an important commercial hub and dry port for trade with Europe and the Middle East.
In the autonomous prefecture, there are four types of landforms: 83,632 square kilometres of mountains, 62,989 square kilometres of hills, 102,974 square kilometres of plains, and 20,439 square kilometres of desert. Three major mountain rangesthe Altai, Dzungarian Alatau, and Tian Shanstand from the north to south, with year-round ice and snow. Friendship Peak in Burqin County is the highest peak of the Altai mountain range, standing at 4,374 metres high. The snow line is 3,000 to 3,200 metres high, the glacier area is 293.2 square kilometres, and the glacier reserves are 16.4 billion cubic metres. The peaks of the Dzungarian Alatau are 3,500 to 3,700 metres high. The snow line of Tian Shan is 3,600 to 4,400 metres high with a glacier area of 3,139 square kilometres, and its glacier reserves are 118.5 billion cubic metres.
Administrative divisions
Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture administers the directly-administered, county-level city of Yining; 2 other county-level cities; 7 counties; 1 autonomous county; and the two prefectures of Altay and Tacheng, despite Ili being a prefecture-level division itself.
Ethnic groups
Ili is a multi-ethnic autonomous prefecture; there are 13 local ethnic groups: the Han, Kazakhs, Uyghurs, Hui, Mongols, Xibe, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Manchus, Tatar, Russians, Daur, and Chinese Tajiks. , Ili had a population of 4,582,500, 2,745,500 (59.9 per cent) of whom were part of an ethnic minority.
A 2015 report provided the following ethnic breakdown of the population: 1,934,571 Han (41.2 per cent), 1,257,003 Kazakhs (26.8 per cent), 819,701 Uyghurs (17.45 per cent), 433,045 Hui (9.2 per cent), 75,597 Mongols (1.6 per cent), 34,457 Xibe, 22,428 Kyrgyz, 8,298 Uzbeks, 8,298 Daurs, 5,394 Russians, 5,199 Manchus, 2,852 Tatars, 153 Chinese Tajiks and 91,749 "others".
Tourism
Ili's major tourist attractions include the Narati Grassland, Guozigou Lake, and Kanas Lake. In 2015 alone, Ili has seen over 25 million travellers and earned over CN¥19 billion (US$2.92 billion) in tourism revenue.
Transport
Road and railway
An extensive road network is being built across the prefecture for economic development. In 2015, 66 million passengers travelled on Ili's roads.
The railway has extended to the northern extremes of Altay and the westmost city of Khorgas on the China–Kazakhstan border.
Border crossings
Ili has nine international ports of entry:
With Kazakhstan
Aqimbek of Altay Prefecture
Bakhtu, from Tacheng; another primary point or port
Dulat, in Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County: under Ili
Jeminay of Altay Prefecture; another primary point or port
Khorgas, in Huocheng County; under Ili; a primary Chinese "national" border crossing point or port of entry
Muzart, in Zhaosu County: directly controlled by Ili; another primary point or port
With Mongolia
Khiziltaw of Altay Prefecture
Taskhin of Altay Prefecture to Khovd
Dayan-Khunshanzyui of Altay Prefecture to Bayan-Ölgii. Only open during Summer.
Heads
First Secretaries
Zhao Tianjie (2017 - 2020)
Governors
Fathan (Pätіhan) Dälelhanūly Sügіrbaev, November 1954 – June 1955
Jağda Babylyqūly, June 1955 – February 1957 Acting Act, from May 1958
Qūrmanälі Ospanūly, June 1958 – September 1963
Erğali Äbіlqaiyrūly( ), September 1963 – May 1969
Zhong Liangshu, May 1969 – May 1970 (military government)
Wang Zhenzhong, May 1970 – July 1975 (military government)
Xie Gaozhong, July 1975 – September 1975 (military government)
Jänäbil Smağūlūly, September 1975 – February 1978
Qasymbek Seiіtjanūly, March 1979 – April 1983
Dıar Qūrmaşūly, April 1983 – May 1988
Ashat Kerimbay, May 1988 – May 1993
Bekmūhammed Mūsaūly, April 1993 – March 1998
Alpysbai Rahymūly , March 1998 – June 2001
Nurlan Äbilmäjinulı, March 2002 – January 2003
Qyzaijan Seiіlqojaūly, March 2003 – November 2007
Mäuken Seiіtqamzaūly, November 2007 – January 2012
Mänen Zeinelūly, February 2012 – January 2016
Qūrmaş Syrjanūly, February 2016 – April 2021
Qadan Käbenuly, from April 2021
Notable people
Sayragul Sauytbay
Ehmetjan Qasim
Shayilan Nuerdanbieke
See also
Ili pika
Second East Turkestan Republic
Treaty of Livadia
Notes
References
Citations
Sources
Henry Lansdell, "Russian Central Asia: Including Kuldja, Bokhara, Khiva and Merv". Full text available at Google Books; there is also a 2001 facsimile reprint of the 1885 edition, . (Chapters XIV-XVI describe Lansdell visit to the area in the early 1880s, soon after the Russian withdrawal).
External links
Altai Mountains
Prefecture-level divisions of Xinjiang
Autonomous prefectures of the People's Republic of China
Kazak autonomous counties
States and territories established in 1954
1954 establishments in China