bilig-27/ Autumn 2003

TWO MANUSCRIPTS ABOUT THE KASHGAR NATION AND ATALIG GAZİ

 

Assoc. Prof. Ali Fuat BİLKAN


ABSTRACT

        In the middle of the 19th century, the Turks under Chinese occupation won their battle for independence and reestablished sovereignty in Kasghar, in western China. Yakup Bey, who ascended the Kashgaria throne in 1866, succeeded in ? founding a strong state in this region. An important figure for fifteen years, Yakup Bey was especially successful in the political and military relations he established with the Ottoman State. Recognized by the Chinese and Russian governments, as well as by the English administration in India, the Kashgar nation realized tradeagreements with its neighbors. Despite the instability of this region, two manuscripts containing the Kasghar nation's history and documentation of its trade agreements have been found. These works, which are located in India's National Library in Calcutta, will truly shed light on and further research related to Kashgarian history and the life of Yakup Bey.


Key Words : Kashgar State, Atalig Ghazi Yakup Bey, East Turkistan