Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture


Ili is an autonomous prefecture for Kazakh people in Xinjiang, China, one of 5 autonomous prefectures in Xinjiang. Yining City is its capital. It is bordered by Mongolia, Russian Federation and Republic of Kazakhstan on the northeast to southwest, with a boundary line of 2,019 kilometers. Including Khorgas, Bakhty and Jeminay, there are 9 ports of entry at the national level. With the unique location advantage, Ili has been an important commercial hub and international channel of opening up to the west.
The autonomous prefecture covers an area of 268,591 square kilometers, accounting for 16.18% of Xinjiang. As of 2018, the prefecture has a registered population of 4,582,500, of which 2,745,500 are minorities. Direct-administered regions within the prefecture cover 56,622 square kilometers and have a population of 2,930,600.
The Kazakh autonomous prefecture of Ili is a special case of administrative divisions in China, its legal status is actually an administrative division at prefecture - level. It is the only autonomous prefecture in the country that has both directly administered county-level divisions and prefectures under its jurisdiction. When the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, the 3 prefectures of Altay, Ili and Tacheng were directly under the leadership of Xinjiang provincial government. The Mongol autonomous prefecture of Bortala was founded from Bole, Jinghe and Wenquan, 3 counties of Ili Prefecture in July 1954. The Kazakh autonomous prefecture of Ili had 3 prefectures of Altay, Ili and Tacheng under its administration when it was established in November 1954. The Ili Prefecture firstly ceased to be as a separate prefecture in December 1955, its county-level administrative units were directly administered by the autonomous prefecture of Ili. Since then, the Kazakh autonomous prefecture of Ili has existed as a separate administrative division. Its administrative divisions have either been reduced to the geographical scope of the former Ili Prefecture or expanded back to the territory of the former 3 prefectures. As a separate administrative unit, Ili Prefecture existed until its final dissolution in 2001.

History

Early history

Before the advent of the Qin dynasty, Ili was occupied by the Ussuns, a tributary tribe of the Huns. The Ussuns were driven away in the 6th century AD by the Northern Xiongnu, who established the First Turkic Khaganate in 552. Later this Khulja territory became a dependency of Dzungaria. During the Tang dynasty, the khanate became the Protectorate General to Pacify the West of the Tang Empire.
The Uyghur Khaganate and in the 12th century the Kara-Khitai, took possession of the area in turn. Genghis Khan conquered Kulja in the 13th century and the Mongol Khans resided in the valley of the Ili. It is supposed that the Oirats conquered it at the end of the 16th or the beginning of the 17th century.

Qing dynasty

The Oirats, or more precisely Dzungars, controlled both Dzungaria and the Ili Basin until 1755 as the Dzungar Khanate, when it was annexed by the Manchu-run 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:
Original Chinese nameChineseTurki nameModern name of the locationNotes
Huiyuan Cheng惠远城Kürä ShahrHuiyuan Town in Huocheng CountyThe Old Huiyuan was the residence of the General of Ili from 1765 to 1866. The New Huiyuan was the residence of the General of Ili from 1894 to 1912. Also known as New Kulja, Manchu Kulja, or Ili at the time.
Ningyuan Cheng宁远城Kulja Yining CityAlso was known as Old Kulja or Taranchi Kulja. County seat of Ningyuan County and Yining County
Huining Cheng惠宁城BayandaiBayandai Town within Yining City, some 10 to 18 km to the west of the Yining center city
Taleqi Cheng塔勒奇城TarchiWithin Huocheng County
Zhande Cheng瞻德城Chaghan UsuQingshuihe Town in Huocheng County
Guangren Cheng广仁城UkurborosukLucaogou Town in Huocheng County, NE of Qingshuihe
Gongchen Cheng拱宸城KhorgosKhorgas City
Xichun Cheng熙春城Khara BulaqArea commonly referred to as Chengpanzi in the Hanbin Township within Yining City, a few km west of the city center
Suiding Cheng绥定城UkharliqShuiding Town, county seat of Huocheng County since 1966General of Ili's residence 1762-1765 and 1883-1894, when it became known as New/Manchu/Chinese Kulja. County seat of Suiding County and Shuiding County. Renamed Shuiding in 1965.

