The Rebellion of Lobzang TenzinOverview.
In 1723, the right-wing Mongol leader of Qinghai and Shuote, Lobzang Tenzin, in order to realize his political ambition of "restoring the hegemony of his ancestors", conspired with the Dzungar Khanate to rebel, which is known as the "Lobzang Tenzin Rebellion".
However, the Qing Dynasty quickly put down the rebellion. As a result, the Qing Dynasty not only further consolidated its rule over the Qinghai region, but also created favorable conditions for the operation of ** and the Western Regions.
So, who exactly is Lobzang Tenzin? Why did he start a rebellion? And why did it fail? Next, I will share some of the findings with you.
This topographic map of the Northwest (**via: Bureau of Earth Knowledge) depicts the rise and fall of the Hoshut Khanate, in which Lobzang Tenzin (1692—?) As the son of Dashbatur, the tenth son of Gushi Khan, he inherited the title of prince in the fifty-third year of Kangxi (1714).
However, due to Dashbatur's status as a concubine, the relationship between Lobzang Tenzin and some of Gushi Khan's relatives has always been complicated.
After the Qing army entered the customs, Gushi Khan and the fifth emperor realized the importance of establishing friendly relations with the Central Plains Dynasty, so the Heshute Khanate took the initiative to make overtures to the Qing Dynasty. In 1646, Gushi Khan and a total of 22 leaders of the Oirats jointly paid tribute, and the Qing Dynasty gave them armor and bows and arrows, and ordered them to rule the tribes.
In 1653, the Qing Dynasty canonized Gushi Khan as "Obeying Wenyi Minhui Gushi Khan", and the fifth ** as "the Western Heaven Great Benevolence and Freedom Buddha Leading the World to Interpret the Teachings of the Ordinary Wayi Latan** Lama", and the two sides formally established a nominal vassal relationship.
Although this was only a stopgap measure for the Qing Dynasty, the general territory of the Hoshut Khanate was consolidated after that.
1) The power of the leader of the Yellow Sect V** grew: After the death of Gushi Khan, the Hoshute Khanate appeared**, the rule of the secular regime over ** weakened day by day, and the religious forces represented the rapid development of the Yellow Sect, and the political and religious power of the Fifth ** reached its peak.
For example, the inauguration of the third Dibalosangtuden was completely promoted by the fifth **, and King Heshut Khan could not even participate in the "inauguration ceremony".
In the forty-second year of the Kangxi reign (1703), Lazang Khan, who inherited the throne of Heshute Khan, took advantage of the fact that the Dzungar Khanate was greatly damaged by the Qing Dynasty, and the fifth Dibasang Jie Gyatso fell into passivity because of the "blocking of the news of the death of the fifth ** and was held accountable by the Qing court", and launched a full-scale attack on the Gelug faction under the pretext of "the bad style of the sixth **".
As a result, Sangyel Gyatso was defeated and killed, and the 6th ** Cangyang Gyatso was also imprisoned by Razang Khan. In the same year, Lhazang Khan was named "Yifa Gongshun Khan" by the Qing Dynasty and appointed Yihe Gyatso as the "new" VI**.
However, this kind of behavior of arbitrarily apolishing the ** lama by force has caused the people to lose their hearts.
The great-grandson of Gushi Khan, Razang Khan, was the last khanate of the Hoshut Khanate. In the 56th year of the Kangxi reign in 1717, the Great Khan of the Dzungar Khanate, Tselu Alabutan, sent his younger brother Tseling Dun Dob to lead 6,000 elite troops to raid Lhasa in the name of "apologetic".
However, with the cooperation of the upper echelons of the Gelug faction and the watchful eyes of the Qing court, Lazang Khan was defeated and killed, the city of Lhasa and the Potala Palace were sacked by the Dzungar army, and the rule of the Heshut Khanate was destroyed as a result (Extended reading: Overview: The Rise and Fall of the Heshut Khanate).
In the later years of Emperor Kangxi, in the process of the Qing army's recovery of **, Luobzang Danjin made outstanding contributions. He greeted the 7th Emperor ** from Litang, Sichuan, and asked the Qing court to grant him the right to escort** into Tibet and sit on the bed.
After the situation stabilized, he hoped to restore the court of Heshute Khan, and made a request to the general Yinyu of Fuyuan, but was rejected by the other party on the grounds that he needed to wait until the triumph to count the merits.
In fact, after the Qing court pacified**, it has always been wary of the descendants of Gushi Khan. Therefore, under the leadership of the Qing court, the Heshute Khan court and the traditional Diba system were abolished and replaced by the Kalun system, which had the meaning of "handing over the administrative power of ** to the ** people".
