autonomous prefecture Autonomous prefectures () are one type of autonomous administrative divisions of China, existing at the prefectural level, with either ethnic minorities forming over 50% of the population or being the historic home of significant minorities. A ...

Kazakh people The Kazakhs (also spelled Qazaqs; Kazakh: , , , , , ; the English name is transliterated from Russian; russian: казахи) are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group native to northern parts of Central Asia, chiefly Kazakhstan, but also parts o ...

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...

Yining City YiningThe official spelling according to (), also known as Ghulja ( ug, غۇلجا) or Qulja ( kk, قۇلجا) and formerly Ningyuan (), is a county-level city in Northwestern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China and the seat of the Ili Kazakh ...

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

Republic of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbekis ...

Khorgas Khorgas, officially known as KorgasThe official spelling according to , (Beijing, ''SinoMaps Press'' 1997); ( zh, s=霍尔果斯, t=霍爾果斯, p=Huò'ěrguǒsī; kk, قورعاس, Qorǵas), also known as ''Chorgos'', ''Gorgos'', ''Horgos' ...

Jeminay Jeminay County or Jimunai County, is a county situated in the north of the Xinjiang, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Altay Prefecture. A road border crossing into Kazakhstan is located in Jeminay town. The ...

ports of entry In general, a port of entry (POE) is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has border security staff and facilities to check passports and visas and to inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. Internatio ...

prefectures A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

Tacheng TachengThe official spelling according to (), as the official romanized name, also transliterated from Mongolian as Qoqak, is a county-level city (1994 est. pop. 56,400) and the administrative seat of Tacheng Prefecture, in northern Ili Kazakh A ...

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...

autonomous prefecture Autonomous prefectures () are one type of autonomous administrative divisions of China, existing at the prefectural level, with either ethnic minorities forming over 50% of the population or being the historic home of significant minorities. A ...

Wenquan Wenquan () is a common name for places in the People's Republic of China: County *Wenquan County (温泉县), of the Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Towns (温泉镇) * Wenquan, Anhui, in Yuexi County, Anhui, Yuexi County * Wenquan ...

Tacheng TachengThe official spelling according to (), as the official romanized name, also transliterated from Mongolian as Qoqak, is a county-level city (1994 est. pop. 56,400) and the administrative seat of Tacheng Prefecture, in northern Ili Kazakh A ...

Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin (state), ...

Wusun The Wusun (; Eastern Han Chinese *''ʔɑ-suən'' <

Old Chinese

(140 BCE < 436 BCE): *''Ɂâ-sûn'') were an ancient semi-

s, a tributary tribe of the

Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...

. The Ussuns were driven away in the 6th century AD by the Northern

Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 20 ...

, who established the

First Turkic Khaganate The First Turkic Khaganate, also referred to as the First Turkic Empire, the Turkic Khaganate or the Göktürk Khaganate, was a Turkic khaganate established by the Ashina clan of the Göktürks in medieval Inner Asia under the leadership of Bumin ...

in 552. Later this Khulja territory became a dependency of

Dzungaria Dzungaria (; from the Mongolian language, Mongolian words , meaning 'left hand') is a geographical subregion in Northwest China that corresponds to the northern half of Xinjiang. It is thus also known as Beijiang, which means "Northern Xinjiang" ...

. During the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

(618907), the khanate became the

Protectorate General to Pacify the West The Protectorate General to Pacify the West (Anxi Grand Protectorate), initially the Protectorate to Pacify the West (Anxi Protectorate), was a protectorate (640 – ) established by the Chinese Tang dynasty in 640 to control the Tarim Basin. Th ...

of the Tang Empire. The

Uyghur Khaganate The Uyghur Khaganate (also Uyghur Empire or Uighur Khaganate, self defined as Toquz-Oghuz country; otk, 𐱃𐰆𐰴𐰕:𐰆𐰍𐰕:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣, Toquz Oγuz budun, Tang-era names, with modern Hanyu Pinyin: or ) was a Turkic empire that e ...

and in the 12th century the

Kara-Khitai The Qara Khitai, or Kara Khitai (), also known as the Western Liao (), officially the Great Liao (), was a Sinicized dynastic regime based in Central Asia ruled by the Khitan Yelü clan. The Qara Khitai is considered by historians to be an ...

, took possession of the area in turn.

