Why did the Xinjiang capital move from Ili to Urumqi?
Speaking of Yili, let’s look at the Yili River first. The Yili River, known as the Yili River and the Yili River in ancient times, has an average water volume of about 480 cubic meters per second. It is the largest inland river in China and the largest water source in Lake Balkhash. There are three sources in the upper reaches of the Ili River, namely the Turks River, the Gongnaisi River and the Kashi River. The main source of the Ili River, the Turks River, originates from the north of the Khan Tengri Peak, and is about 430 kilometers long. Dongyuan Gongnaisi River flows between Andil Ulla and Nalati Mountain, about 258 kilometers long. The northern source of the Kashi River flows between the Yilianhabilga Mountain and the Andil Ulla, with a length of about 304 kilometers. The Ili River is about 1,439 kilometers long, about one-third of which is in China, flows through Kazakhstan, and finally flows into Lake Balkhash. The latitude of the Yili River Basin is about 42.5° to 45° north latitude, the longest from east to west is about 520 kilometers, the widest from north to south is about 200 kilometers, and the total area is about 34,000 square kilometers. The Ili River Basin, also known as the upper and middle reaches of the Ili River, is between the Borokonu Mountains in the northern branch of the Tianshan Mountains and the Harke Mountains in the southern branches, passing through a series of mountains and valleys. The Ili River Basin is like a triangle and is a semi-closed place. The north can resist the dry and cold air flow from Siberia, the east can resist the dry heat from the basins such as Hami and Turpan, and the south can prevent the invasion of the Tarim desert wind and sand. The annual precipitation in the Yili Basin reaches 700 mm. In spring, there are alpine snow and glacial meltwater flowing in, and the water is abundant. The main stream freezes only about two months in a year, so it is called "South of the Yangtze River outside the Great Wall". The upper reaches are mainly composed of alpine rocks with little sand content, and the river water is as clear as the blue sky. The Yili River Valley is rich in grain production, plentiful with melons and fruits, cattle and sheep everywhere, and herds of horses. As early as two thousand years ago in the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian was on an envoy to the Western Regions and came to Wusun State in the Ili River Valley. Wusun is one of the countries in the Western Regions. The Han Dynasty and the Mobei Xiongnu were inseparable, and the Wusun people once joined forces with the Han Dynasty to attack the Xiongnu. The capital of Wusun State is Chigu City, with 120,000 households, 630,000 people and 188,800 horses. In the Han Dynasty, the eldest son of Princess Jieyou, Yuan Guimi, was the prince of Wusun (later became Kunmi, that is, the king of Wusun), the second son Wannian was the king of Shache, and the third son, Dale, was the general Zuo of Wusun. , the eldest daughter Shi married King Qiuci, and the youngest daughter Suguang married Wusun Ruohu Xihou. During the Qing Dynasty, the "General Yili" was set up as the highest military and political officer in Xinjiang, and his administration was located in Huiyuan City, Yili. Between Yining City and Huocheng County in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, there is a historic site near the border called "Huiyuan Ancient City". Why was the capital of Xinjiang moved from Ili to Urumqi? Could it be that the Ili River Valley, which is rich in water and grass, cannot afford the function of serving as the capital? Of course not. In the heyday of the Qing Dynasty, the northwest territory reached Lake Balkhash, and all the land to the east and south of the lake was under the jurisdiction of General Yili. However, it flourished and declined. The glory of the early Qing Dynasty could not cover up the cowardice of the later period. In the face of Tsarist Russia, the Manchu Qing was unable to resist. The disastrous defeat of the Qing Dynasty in the first and second Opium Wars stimulated the desire of the Tsarist Russians to encroach on the territory of the Qing Dynasty. Tsarist Russia cut off a large area of territory in the northeast and turned its attention to the northwest. In 1864, the "Sino-Russian Demarcation of the Northwest Boundary" caused the Qing Dynasty to lose 440,000 square kilometers of land, including the middle and lower reaches of the Ili River. Despite the strong resistance of the Qing Dynasty, Tsarist Russia failed to trace its power to the source of the Ili River, but Tsarist Russia obviously would not let it go. After the signing of the treaty, the Russians quickly supported the Kokand military chief Yaqub to invade Xinjiang. At the same time, the Russian army also took advantage of the fire and expelled the forces of the Qing Empire from the upper reaches of the Ili River to fully control the Ili River Valley. This time, the Qing Dynasty was determined not to budge. The 63-year-old governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, Zuo Zongtang, set off from the capital carrying a coffin. The horse leather wrapped the body, carried the coffin and set off on the expedition. The scholar drew his sword to pull the raging waves, and the son of Chu did his best. A year later, Agubai committed suicide after being defeated, and the whole of Xinjiang was recovered except for the upper reaches of the Ili River. In 1881, the Qing envoy went to Russia again, and the two sides signed the "Sino-Russian Revision Treaty", and Yili returned to the territory of the motherland. At the same time as the Qing Dynasty lost its territory, the Ili River Valley was reduced from its original central location to an outpost close to the border. Figure - Aerial photography of Urumqi At this time, whether it is due to the need to defend the enemy militarily, or to communicate with the rest of Xinjiang, Yili is no longer suitable to exist as an administrative center. So take the second place, where should the capital of Xinjiang turn? Obviously either Urumqi or Kashgar (Kashgar). Tu-Urumqi However, Kashgar is not far from the border. Urumqi is located in the heart of Xinjiang, which is more suitable than Kashgar in terms of military, commercial and transportation.