Huiyuan Cheng, as the seat of the General of Ili, the chief commander of the 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, Chinese Kulja, or Ili by the Russians and Westerners, to distinguish it from Nigyuan/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 insurrection of 1864 the Dungans and Taranchis of the area formed the Taranchi Sultanate. Huiyuan was the last Qing fortress in the Ili Valley to fall to the rebels. The insurgent Dungans massacred most of Manchu Kulja's inhabitants; Governor General Mingsioi 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 restored to China, and its boundary with Russia was assigned in accordance with the Treaty of Saint Petersburg.
In October 1884, the Qing Government officially approved the foundation of Xinjiang Province. First of all, a major reform of General Ili system was made, and the Amban and Baig systems were abolished and replaced by circuit, urban prefecture, prefecture and county systems. Although General Ili still existed, but its name was changed to "Ili Garrison General". its power and management scope greatly were reduced, no longer the military affairs in the entire territory of Xinjiang, only the military and defensive affairs in Ili and Tacheng, and the Ili Garrison General and Xinjiang Grand coordinator were separate directly under the Qing Government. As a sudivision of Xinjiang Province, Yita Circuit was formed in Ili and Tacheng in 1888, it was headquartered in Ningyuan County. Yita Circuit was divided into Ili Prefecture, Tacheng Direct-administered Division and Jinghe Direct-administered Division. Meanwhile, Ili Garrison General in charge of frontier defence and station troops, was headquartered in Huiyuan Town. Altay region was formed from Khovd in 1904.

Modern times

The Xinhai Revolution broke out in October 1911. Under the leadship of Yang Zuanxu, a general of Ili New Army, an armed rebellion against Qing Government broke out on January 7, 1912. The rebels occupied Huiyuan Town and killed Zhi Rui, the Ili Garrison General, whose predecessor Guang Fu served as the military governor of Ili provisional government. On February 12, 1912, the Provisional Government of the Republic of China was established in Beijing, and on March 15, the Beijing government ordered Yuan Dahua of the Xinjiang Grand Goordinator to end the Qing dynasty's rule in Xinjiang. The conflict between the two sides was over, the position of military governor replaced grand goordinator. On April 25, Yuan Dahua was forced to announce his resignation from the grand goordinator of Xinjiang. On May 18, with shrewdness and actual strength, Yang Zengxin was recommended for the Military Governor of Xinjiang, meanwhile the both sides continued peace negotiations. On July 8, the two sides signed a peace agreement, that the position of Garrison General of Ili was replaced by Defence Governor of Ili with the responsibilities and rights by the former garrison general of Ili. Guang Fu still served as the Defence Governor of Ili under the jurisdiction of Beijing central government. The two sides confirmed republican and democratic system, Yang Zengxin presided over the military and political affairs, and recognized Yang Zengxin as the top military and political chief in the whole territory of Xinjiang. In August 1912, the Nationalist Government adjusted administrative divisions, the Defence Governor of Ili headquartered in Huiyuan Town, the Counsellor established from Tacheng and the Business Executive found in Altay were directly under the central government, as a division of local civil affairs, Yita Circuit was retained and under the administraion of the Defence Governor of Ili.
The position of Ili Defence Governor was vacant after that Guang Fu died of illness on February 1, 1914. Yang Zengxin, the Military Governor of Xinjiang flew a petition to Beiyang government, finally Yang Feixia held the position of Ili Defence Governor, its administrative jurisdiction was changed to Xinjiang Province from the central government. Yita Circuit was divided into Ili and Tacheng two circuits, the circuit governor of Tacheng replaced the counsellor of Tacheng with the establishment of Tacheng Circuit in 1916. The Beiyang government assigned the Altay Chief to Xinjiang Province and Ashan Circuit of Xinjiang was established from the Altay region in 1919. With the decree for the abolition of minggans and centenarii, and the establishment of district and township divisions issued in August 1939, Kazakh pastoralist affairs was gradually integrated into Local government services.
Ili Prefecure was established in 1943, there were 11 counties and Xinyuan Division, including Yining, Suiding, Khorgas, Gongliu, Tekes, Gongha, Ningxi, Jinghe, Bole, Wenquan and Zhaosu Counties under its administration. In December 1953, the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Region was approved to set up, it was an administrative division at prefecure-level and under the jurisdiction of Xinjiang Province, the 3 prefectures of Ili, Tacheng and Altay were under its administration. The Mongol autonomous prefecture of Bortala was founded from Bole, Jinghe and Wenquan, 3 counties of Ili Prefecture in July 1954. Ili Kazakh Autonomous Region was renamed to Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture on February 5, 1955.