In addition, the Qing court appointed Tsewang Norbu as the general of Dingxi** to prevent the Mongols from continuing to rule**. However, when Lobzang Tenzin's dreams were shattered and his escort ** was not duly praised for his exploits, his mentality gradually became unbalanced and he decided to join forces with the Dzungar Khanate to rebel against the Qing court.
1) Thangka art in the Potala Palace: Thangka, a painting art originating from **, has attracted the attention of countless tourists with its unique style and profound cultural connotation.
Among them, the thangka in the Potala Palace is a classic, not only with bright colors and smooth lines, but also carries the best history and culture. 2) Luo Buzang Danjin's "Little Ninety-Nine": The Qing Dynasty's policy change towards ** and Qinghai: In the winter of 1722, Emperor Kangxi died, Yongzheng ascended the throne, and the Qing Dynasty's policy towards ** and Qinghai underwent earth-shaking changes.
Yongzheng violated Emperor Kangxi's testament, withdrew his troops from **, and recalled Yinyu, the general of Fuyuan who was guarding Xining, to Beijing. Although the Qing court gave reasons such as the difficulty in supplying the officers and soldiers stationed in Tibet, the overburdening of the local people, and the price of silver, Yongzheng later admitted that this was a wrong decision without foresight.
In order to weaken and limit the power of Lobzang Tenzin, the Qing Dynasty adopted targeted suppression measures. After the pacification**, the Yongzheng Emperor rewarded those Qinghai and Shuote Mongol Zhutaiji who followed the expedition into Tibet, and graded them according to their merits and contributions.
Among them, the grandson of Ilduqi, the fifth son of Gushi Khan, was named the prince, and the grandson of Dalantai, the third son of Gushi Khan, Erdeni Erketoketonai, was named the prince of the county.
However, the reward received by the highest-ranking Luo Buzang Danzin was only two hundred taels of silver and five pieces of satin, which showed the attitude of Emperor Yongzheng to favor one over the other. His aim was to weaken Lobzang Tenzin's overly centralized power, prevent his unification of Qinghai, and discourage his ambitions to become the ruler of the Qinghai region.
Lobzang Tenzin argued that Chahan Tenzin's annexation of the late Beizi Danzhong's territory with the acquiescence of the Qing court was illegal. Continued tolerance of Tsakhan Tenzin's actions would weaken his authority within Hoshut Mongolia.
Therefore, in May of the first year of Yongzheng (1723), he united with Qinghai Taiji and others, Mengchahan Toluohai, and called himself ** Hun Taiji, challenging the Qing Dynasty.
1.Background and Causes of the Lobzang Tenzin Rebellion: The Lobzang Tenzin rebellion was not a whim-of-the-moment decision, and he had been secretly planning it a year earlier.
However, his plan never succeeded because the time was not yet ripe. It wasn't until Kangxi's death and the withdrawal of the officers and soldiers stationed in Tibet that he realized that this was the perfect opportunity for him to launch a rebellion.
2.Lobzang Tenzin's "Rebellion" Operation: Lobzang Tenzin launched a full-scale offensive under the pretext of Chahan Tenzin's annexation of the territory of Beizi Danzhong. First, he attacked the Mongol princes, led by the prince of the county, Erdeni Erketoktonai, and although they resisted, they were quickly defeated by Lobzang Tenzin.
Erdeni Erketoketonai led the remnants to flee to the Ganzhou area, where they were properly resettled by the Qing court. Subsequently, Lobzang Tenzin led his troops across the Yellow River and raided the grazing land of Chahan Danjin, who was unable to resist and finally led the remnants to flee into Hezhou.
3.Yongzheng's coping strategy: In the face of the rebellion of Lobzang Tenzin, Yongzheng made two preparations. On the one hand, he sent Chang Shou to the Lobzang Tenzin garrison to mediate, hoping to persuade him to call off the army and make a truce.
On the other hand, he appointed Nian Qianyao as the general of Fuyuan, and asked him to plan wholeheartedly, so as to exterminate and solve the problem by force. Core idea: the cause and process of the Lobzang Tenzin rebellion, and how Yongzheng responded to this crisis.
Nian Qianyao arrived in Xining on the 6th and formulated a comprehensive war strategy. He deployed nearly 20,000 elite troops, led by Yue Zhongqi, the governor of Sichuan, and Huang Xilin, the chief military officer of Xining, to undertake the task of attacking.
At the same time, Zhou Ying, the chief officer of Chamuduo, was responsible for defending Litang, Batang, and Huangshengguan to prevent Luobzang Danjin from entering. He also sent heavy troops to garrison the Yongchang and Bulongir rivers to prevent the other side from entering Gansu.