Genghis Khan ''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋbr />Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan'' , birth_name = Temüjin , successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan , spouse = , issue = , house = Borjigin , ...

conquered Kulja in the 13th century and the Mongol Khans resided in the valley of the Ili. It is supposed that the

Oirats Oirats ( mn, Ойрад, ''Oirad'', or , Oird; xal-RU, Өөрд; zh, 瓦剌; in the past, also Eleuths) are the westernmost group of the Mongols whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of Siberia, Xinjiang and western Mongolia. Histor ...

conquered it at the end of the 16th or the beginning of the 17th century. Yili-military-complex-ca-1809

Qing dynasty

The Oirats or more precisely

Dzungars The Dzungar people (also written as Zunghar; from the Mongolian words , meaning 'left hand') were the many Mongol Oirat tribes who formed and maintained the Dzungar Khanate in the 17th and 18th centuries. Historically they were one of major tr ...

, controlled both Dzungaria and the Ili Basin until 1755 as the

Dzungar Khanate The Dzungar Khanate, also written as the Zunghar Khanate, was an Inner Asian khanate of Oirat Mongol origin. At its greatest extent, it covered an area from southern Siberia in the north to present-day Kyrgyzstan in the south, and from t ...

, when it was annexed by the

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and ...

-run

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

under the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 t ...

. Having defeated the Dzungars in the Dzungarian and Ili Basins, as well as the Afaqi

Khoja The Khojas ( sd}; gu, ખોજા, hi, ख़ोजा) are a mainly Nizari Isma'ili Shia community of people originating in Gujarat, India. Derived from the Persian Khwaja, a term of honor, the word Khoja is used to refer to Lohana Rajput ...

s in

Kashgaria Kashgar ( ug, قەشقەر, Qeshqer) or Kashi ( zh, c=喀什) is an oasis city in the Tarim Basin region of Southern Xinjiang. It is one of the westernmost cities of China, near the border with Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Pakistan. ...

, the Qing court decided to make the Ili basin the main base of their control in Xinjiang. In the 1760s, the Qing built nine fortified towns () in the Ili Basin: Huiyuan Cheng, as the seat of the

General of Ili The General of Ili ( Officially ), also known in western sources as the Kuldya Military Governor, was a position created during the reign of the Qing Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735-1799) to "pacify" Dzungaria (now part of Xinjiang) and suppress uprising ...

, the chief commander of the Qing troops in Xinjiang, became the administrative capital of the region. It was provided with a large penal establishment and a strong garrison. This city was called ''New Kulja'', ''Manhcu Kulja'', ''Chinese Kulja'' or ''Ili'' by the Russians and Westerners, to distinguish it from Nigyuan/Yining, known as ''Old Kulja'' or ''Taranchi Kulja''. The first General of Ili was

Ming Rui Mingrui (, Manchu: , ''mingšui'', my, မင်းယွီ, ; (?March 1768) was the first General of Ili from October 1762 to March 1767 and then Governor-general of Yunnan and Guizhou from April 1767 to March 1768. A son-in-law of the Qian ...

. The Qing tradition, unbroken until the days of

Zuo Zongtang Zuo Zongtang, Marquis Kejing ( also spelled Tso Tsung-t'ang; ; November 10, 1812 – September 5, 1885), sometimes referred to as General Tso, was a Chinese statesman and military leader of the late Qing dynasty. Born in Xiangyin County ...

in the 1870s, was to only appoint

Manchus The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and Q ...

as officials in Xinjiang. During the insurrection of 1864 the

Dungans Dungan, Xiao'erjing: ; zh, s=东干族, t=東干族, p=Dōnggān zú, w=Tung1kan1-tsu2, , Xiao'erjing: ; russian: Дунгане, ''Dungane''; ky, Дуңгандар, ''Duñgandar'', دۇنغاندار; kk, Дүңгендер, ''Düñgende ...

and

Taranchi Taranchi () is a term denoting the Muslim sedentary population living in oases around the Tarim Basin in today's Xinjiang, China, whose native language is Turkic Karluk and whose ancestral heritages include Tocharians, Iranic peoples such as Sak ...

s of the area formed the Taranchi Sultanate. Huiyuan (Manchu Kulja) was the last Qing fortress in the

Ili Valley The Ili ( ug, ئىلى دەرياسى, Ili deryasi, Ili dəryasi, 6=Или Дәряси; kk, Ile, ; russian: Или; zh, c=伊犁河, p=Yīlí Hé, dng, Йили хә, Xiao'erjing: اِلِ حْ; mn, Ил, literally "Bareness") is a river sit ...

to fall to the rebels. The insurgent

Dungans Dungan, Xiao'erjing: ; zh, s=东干族, t=東干族, p=Dōnggān zú, w=Tung1kan1-tsu2, , Xiao'erjing: ; russian: Дунгане, ''Dungane''; ky, Дуңгандар, ''Duñgandar'', دۇنغاندار; kk, Дүңгендер, ''Düñgende ...

massacred most of Manchu Kulja's inhabitants; Governor General

Mingsioi Mingsioi ( Manchu: ) or Mingxu () was the Qing General of Ili in 1864-66, charged with the overall command of the Chinese troops in Xinjiang. Mingsioi's predecessor, Cangcing () was sacked after the defeat of Qing troops at Wusu during the Dung ...

