'Précis of correspondence, &c., relating to affairs in Central Asia, Biluchistan, Persia, &c. 1875-77. With appendices.' [‎144v] (293/562)

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to the Empire. Public attention, too, has been called to the position of the latter, owing to tie
recognition by the Indian Government of Yakoob Beg-, the Atahk-Ghazi, or Ameer a l
Mominiu as he is variously called, who, taking advantage of the weakness o the Chinese
Government on its frontiers, had overrun Yarkund and pait of Kansu, and established himself
as Sovereign over these territories. It seems certain however, that now China has time to
attend to her outlying dependencies, she is not inclined to submit to the encroachments of
Yakoob Beg: and some information, which lately reached me indirectly, so fully supports that
view, that I think it advisable to bring the matter to your notice.
“Tso Tsung Tang, Viceroy of Kansu and Shenhsi, wrote the following note to the Vice,
roy of the Two Kwang
Board
Impe
(tne portion __ . . ,, —..
Secretary, Viceroy of Shenhsi and Kansu, an Othcei of the 1 nst Giade, Earl of Koclnngj to Yuan,
Vice-President of the Board of Revenue : to Chin, Assistant Commander-in-Chief and General
at Oroumtsi (or Urumchi); and to Ching, Commander of the White Chinese Bannermen. The
Edict was received on the 8 rd May, and on the same day Imperial commands were issued
appointing Tso Tsung Tang Imperial Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief of the army in
the newly-acquired Chinese territory; appointing Chin Shun General at Oroumtsi, with orders
to assist Tso in military matters. Ching Lien is appointed to the command of the White
Chinese Bannermen; he will await General Chin ShuiPs arrival in Gutchen, where he will hand
over charge of the troops, stores, &c., to Chin Shun, and will then proceed to Peking to take
up his post, and he will return to the Board his seal as Imperial Commissioner.
“-'Military affairs in the newly-acquired territory are very urgent; troops must be massed
with the greatest haste, and the country must be thoroughly cleared. Chin Shun has the
command of his own troops, in addition to which the army, formerly under Ching Lien, will
be at his disposal; it is considered he will have an adequate force. He will mass all his forces
and lead them in person against the insurgents, whom he will attack whenever he has an
opportunity. There must be no further delay in recovering all the towns under the jurisdiction
of Oroumtsi nor neglect of any strategic opportunity; whenever an occasion occurs for
advancing his men, he will consult with Tso as to the best way of taking advantage of it,
A r uan Pao-heng has already been ordered to Peking on service, and Tso has been ordered to
hand over the duties of Commissary-General of the West Tartary army to the Provincial
Chancellor of Shenhsi. The Governor of Shenhsi will memorialize the Throne, and will write
to the various provincial authorities to hurry the payment of the contingents in money neces
sary. With regard to transports and to all the subsidiary military store (depots at Khamil and
Barkul, &c., Tso will appoint an officer to superintend them. Yuan Pao-heng will not start for
the capital until everything of which he has charge has duly been handed over.
“ f The command of the army beyond the barriers, the charge of the commissariat and
transport, shall be entirely confided to Tso Tsung Tang.
“ f Lanchow, the capital of Kansu, being very distant from the scene of operations, it will
be the duty of Tso to provide for all contingencies, and to devise means of supplying the troops
beyond the barriers with provisions in such a way that the communication shall never be inter
rupted, and that there shall always be a constant supply of food for the men and forage for the
cattle; he will take care that remissness of supplies shall never impede active operations.
Tso has written that the army under Tsung Ching has retired to occupy Tung Kwan.
VYe have ordered Chien Ting-ming to order that General to remove and occupy various places
which may prove to be important. This edict is to be sent at the rate of 600 li a day. Res
pect tnis. In obedience to the above the Grand Council write to Tso Tsung Tang.’
^ r , ( Henr y Bawlinson’s ‘ England and Russia in the East/ it is stated that between
1 . ai * ( l 1^69 Yakoob Beg, an adventurer from Kokand, had raised himself to power on the
rums of the old Chinese Dominion, which had, in the first instance, been shattered by the
lungan rebellion. In 1868 he sent an Envoy to St. Petersburg; this Envoy was not recog-
mzed by the Russian Foreign Office. In 1869 a Mission was sent to Calcutta, and Lord Mayo
despatched Mr. (afterwards Sir Douglas) Forsyth to Yarkund to accompany it on its return. Mr.
, owevei, did not then meet Yakoob Beg, as he was engaged in military operations in
the East. In 1872 Yakoob Beg made a Treaty with Russia, and the latter in 1876 acknow
ledged his sovereignty In 1873 Yakoob Beg sent an Embassy to Consfcantinopole, and the
k- u tan granted him the title of Commander of the Faithful, formerly held by the Caliphs
ot Bagdad. On the return of this Ambassador to Yarkund, he was in the autumn of the same
yeai joined by Sir Douglas Forsyth, then a second time on a Mission to V acoob Beg, with
whom m February 1874 he concluded a Treaty on behalf of England. Since then Mr. Shaw
has been our Resident in Kashgar. Sir Henry Rawlinson states—‘ Our Envoys to Kashgar
have mvaiiably counselled prudence and moderation. We have recommended the Ameer, as a
measure of precaution, to withdraw his garrisons from Urumchi and Manas, and to remain