In addition, he also asked the Yongzheng Emperor to allocate 200,000 taels to ensure that the food and salary were sufficient. Emperor Yongzheng was very satisfied with Nian Qianyao's strategy, and at the same time he also warned Nian Qianyao that the army should not harass the people, destroy the relationship between people, violate women, dig graves, and not plunder the belongings of those who surrendered, not demolish houses, and not disturb the monks in the temple, so as to achieve the intention of counterinsurgency and rebellion.
In general, Yongzheng's attitude is very clear, if Lobzang Tenzin is still stubborn, he must be eliminated completely.
Lobzang Tenzin claimed that he wanted to send an envoy to the capital to play, but he heard that the Qing court had transferred troops to conscript, so he did not dare to move forward. He also requested a meeting with the Qing court on the 15th at the Chakhan Toro Sea.
However, on the 17th, the rebels suddenly abducted Chang Shou and detained him in the Khenpo Temple. This shows that Lobzang Tenzin has shown to the outside world that he is determined to resolutely fight the Qing court to the end.
On October 19, 2022, Lobzang Tenzin led an army of 5,000 and attacked Xining, Qinghai with great momentum. His troops managed to break through the Nanchuankou defense line and encircled Shenzhong Fort.
During the siege, the rebels not only set fire to nearby houses and grassy valleys, but also looted local property. It is worth mentioning that the monks of the monasteries around Xining also responded positively, wearing armor and holding **, leading their tenants and monks and laymen to participate in this battle together, carrying out atrocities such as looting and burning.
On October 20, more than 3,000 rebels besieged Zhenhai Fort again, but after three days of fierce attacks, they were never able to take it. On the 25th, Nian Qianyao mobilized 1,500 soldiers and quickly rushed to the aid to repel the rebels.
Soon, Lobzang Tenzin gathered another 2,000 troops, surrounded the new city of Beichuan, and occupied the mountain behind the new city. On the 28th, Nian sent 3,000 soldiers to reinforce the rebels together with the Qing army defending the city.
By 30 October, the rebels had again besieged the new castle and set it on fire, causing heavy losses to the defenders. In addition, the rebels also launched a full-scale invasion of Damaying in Ganzhou, Gaogu City in Liangzhou, and Qiangsao in Zhuanglang.
The land of Qinghai is full of smoke, and the two provinces of Ganliang are in danger. In order to save these two places, Nian Qianyao decided to adopt the strategy of "encircling Wei to save Zhao". He sent troops to attack the grazing lands of Lobzang Chahan, Barjur Arabutan, and other Taiji, forcing them to retreat and defend them.
First of all, he sent troops to attack the "Mongol Huizi" in the upper and lower north towers of Beichuan in Xining, and carried out large-scale revenge against the monasteries such as Qijia Temple and Guo Mang Temple that responded to the rebellion.
Among them, Guanghui Temple was completely burned down, and the abbot was also killed. In mid-October, the Qing army crossed the Datong River and attacked the pasturelands of Zhutaiji in Qinghai. Luo Buzang Chahan hurriedly retreated from Ganliang and other places, and after engaging the Qing army, he was defeated and fled.
At the same time, the Qing troops stationed in Ganzhou, Liangzhou, Zhuanglang and other places also launched counterattacks. The situation was unfavorable, and Lobzang Tenzin had to change his strategy and fled to the shores of Qinghai Lake.
On the ninth day of December, he summoned Albutan Umbu, Chuiraknomqi, and other people at Chegi Beach to discuss how to protect themselves. On December 13, he voluntarily released Chang Shou and presented a memo to the Qing court, asking for an end to the war.
The Qinghai region fell into war during the Yongzheng period, and the Qing army pursued the rebels by force. However, Tibetan tribes and Lamaist monasteries in Xining were brutally retaliated against by the Qing army for being accused of "responding to Lobzang Tenzin".
During their invasion of villages in the vicinity of Banon, the Qing army killed more than 600 enemies and burned down more than 150 houses, resulting in countless deaths. Subsequently, Yue Zhongqi purged a number of tribes in the suburbs of Guideburg, among which the leader of the Agonsin tribe was executed because he was accused of being an associate of Lobzang Tenzin, and the Qing army captured and beheaded a large number of people and livestock.
The Guolong Monastery (Youning Monastery), which originally housed the remains of Lobzang Tenzin's father, suffered the most reprisals among the many Lamaist monasteries. This result was not accidental, because Guolong Temple had the loyal support of many Qinghai Taiji, so it became the object of "special care" of the Qing army.
Nian Qianyao's recital recorded the "devastating blow" suffered by Guolong Temple. The Qing army stormed the temple, killed thousands of thieves, and destroyed three hills and three stockades.
Subsequently, they destroyed seven more stockades and burned more than 70 houses along the way. The next day, they arrived at Guolong Temple, and there were more than 1,000 ambush soldiers in the valley outside the temple, and they all fled into the cave.