Geography

The autonomous prefecture of Ili is located in the hinterland of Eurasia, the northwest of Xinjiang and north of Tianshan, between the north latitude of 40 degrees 14′16″ - 49 degrees 10′45″, the east longitude of 80 degrees 09′42″ - 91 degrees 01′45″. It covers a total area of 268,591 square kilometers, accounting for 16.18% of the total area of Xinjiang. The autonomous prefecture, which is bordered on the east by Mongolia, by Aksu Prefecture, Bayingolin Autonomous Prefecture, Changji Autonomous Prefecture, Ürümqi City and the provincial direct-administered county-level city of Shihezi to the south, by Bortala Autonomous Prefecture to the west, by the Republic of Kazakhstan to the northwest, by the Russian Federation to the north, the prefecture-level city of Karamay in the middle south, is located in the north west corner of China. Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe Railway, G218, G217 National Highways, and S316 Provincial Highway pass through its territory. With a boundary line of 2,019 kilometers, including Khorgas, Bakhty and Jeminay, there are 9 ports of entry at the national level. With the unique location advantage, Ili has been an important commercial hub and international channel of opening up to the west.
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, 20,439 square kilometres of deserts. Three major mountain ranges of Altai, Dzungar and Tianshan with year-round ice and snow stand from north to south. Located in Burqin County, the highest Friendship Peak of the Altai Range is 4,374 meters high, the snow line is 3,000 - 3,200 meters high, the glacier area is 293.2 square kilometers, and the glacier reserves are 16.4 billion cubic meters. The peaks of Dzungar Mountains are 3,500-3,700 meters high. The snow line of Tianshan Mountains is 3,600-4,400 meters high with a glacier area of 3,139 square kilometers and its glacier reserves of 118.5 billion cubic meters.

Administrative divisions

Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture is administratively divided into three parts -- Altay Prefecture and Tacheng Prefecture, together with a direct-administered region that includes Yining City, 2 other county-level cities, 7 counties and 1 autonomous county. In the legal status itself is only a prefecture-level division, which is a special case in China's administrative divisions. It is not accurate to regard Ili Kazakh Autonomous Region as a sub-provincial division, which has no legal basis. This situation can only assume that, the autonomous prefecture enjoys partial authority in sub-provincial division. Its direct-administered region is exactly coterminous with the historical area that in the past was often called by Russians and Westerners as Kulja or Kuldja.

Ethnic groups

Ili is a multi-ethnic autonomous prefecture, there are 13 local ethnic groups: Kazakh, Han, Uyghur, Hui, Mongol, Xibe, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Manchu, Tatar, Russ, Daur and Tajik peoples. As of the end of 2018, it had a population of 4,582,500; of which 2,745,500 were ethnic minorities, which accounted for 59.9% of its total population.
A 2015 report provided the following ethnic breakdown of the population: the Han people numbered at 1,934,571, the Kazakh population was 1,257,003, Uyghurs were 819,701, Hui at 433,045, Mongols were 75,597, Xibes were 34,457, 22,428 Kyrgyz, 8,298 Uzbeks, 8,298 Daurs, 5,394 Russians, 5,199 Manchus, 2,852 Tatars, 153 Tajiks and 91,749 'others'.

Tourism

Major tourist attractions include Narati Grassland, Guozigou and Kanas Lake.
In 2015 alone, Ili has seen over 25 million travellers and earned over 19 billion CNY tourism receipts.

Transport

Road and Railway

An extensive road network is being built across the prefecture for economic development. In 2015, 66 million passengers travelled on road.
The railway has extended to both the very north part of Altay City and the westmost city of Khorgas on the China-Kazakhstan border.

Border crossings

Ili Kazak's 8 functioning ports of entry are:

First Secretary

  1. Zhao Tianjie

    Governors

  2. Pätiqan Sügirbayev, November 1954 – June 1955
  3. Jağda Babalıqulı, June 1955 – February 1957 Acting Act, from May 1958
  4. Qurmanäli Ospanulı, June 1958 – September 1963
  5. Erğalï Äbilqaýırulı, September 1963 – May 1969
  6. Zhong Liangshu, May 1969 – May 1970
  7. Wang Zhenzhong, May 1970 – July 1975
  8. Xie Gaozhong, July 1975 – September 1975
  9. Jänäbil Smağululı, September 1975 – February 1978
  10. Qasımbek Seýitjanulı, March 1979 – April 1983
  11. Dïyar Qurmaşulı, April 1983 – May 1988
  12. Ashat Kerimbay, May 1988 – May 1993
  13. Bekmuxamet Musaulı, April 1993 – March 1998
  14. Alpısbaý Raxımulı, March 1998 – June 2001
  15. Nurlan Äbilmäjinulı, March 2002 – January 2003
  16. Qızaýjan Seýilqojaulı, March 2003 – November 2007
  17. Mäwken Seýitqamzaulı, November 2007 – January 2012
  18. Mänen Zeýnelulı, February 2012 – January 2016
  19. Qurmaş Sırjanulı, from February 2016

    Notable persons