Jinchuan campaigns

Jinchuan campaigns
Part of Ten Great Campaigns
Conquest of Yixi, Yiasuo and others
Court painting of the Campaign Against Jinchuan
DateFirst Campaign: 1747–1749 (3 years) Second Campaign: 1771–1776 (6 years)
Location
Chuchen (Greater Jinchuan) and Tsanlha (Lesser Jinchuan)
(now Jinchuan and Xiaojin counties, Sichuan, China)
31°28′34″N 102°04′01″E / 31.476°N 102.067°E / 31.476; 102.067
Result Qing Victory. Tusi system was abolished
Belligerents

Qing Empire
Gyalrong chiefdoms:

Chuchen
Tsanlha (2nd campaign)
Commanders and leaders

First Campaign:

Second Campaign:

First Campaign:

Second Campaign:

Strength
600,000 infantry 30,000 militia
Casualties and losses
50,000 casualties Unknown
Jinchuan campaigns is located in China
Jinchuan campaigns
Jinchuan's location on the map of China

The Jinchuan campaigns (Chinese: 大小金川之役), also known as the Suppression of the Jinchuan Hill Peoples (Chinese: 平定兩金川), were two wars between Qing Empire and the rebel forces of Gyalrong chieftains ("Tusi") from the Jinchuan region. The first campaign against Chiefdom of Chuchen (Da Jinchuan or Greater Jinchuan in Chinese) happened in 1747 when the Tusi of Greater Jinchuan Slob Dpon attacked the Chiefdom of Chakla (Mingzheng). The Qianlong Emperor decided to mobilize forces and suppress Slob Dpon, who surrendered to the central government in 1749. The second campaign against Chiefdom of Tsanlha (Xiao Jinchuan or Lesser Jinchuan) took place in 1771, when the Jinchuan Tusi Sonom killed Geshitsa Tusi of Ngawa County in Sichuan Province. After Sonom killed Geshitsa Tusi, he helped Tusi of Lesser Jinchuan, Skal bzang, to occupy the lands belonging to the other Tusi in the region. The provincial government ordered Sonom to return lands and accept the trial at the Ministry of Justice immediately. Sonom refused to retreat his rebels. The Qianlong Emperor was furious and gathered 80,000 troops and entered Jinchuan. In 1776, Qing troops sieged the castle of Sonom to force his surrender.[1]

The Jinchuan campaigns were two of the Ten Great Campaigns of Qianlong. Compare to his other eight campaigns, the cost of fighting Jinchuan was extraordinary. Jinchuan, a small county of Sichuan, cost the Qing Empire 50,000 people and 70 million silver taels to conquer, a cost that was more devastating than any other Great Campaigns accomplished by Qianlong.[2][3]

  1. ^ Zhiyan., Peng; 彭陟焱. (2010). Qianlong chao Da Xiao Jinchuan zhi yi yan jiu (Di 1 ban ed.). Beijing Shi: Min zu chu ban she. ISBN 9787105107568. OCLC 658574835.
  2. ^ Jifa., Zhuang; 莊吉發. (1987). Qing Gaozong shi quan wu gong yan jiu (Di 1 ban ed.). Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju. ISBN 9787101001822. OCLC 22381458.
  3. ^ Theobald, Ulrich (30 September 2010). The Second Jinchuan Campaign (1771 – 1776) Economic, Social and Political Aspects of an Important Qing Period Border War (PDF) (Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Doktor der Philosophie der Philosophischen Fakultät - ehemalige Fakultät für Kulturwissenschaften). Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2014-08-26. Alt URL