(Ming Xü) assembled his family and staff in his mansion and blew it up, dying under its ruins. The insurrection led to the occupation of the Ili basin (''Kulja'' in contemporary Western terms) by the Russians in 1871. Ten years later, part of the territory was restored to China and its boundary with Russia was assigned in accordance with the

Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881) The Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881) (), also known as Treaty of Ili (), was a treaty between the Russian Empire and the Qing dynasty that was signed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on . It provided for the return to China of the eastern part of th ...

. In October 1884, the

Qing Government The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...

officially approved the foundation of

Xinjiang Province Xinjiang Province is a historical administrative area of Northwest China, between 1884 and 1955. Periods during which various boundaries of Xinjiang Province have been defined include: * Xinjiang Province (Qing) (1884–1912). * Xinjiang Provin ...

. First of all, a major reform of General Ili system was made and the

Amban Amban (Manchu language, Manchu and Mongolian language, Mongol: ''Amban'', Standard Tibetan, Tibetan: ་''am ben'', , Uyghur language, Uighur:''am ben'') is a Manchu language term meaning "high official", corresponding to a number of different ...

() and Baig systems () were abolished and replaced by circuit, urban prefecture,

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

and county systems. Although General Ili still existed, but its name was changed to "Ili Garrison General" (). its power and management scope greatly were reduced, no longer the military affairs in the entire territory of Xinjiang, only the military and defensive affairs in Ili and Tacheng, and the Ili Garrison General and Xinjiang

Grand coordinator A ''xunfu'' was an important imperial Chinese provincial office under both the Ming (14th–17th centuries) and Qing (17th–20th centuries) dynasties. However, the purview of the office under the two dynasties differed markedly. Under the Ming ...

() were separate directly under the Qing Government. As a subdivision of Xinjiang Province, Yita Circuit () was formed in Ili and Tacheng in 1888, it was headquartered in Ningyuan County (present Yining). Yita Circuit was divided into ''Ili Prefecture'' (Yili Fu, ), ''Tacheng Direct-administered Division'' () and ''Jinghe Direct-administered Division'' (). Meanwhile, Ili Garrison General in charge of frontier defence and station troops, was headquartered in

Huiyuan Town The town of Huiyuan () is located within Huocheng County, in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China. It is situated close to the Ili River, some to the west of Yining, the main city of the prefecture and some south of Shuiding, t ...

. Altay region was formed from Khovd (; headquartered in Khovd Town) in 1904. also see

Modern times

The

Xinhai Revolution The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China. The revolution was the culmination of a d ...

broke out in October 1911. Under the leadership of Yang Zuanxu (), a general of Ili

New Army The New Armies (Traditional Chinese: 新軍, Simplified Chinese: 新军; Pinyin: Xīnjūn, Manchu: ''Ice cooha''), more fully called the Newly Created Army ( ''Xinjian Lujun''Also translated as "Newly Established Army" ()), was the modernised ar ...

, an armed rebellion against Qing Government broke out on January 7, 1912. The rebels occupied Huiyuan Town and killed ''Zhi Rui'' (), the Ili Garrison General, whose predecessor ''Guang Fu'' () served as the military governor () of Ili

provisional government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, or a transitional government, is an emergency governmental authority set up to manage a political transition generally in the cases of a newly formed state or f ...

. On February 12, 1912, the Provisional Government of the Republic of China was established in Beijing and on March 15, the Beijing government ordered Yuan Dahua () of the Xinjiang Grand Coordinator () to end the Qing dynasty's rule in Xinjiang. The conflict between the two sides was over, the position of military governor () replaced grand coordinator (). On April 25, Yuan Dahua was forced to announce his resignation from the grand coordinator of Xinjiang. On May 18, with shrewdness and actual strength,

Yang Zengxin Yang Zengxin (; March 6, 1864 – July 7, 1928) was the ruler of Xinjiang after the Xinhai Revolution in 1911 until his assassination in 1928. Life Yang Zengxin was born in Mengzi, Yunnan Province, in 1864. Though a Han Chinese, he had c ...

