| What is it?

Name: The Tale of Ubashi Khan's Waist Sword

Historical Period: In the region of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty

Total Length: 85cm, Width: c.3.5cm

Housed in: The Palace Museum

| What's the story?

The Torghut are an ancient tribe of the Mongol ethnicity in China. In the early 17th century, in search of new pastures, the Torghut Mongols, under the leadership of their chieftain, left the Mongolian steppes and migrated westward. After overcoming numerous hardships and a grueling trek, they arrived at the lower reaches of the Volga River near the Caspian Sea. This vast land, with lush fields of grass and a suitable climate, was a natural pasture. The Torghut settled in this area and established a nomadic Khanate.

In the mid-to-late 17th century, as the Russian Empire (1721-1917) encroached upon the Volga region, it seized the Torghut pastures and interfered with their internal affairs. It also coercively demanded the Torghuts to pay heavy tributes in furs, livestock, and grain. Moreover, the Russians compelled the Torghuts to renounce their faith in Tibetan Buddhism in favor of Eastern Orthodoxy—a mandate that proved insufferable. Such tyranny sparked fierce resistance among the Torghuts. In the winter of 1770, the Torghut leader Ubashi decided to lead his people back to their homeland.

In January 1771, Ubashi called a grand assembly of all tribal members. Holding high the sacred banner left by his ancestors, he fervently proclaimed, "We can no longer endure the oppression of the Russian Empire. We must return to our homeland, to the places where our forefathers lived! Be forewarned, however, the journey back home is long and arduous. We must steel our resolve to fight to the death against the Russian troops, and secure our national freedom and happiness with our blood and lives!"

Inspired by Ubashi's call to arms, the Torghuts demolished their homes and took with them all their belongings, embarking eastward on an epic journey. A caravan of about 170,000 people, along with countless herds of livestock, set out eastward.

Upon learning of the Torghuts' eastward migration, the Russian government immediately dispatched a large cavalry force to intercept them. Facing such formidable enemies, Ubashi was undaunted and commanded his troops valiantly. The Torghuts fought off successive attacks from the Russian army while on the move. Traversing nearly 10,000 kilometers, they at last arrived in the Ili region of Xinjiang, China, in July 1771, with barely half the original number surviving.

When the Torghuts reached Ili, the Russian Empire pressed the Qing government to refuse entry to the Torghuts and threatened military action if they were not surrendered. Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) issued a resolute reply, "Should you wish to reclaim them, you may do so on Russian soil; we shall not interfere. Nevertheless, once they have crossed into our domain, you are forbidden to chase them within our borders without constraint. Disregarding this decree invites conflict."

Emperor Qianlong instructed the Ili General to receive Ubashi and his tribe and settled them near Ili. In just a few months, the Qing government quickly mobilized over 200,000 horses, cattle, and sheep, more than 2 million kilograms of rice and wheat, over 20,000 bags of tea, more than 50,000 sheepskin coats, over 60,000 cotton products, and nearly 30,000 kilograms of cotton, as well as a great number of everyday necessities to aid the Torghut tribe. Hence, the Torghuts finally freed themselves from Russian oppression and returned to their ancestral lands, once more under China's care.

On Oct. 15, 1771, Emperor Qianlong welcomed Ubashi and other Torghut leaders at the Chengde Mountain Resort (also known as "Jehol Palace") with a feast, and bestowed upon Ubashi the title of the "Jorightu Khan." Ubashi presented the emperor with the worn waist sword which told the story of the Torghut's arduous journey eastward. Touched by their ordeal, Emperor Qianlong lauded the return of the Torghuts and commemorated the historic moment in poems such as The Record of the Torghut's Return and Reunion in Ili.

Source: Becoming the Chinese Nation: The historical memories of multi-ethnic Chinese Nation in 100 cultural relics

Liu Xian /Editor    Jiang Jing /Translator

Yang Xinhua /Chief Editor    Ren Qiang /Coordinator

Liu Li /Reviewer

Zhang Weiwei /Copyeditor    Tan Yujie /Image Editor

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