"ملخص للأحداث الرئيسية. ١٩٠٨" [ظ‎‎٢‎٢] (١٥٦/٤٩)

34
Administration
Chinese Turkistan.
Chinese Officials.
Yaschur.—kn outbreak of Yaschur was reported from Askhabad early in
July, but it doe^ not appear to have been of a serious nature.
Glanders. —A. few oases of glanders were reported at Askhabad in Nov
ember and December and 4 at Yulatan in November.
Locusts.—\n January great damage was done by locusts in the Kkojent,
Jizakj Samarkand and Katta-Kurghan Districts.
SOUTHERNCHI&A.
Political.
Although the civil administration of Chinese Turkistan continues to run on
the old lines, nevertheless a change is noticeable, not so much in the realities
as in the tendencies, and significant as reflecting the general effort of China
towards regeneration. Efforts are being made to purify the administration ot
its greater abuses. Taxes are being levied with a lighter hand and according
to the recognised scale. And Wei-Yuens, or secret emissaries of the provincial
governor, continually travel semi-incognito through the districts, hearing what
the people have to say about the capacity of their Ambans and denouncing the
latter to the higher authorities. It was stated in January that, as a result of
the reports of these TTei-Yuens, the Esien Ivuans of Dob, Gfoma and Kaigaiik
and the Ting Kuan of Yang-i-Hissar had been summarily dismissed. These
high-handed proceedings on the part of the Urumchi authorities have naturally-
aroused the resentment and lowered the influence of the local officials, and the
Tao-tai of Aksu went so far as to place one of the Wei-Yuens in chains on the
pretence that he was an impositor.
In April the Tao-tai of Kashgar called a meeting of the Kashgar Elders
and explained to them that he had been ordered to appoint a Ni-Yuen
or advisory council of eight* men at the head-quarters of every PIsien
Chow or Eu. The object of these councils is to keep the District officials
informed of the condition of affairs in their respective districts. Their powers
of offering advice are not to be restricted to any particular sphere. They will
be empowered to make direct representations to the Tao*tai with the result, it
is hoped, of mitigating the grievances with regard to arbitrary exactions of
revenue and the administration of justice by the local Ambans. The idea
appears to have excited little enthusiasm and in December the council
had not been formed. This passive opposition to the scheme may per
haps be partly attributed to the action of the Kashgar Yamen which fears
a curtailment of its own powers. The announcement that a Chinese Official
would be appointed to watch the deliberations of the Council has also contribut
ed to its unpopularity. It is not unlikely that if it should eventually assemble
its powers will be no greater than those of an ordinary Municipal Council,
although, according to a Russian source of information, it is possible that it will
be from these councils that the delegates to the Central Parliament at Peking
will subsequently be elected. It is worthy of notice that shortly after the
meeting at the Tao-tai’s Yamen two factions rapidly began to shape themselves,
one, the Artush party, the stronger with progressive tendencies, under the
leadership of Hosain Bai Dacha, a rich and influential merchant, and the other
the Town party, more conservative, which acknowledges as its leader another
rich merchant, Karim Bai Bacha.
The spread of education is being encouraged by the local authorities, for
not only is an attempt being made to establish a Chinese School at Kashgar,
vide infra “ Taxation,” but in December a similar school was also reported to
have been opened at Khotan and another at Sarikol.
In June Tsiang arrived from Urumchi to take up the post of Chow Kuan
of Kashgar new city.
Tulu Bai, for 15 years Ishk Agha Beg of Sarikol, was dismissed for incom
petence and disloyalty in May and replaced by Sulaiman Beg, a man of
stronger character.
In July a new Amhan for Tashkurghan passed through Kashgar from
Urumchi.
* Later apparently increased to 20 at Kashgar.