() was recommended for the Military Governor of Xinjiang, meanwhile both sides continued peace negotiations. On July 8, the two sides signed a peace agreement, that the position of Garrison General of Ili () was replaced by Defence Governor of Ili () with the responsibilities and rights by the former garrison general of Ili. Guang Fu () still served as the Defence Governor of Ili () under the jurisdiction of Beijing central government. The two sides confirmed republican and democratic system, Yang Zengxin presided over the military and political affairs and recognized Yang Zengxin as the top military and political chief in the whole territory of Xinjiang. In August 1912, the Nationalist Government adjusted administrative divisions, the Defence Governor of Ili () headquartered in Huiyuan Town, the Counsellor () established from Tacheng and the Business Executive () found in Altay were directly under the central government, as a division of local civil affairs, Yita Circuit () was retained and under the administration of the Defence Governor of Ili (). The position of Ili Defence Governor () was vacant after that Guang Fu died of illness on February 1, 1914.

Yang Zengxin Yang Zengxin (; March 6, 1864 – July 7, 1928) was the ruler of Xinjiang after the Xinhai Revolution in 1911 until his assassination in 1928. Life Yang Zengxin was born in Mengzi, Yunnan Province, in 1864. Though a Han Chinese, he had c ...

, the Military Governor of Xinjiang flew a petition to

Beiyang government The Beiyang government (), officially the Republic of China (), sometimes spelled Peiyang Government, refers to the government of the Republic of China which sat in its capital Peking (Beijing) between 1912 and 1928. It was internationally r ...

, finally Yang Feixia () held the position of Ili Defence Governor (), its administrative jurisdiction was changed to Xinjiang Province from the central government. Yita Circuit was divided into Ili and Tacheng two circuits, the circuit governor of Tacheng () replaced the counsellor of Tacheng () with the establishment of Tacheng Circuit () in 1916. The Beiyang government assigned the Altay Chief to Xinjiang Province and Ashan Circuit () of Xinjiang was established from the Altay region in 1919. With the decree for the abolition of minggans () and centenarii () and the establishment of district and township divisions issued in August 1939, Kazakh pastoral affairs was gradually integrated into Local government services. Ili Prefecture () was established in 1943, there were 11 counties and ''Xinyuan Division'' (, present

Xinyuan County Xinyuan County () as the official romanized name, also transliterated from Uyghur as Künas County (; ), is a county in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It contains a ...

), including

Yining YiningThe official spelling according to (), also known as Ghulja ( ug, غۇلجا) or Qulja ( kk, قۇلجا) and formerly Ningyuan (), is a county-level city in Northwestern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China and the seat of the Ili Kazakh A ...

, Suiding (; part of present

Huocheng Huocheng County () as the official romanized name, also transliterated from Uyghur as Korgas County (; ), is situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It is locate ...

), Khorgas (present

Huocheng Huocheng County () as the official romanized name, also transliterated from Uyghur as Korgas County (; ), is situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It is locate ...

), Gongliu, Tekes, Gongha (, present Nilka), Ningxi (, present Qapqal), Jinghe, Bole,

Wenquan Wenquan () is a common name for places in the People's Republic of China: County *Wenquan County (温泉县), of the Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Towns (温泉镇) * Wenquan, Anhui, in Yuexi County, Anhui, Yuexi County * Wenquan ...

and Zhaosu Counties under its administration. In December 1953, the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Region was approved to set up, it was an administrative division at prefecture-level and under the jurisdiction of Xinjiang Province, the 3 prefectures of Ili, Tacheng and Altay were under its administration. The

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...

autonomous prefecture Autonomous prefectures () are one type of autonomous administrative divisions of China, existing at the prefectural level, with either ethnic minorities forming over 50% of the population or being the historic home of significant minorities. A ...

of Bortala was founded from Bole, Jinghe and

Wenquan Wenquan () is a common name for places in the People's Republic of China: County *Wenquan County (温泉县), of the Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Towns (温泉镇) * Wenquan, Anhui, in Yuexi County, Anhui, Yuexi County * Wenquan ...

, 3 counties of ''Ili Prefecture'' () in July 1954. ''Ili Kazakh Autonomous Region'' was renamed to ''Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture'' on February 5, 1955.

Geography

The autonomous prefecture of Ili is located in the hinterland of

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...

, the northwest of Xinjiang and north of Tianshan, between the north latitude of 40 degrees 14′16″ - 49 degrees 10′45″, the east longitude of 80 degrees 09′42″ - 91 degrees 01′45″. It covers a total area of 268,591 square kilometers, accounting for 16.18% of the total area of Xinjiang. The autonomous prefecture, which is bordered on the east by

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

, by

Aksu Prefecture Aksu PrefectureThe official spelling according to is located in mid-Western Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. It has an area of and 2.37 million inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 535,657 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made up of A ...