The Qing army set guns and cannons, and set them on fire, burning them to death. According to statistics, more than 6,000 thieves were killed and wounded, including the destruction of Guolong Monastery and the verification of the news of Hubil Khan of Zhangjia Hu Tuketu (i.e., Supreme Leader Zhang Jia II).
Later, the escaped Zhang Jia II was captured by the Qing army and escorted to Beijing. Due to his young age, Emperor Yongzheng pardoned him for capital crimes.
The Qing army marched into Qinghai Zhutaiji, Youning Temple to watch the battle. More than 2,000 people, including Beleseb Tengzar and Taiji Baljur, took the lead in surrendering and were forgiven and resettled.
However, for Khenbu Nuomen Khan, the abbot of Ta'er Monastery, Nian Qianyao did not give leniency to him because he instigated Lobzang Tenzin to rebel and "show the Dharma to the public". With the passage of time, almost all Taiji jointly signed a petition to accept the surrender, among which Belle Lob Zangchahan, Taiji Pengsuk Wangzar brothers and others went to Xining to surrender to Cheng, and received Nian Qianyao's reward and the order to be stationed outside the mouth.
This shows that the Qing court's attitude towards those who surrendered was not uniformly lenient, and it also took corresponding measures to deal with it.
The stupa of Ta'er Monastery and the Fall of Lobzang Tenzin Nian Qianyao thought deeply and believed that Lobzang Tenzin intended to threaten cowardice in order to increase his strength, and the people were still hesitating, and if they did not take the opportunity to send an army, it would be difficult for those who came to take refuge to survive.
He decided to take Yue Zhongqi's suggestion and send 5,000 elite soldiers to attack by surprise, aiming to completely defeat Lobzang Tenzin. On 8 February, Nian Qianyao ordered Yue Zhongqi and others to lead 6,000 soldiers to pursue them in two directions.
On the 12th, Yue Zhongqi and others successfully captured Albutanwenbu and Barjur Arabutan in the Ikharji area. On the 14th, the Qing army defeated Turaknomuqi at the heavenly city of Chahanhada.
On the 19th, Yue Zhongqi raided the camp of Lobzang Tenzin at night, and Lobzang Tenzin fled to the Qaidam area on a white camel, and his mother and brother-in-law Kelekji Nongzang Bajicha and others were captured.
On the 22nd, the Qing army arrived in Qaidam and successfully captured the Taiji-Tibetan Bazabu. Although Lobzang Tenzin managed to escape, his situation did not improve. After crossing the Taklamakan Desert, he fled to the territory of the Dzungar Khanate.
After the end of the Pingzhun War, he was placed under house arrest in Beijing and in the Zhenghuangqi area of Inner Mongolia. Although he did not end well, in the end he "died well".
On March 1, the Qing army returned triumphantly. On 12 April, the Qing army sent three people, Chuan Lak Nomuqi, Albutan Wenbu, and Tibetan Bazabu, to Beijing to offer prisoners as a sacrifice to the Taimiao Society.
As a result, Nian Qianyao was awarded the title of first-class duke, while Yue Zhongqi was made a third-class duke. This campaign showed that the Qing army was able to act quickly in the face of a threat and ultimately achieve victory.
4) The anti-Qing rebellion in Lobzang Tenzin brought great damage to the social stability and development of productive forces in Qinghai, Tibet and western Gansu, and caused serious population losses.
At its peak, the population of the rebellion was estimated to be about 200,000, and after the rebellion was quelled, the population plummeted to less than 100,000. In order to change this situation, the Qing court adopted Nian Qianyao's "Thirteen Articles on Qinghai's Aftermath Matters" and "Twelve Things to Ban Qinghai" to comprehensively rectify Qinghai's politics, economy, and religion.
The Qing rulers reformed the administrative system of the Qinghai region through a series of means. First, the Qing court modeled the Inner Mongolian system, dividing the Qinghai and Shuote Mongol tribes into 29 banners, and stipulating the nomadic scope and management methods of each banner.
As a result, the political status and military strength of Qinghai and Shuote Taiji were greatly weakened. Second, the Qing court carried out a large-scale rectification of Lamaist monasteries throughout Qinghai.
Because many monastic lamas were involved in the Lobzang Tenzin rebellion, the government imposed strict restrictions on the number and size of monasteries, and regularly sent special personnel to conduct inspections. Finally, the Qing court carried out a major reform of the local administrative division system.
In the second year of Yongzheng (1724), the Qing court set up a minister of affairs in Xining and restored the establishment of Xining Prefecture. Then, the Qing court changed Xiningwei to Xining Mansion, changed Liangzhou Wei in Gansu to Liangzhou Mansion, and added Wuwei County, and changed the towns of Fanwei, Yongchangwei, and Gulang to counties, thus establishing the direct rule of the Qinghai region.