Text modules in the Manchu source Jun gar-i bodogon-i bithe (A case of the Qing Dynasty’s Sudden Attack on the Dzüüngar Empire in 1734)

Lkhagvasuren, Enkhsaruul (2026) Text modules in the Manchu source Jun gar-i bodogon-i bithe (A case of the Qing Dynasty’s Sudden Attack on the Dzüüngar Empire in 1734). TÁVOL-KELETI TANULMÁNYOK, 18 (1). pp. 91-119. ISSN 2060-9655

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Abstract

The Manchu source Jun gar-i ba-be necihiyeme toktobuha bodogon-i bithe ‘Strategy Book for the Pacification of the Dzüüngarian Territory’, appeared in print in 1770 and Chinese block print in 1772 before being included in si ku quan shu 四庫全書 ‘Complete Book of the Four Storehouses’ in 1781. Entitled in Chinese as (qin ding) ping ding zhun ga er fang lüe (欽定) 平定準噶爾方略 (Imperially Endorsed) Strategy Book for the Pacification of the Dzüüngarian Territory’, which is a manifestation of political gratitude extended towards the Qing dynasty (1644–1912) for their unification of the Dzüüngar Empire (1671–1755), the Tibetan Plateau, and the Muslim city-states of the Tarim Basin. The tribal appellation Dzüüngar, also known as Man. Jun gar, Oirt. J̌öün γar ‘Left wing’, Mon. J̌egün γar, Chin. zhun ga er 準噶爾, Rus. Джунгар appeared in the first document in the 17th century as an integral component of the Oirat confederation with the Tsoros (Mon. Čoros) clan. The geographical location of the Tsoros lineage, on the left wing of the Oirat confederation, ultimately became the empire designation when Galdan (1644‒1697, r. 1671‒1697), the leader of the left wing, effectively consolidated their power and united the right wing, establishing a reputation as the last independent Mongol state with a non-Chinggisid bloodline. In the winter of 1678, the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngagwang Lobzang Gyatsho (Tib. ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho; 1617‒1682) bestowed on him the preeminent honorific title, Tib. dga'ldan bstan 'dzin bo shog thu khang; Man. šajin be jafara g’aldan bošoktu han ‘Galdan Boshogtu Khan, Patron of Religion’. After five successors, namely Tseveenrabdan (1665‒1727, r. 1697‒1727), Galdantseren (1694‒1745, r. 1727‒1745), Tseveendorjnamjil (1730‒1749, r. 1745‒1749), Lamadarjaa (1724‒1752, r. 1749‒1752) and Davaach (d. 1759, r. 1752‒1755), the empire was occupied by the Qing Dynasty in 1755. As an official historical narrative covering the period from 1700 to 1765, Jun gari bodogon-i bithe reveals changes in the content of a primary source, which have been made based on fundamental rules intended to extend and safeguard the legitimacy of the ruling reign. On the other hand, it is a history written by the winner about the loser. The main feature of this genre is that sponsors and requests by individuals determine which historical events are considered significant, which facts are selected, and from what perspective these events are interpreted. Furthermore, the participants in its compilation influence how future generations will remember and evaluate these events by commenting on, summarising, deleting, explaining, and analysing primary sources. The present paper first introduces Jun gari bodogon-i bithe, including its content, volumes, block prints, the location of the collection, and the biographies of 87 individuals who contributed to the compilation. The next section describes the historical background up to the Qing Dynasty’s sudden attack in 1734, and how this attack is indicated in Jun gari bodogon-i bithe. Finally, it examines the primary sources related to the attack, reviews the real context of the event, and compares the primary sources with the narrative’s content to determine how it was edited. The following two Manchu archive documents hold crucial significance to the present study: A report of Fupeng (福彭,1708–1749), the Grand General for Pacifying the Frontiers (Man. jecen-be toktobure amba jiyanggiyūn, Chin. jing bian da jiang jun靖邊大將軍), Prince of the Blood of the second degree of Pacified Commandery (Man. doroi necin giyūn wang, Chin. duo luo ping jun wang多羅平郡王) on January 18 and February 13, 1734, and those were included in the third volume of Qing dai xinjiang manwen dang'an huibian 清代新疆满文档案汇编 (‘Collections of the Manchu Language Archival Materials on the Qing Xinjiang’), published in 2012.

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