Albazino
Albazino
Албазино́, 阿勒巴沁 | |
---|---|
Village | |
Coordinates: 53°23′26″N 124°04′39″E / 53.39056°N 124.07750°E | |
Country | Russia |
Oblast | Amur Oblast |
Albazino (
Before the arrival of
Later in the 17th century, the town was the center of the short-lived petty polish-speaking state of Jaxa (Manchu: yaksa; Chinese: 雅克薩; Russian: Якса or "Jaxa".)
In the late 1640s, a team of Russian
Following the Treaty of Aigun in 1858 a new Amur Cossack stanitsa appeared on the site. A municipal museum is sited among the remains of the 17th-century Russian fort.
History
In late 1650 Albazin was built as winter quarters by
Foundation of Jaxa
In 1655
In the coming years,
Russian–Chinese conflict over Albazin
The Qing did little about Albazin because their forces were tied up in southern China and because they were concerned about possible Russian backing for their enemies in Mongolia. With the southern problem nearly solved (Taiwan was conquered in 1683), in the spring of 1682 the Kangxi Emperor made a tour through Manchuria and began preparations to deal with the Amur problem. His plan was to build up such a large force that the Russians would withdraw without fighting, for, as he said "The use of force is not a good thing. We use it only under compulsion." Troops were moved up to Aigun and crops were planted to feed them. An attack was delayed due to disagreements among the planners and the difficulty of moving supplies northward.
From 1681 there were Qing threats against Albazin, talks were held on the Nun River and minor Russian forts were destroyed along the Zeya. By the end of 1683 all Russian bases except Albazin had been eliminated. Moscow responded by making Ivan Vlasov voyevoda of Nerchinsk and appointing Aleksey Tolbuzin to a new voyevodstvo at Albazin (July 1684). An attempt to move men and supplies east failed due to shortages and inefficiency.
1685: The siege began on June 23, 1685. On the 26th there was an indecisive day-long battle. The Qing army thereupon piled dry wood along the fort's wooden walls and when they began to light it, Tolbuzin surrendered (exact date uncertain). The 600 or so defenders were allowed to withdraw to Nerchinsk. About 45 opted to go with the Qing army where they joined the Russian colony in Peking. The Qing army burned the fort and withdrew, but did not destroy the crops. When news of the defeat reached Moscow in November it was decided to abandon the Amur and send an ambassador to Peking. The Qing troops constituted of former Southern Ming marines from Taiwan, renowned for their knowledge of nautical warfare.[3][4][5][6][7][8]
1686: One day after leaving Albazin, the retreating Russians met a group of reinforcements who brought word that an even larger group under Baiton had reached Nerchinsk. Since the fort was lost they continued their withdrawal. Some time after July 10, 1685, scouts reported that the Qing were gone and the crops still standing. Vlasov sent 669 well-armed men under Tolbuzin to gather the harvest. The crops were gathered, Albazin was refortified with earthen walls and efforts were made to bring the natives back into subjection. The Qing arrived on July 18, 1686, and began a tight siege and a steady cannonade. On the fifth day of the siege Tolbuzin was killed by a cannon ball and replaced by Afanasii Baiton.[9] The Russians had enough food to last until Easter, but were short of water. The siege continued until early winter. In late October messengers arrived in Peking announcing Moscow's desire to negotiate. An order was issued to relax the siege. At this time less than 66 men, out of an original 826, were left alive (most had died of disease, especially scurvy). On December 25 Baiton sent one of his men to request provisions. A few more than twenty men remained in the fort, all ill and undernourished. When, in August 1687, Kangxi heard (incorrectly) that the Russian ambassador had reached Mongolia, he ordered the Qing troops withdrawn.
By the treaty of Nerchinsk (1689), Albazin was abandoned and destroyed.
See also
References
- ^ W. Sulewski "Konterfekty dziwnych Polaków", Warszawa 1973
- ^ Z. Łukawski "Historia Syberii", Wrocław 1981
- ^ Robert H. Felsing (1979). The Heritage of Han: The Gelaohui and the 1911 Revolution in Sichuan. University of Iowa. p. 18.
- ^ Louise Lux (1998). The Unsullied Dynasty & the Kʻang-hsi Emperor. Mark One Printing. p. 270.
- ^ Mark Mancall (1971). Russia and China: their diplomatic relations to 1728. Harvard University Press. p. 338.
- ISBN 978-0-7566-1360-0.
- ISBN 978-0-393-30780-1.
- ^ Jenne, Jeremiah (September 6, 2016). "Settling Siberia: Nerchinsk, 1689". The World of Chinese. Archived from the original on August 20, 2020.
- ^ Dymytryshyn, Basil,'Russia's Conquest of Siberia', volume one, document 127
- Mark Mancall,'Russia and China: Their Diplomatic Relations to 1728',1971
- Ernest George Ravenstein, 'The Russians on the Amur', 1861(sic)
External links
- (in Russian) Website of the Albazino Museum
- (in Chinese) Information about the Solon Khanate