Everything about Aksu Xinjiang totally explained
Aksu (also known as
Ak-su,
Akshu,
Aqsu,
Bharuka and
Po-lu-chia; .
simplified Chinese 阿克苏;
traditional Chinese 阿克蘇,
pinyin (Ākèsù).
Aksu is a city in the
Chinese province of
Xinjiang and the capital of
Aksu Prefecture. The name Aksu literally means
white water, and is used for both the town and the
Aksu River.
As of 2002, the city, which is in the Southern foothills of
Tian Shan, has a population of 560,000, mostly
Han Chinese, the city itself has a population of 362,000.
The economy of Aksu is mostly agricultural, with cotton, in particular long-staple cotton as the main product. Also produced are grain, fruits, oils, beets and so on. The industry mostly consists of weaving, cement, and chemical industries.
Historical Aksu
From the
Former Han dynasty (125 BCE to 23 CE) at least until the early
Tang dynasty (618-907 CE) Aksu was known as Gumo 姑墨 [Ku-mo]. It was an important stop on the
Northern Silk Road that runs along the northern edge of the
Taklamakan desert in the
Tarim Basin between
Kucha and
Kashgar. In Buddhist
Sanskrit it was known as
Bharuka. There can be no question that Gumo refers to the present-day oasis of Aksu – although the ancient capital town of Nan ("Southern Town") was likely well south of the present town.
During the Former Han it's described as a "kingdom" (
guo) containing 3,500 households, 24,500 individuals and with 4,500 people able to bear arms. It is said to have produced copper, iron and
orpiment.
The Chinese pilgrim
Xuanzang visited this "kingdom" in
629 CE and referred to it as Baluka. He recorded that there were tens of
Sarvastivadin Buddhist monasteries in the kingdom and over 1000 monks. He said the kingdom was 600
li from east to west, and 300
li from north to south. Its capital was said to be 6
li in circuit. He reported that the "native products, climate, temperament of the people, customs, written language and law are the same as in the country of Kuci (
Kucha), but the spoken language is somewhat different." He also stated that fine cotton and hempen cloth made in the area was traded in neighbouring countries.
In the 7th, 8th, and early 9th centuries, the entire region was often subject to control from the Chinese
Tang Dynasty, the Tibetan
Tufan Empire, and
Uyghur Empire and cities frequently changed hands. Tibet seized Aksu in 670 AD, but Tang forces reconquered the region in 692. Tibet regained the Tarim Basin in the late 720s, and the Tang Dynasty again annexed the region in the 740s. The
Battle of Talas led to the gradual withdrawal of Chinese forces, and the region was contested between the Uyghurs and Tibetans.
Aksu was strongly connected with
Kucha, though its spoken language differed a little from standard
Kuchean. It was positioned on a junction of trade routes; the northern-Tarim
silk road, and a route north to the fertile
Ili River valley.
Around 1220 it became the capital of the
Kingdom of Mangalai .
Francis Younghusband, visited Aksu in 1887 on his overland journey from
Beijing to
India. He described it as being the largest town he'd seen on his way from Beijing. It had a local population of about 20,000 besides those of the district and a garrison of about 2,000 soldiers. "There were large bazaars and several inns—some for travellers, others for merchants wishing to make a prolonged stay to sell goods."
Timeline
Neighbours
The kingdom bordered
Kashgar to the south-west, and
Kucha,
Karasahr then
Turfan to the east. Across the desert to the south was
Khotan.
Literary sources
The Chinese History of the Western Han records some information about the kingdom.
Either the Old Book of Tang or the New Book of Tang records Xuanzang's information and a little extra.
Footnotes
Further Information
Get more info on 'Aksu Xinjiang'.
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