Genocide in Xinjiang, old and new

What is Xinjiang, and what is Dzungaria?

Xinjiang, a border province of China, is in the news since 2005, as the Chinese government enforces stricter control over its Muslim Uyghur population. This has been heavily reported and I won't repeat. However these reports miss a historical precedent: the 18th century genocide of Dzungaria by the Qing dynasty.

Map of China with Xinjiang. Source: Wikipedia

That's Xinjiang today. Before that, Xinjiang was controlled by Qing dynasty as its west-most province. And before that, it was an independent Mongol khanate, called the Dzungar Khanate.

"Dzungar" is the name of a group of Mongols that ruled the land called Dzungaria. Dzungaria still exists as the name of a geographical area within Xinjiang, but the Dzungars are gone, thanks to the Dzungar genocide.

Map of Dzungaria around 1700s. Source: Wikipedia

To say that Dzungaria is obscure is an understatement. Even I have not given this place a second thought despite living in China for many years, and reading about the Uyghur situation in Xinjiang. I hope that this post will make their history more known, and give better context for the current Uyghur situation.

The imperialistic conquests of Qing

Before Qing dynasty got imperialism-ed by the West, Qing was busy imperialism-ing the west, and north, and even south. Comparing the map of Ming and Qing and you'd notice several big additions: Taiwan, Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Tibet. Imperialism!

Ming and its neighbors, 1409. Source: Wikipedia

Qing map, circa 1820. Source: Wikipedia

(I am not saying that Qing got what's coming for them, since there is no justice in history: the British Empire never got imperialism-ed.)