, Bayingolin Autonomous Prefecture, Changji Autonomous Prefecture, Ürümqi City and the provincial direct-administered

county-level city A county-level municipality (), county-level city or county city, formerly known as prefecture-controlled city (1949–1970: ; 1970–1983: ), is a Administrative divisions of China#County level (3rd), county-level administrative divi ...

of

Shihezi Shihezi is a sub-prefecture-level city in Northern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. It has a population of 380,130 according to the 2010 census. The city is also home to Shihezi University, the second-largest comprehensive university under ...

to the south, by Bortala Autonomous Prefecture to the west, by the

Republic of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbekis ...

to the northwest, by the

Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

to the north, the

prefecture-level city A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. During the Republican era, many of China' ...

of

Karamay Karamay is a prefecture-level city in the north of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. The name of the city comes from the Uyghur language and means "black oil", referring to the oil fields near the city. Karamay w ...

in the middle south, is located in the north west corner of China. Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe Railway,

G218 China National Highway 218 (G218) runs from Yining, Xinjiang to Ruoqiang, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang. It is 1,067 kilometres in length and runs southeast from Yining towards Ruoqiang. The road starts at the Kazakh border. ...

, G217 National Highways and S316 Provincial Highway pass through its territory. With a boundary line of 2,019 kilometers, including

Khorgas Khorgas, officially known as KorgasThe official spelling according to , (Beijing, ''SinoMaps Press'' 1997); ( zh, s=霍尔果斯, t=霍爾果斯, p=Huò'ěrguǒsī; kk, قورعاس, Qorǵas), also known as ''Chorgos'', ''Gorgos'', ''Horgos' ...

, Bakhty () and

Jeminay Jeminay County or Jimunai County, is a county situated in the north of the Xinjiang, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Altay Prefecture. A road border crossing into Kazakhstan is located in Jeminay town. The ...

, there are 9

ports of entry In general, a port of entry (POE) is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has border security staff and facilities to check passports and visas and to inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. Internatio ...

at the national level. With the unique location advantage, Ili has been an important commercial hub and international channel of opening up to the west. In the autonomous prefecture, there are four types of landforms, 83,632 square kilometres of mountains, 62,989 square kilometres of hills, 102,974 square kilometres of plains, 20,439 square kilometres of deserts. Three major mountain ranges of Altai, Dzungar () and Tianshan with year-round ice and snow stand from north to south. Located in Burqin County, the highest Friendship Peak of the

Altai Range The Altai Mountains (), also spelled Altay Mountains, are a mountain range in Central and East Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan converge, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob have their headwaters. The massif merges with the ...

is 4,374 meters high, the snow line is 3,000 - 3,200 meters high, the glacier area is 293.2 square kilometers and the glacier reserves are 16.4 billion cubic meters. The peaks of ''Dzungar Mountains'' () are 3,500-3,700 meters high. The snow line of Tianshan Mountains is 3,600-4,400 meters high with a glacier area of 3,139 square kilometers and its glacier reserves of 118.5 billion cubic meters.

Administrative divisions

Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture is administratively divided into three parts --

Altay Prefecture Altay Prefecture is located in Northern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. It has an area of and a population of 561,667 (2000). It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. At the 2000 census, Altay was the only major subdivision of Ili ...

and

Tacheng Prefecture Tacheng Prefecture is located in Northern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. It has an area of and a population of 935,600 (2017). It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. The prefecture level city of Karamay forms a separate enclave ...

, together with a direct-administered region that includes

Yining City YiningThe official spelling according to (), also known as Ghulja ( ug, غۇلجا) or Qulja ( kk, قۇلجا) and formerly Ningyuan (), is a county-level city in Northwestern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China and the seat of the Ili Kazakh ...

, 2 other county-level cities, 7 counties and 1 autonomous county. In the legal status itself is only a

prefecture-level division The administrative divisions of China have consisted of several levels since ancient times, due to China's large population and geographical area. The constitution of China provides for three levels of government. However in practice, there a ...

, which is a special case in China's administrative divisions. It is not accurate to regard Ili Kazakh Autonomous Region as a

sub-provincial division A sub-provincial division () in China is a prefecture-level city governed by a province promoted by half a level. Thus, it is half a level under the provincial level (hence the name sub-provincial) but half a level above the prefecture-level. T ...

, which has no legal basis. This situation can only assume that, the autonomous prefecture enjoys partial authority in sub-provincial division. Its direct-administered region is exactly coterminous with the historical area that in the past was often called by Russians and Westerners as ''Kulja'' or ''Kuldja''.

Ethnic groups

Ili is a multi-ethnic autonomous prefecture, there are 13 local

ethnic groups An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

: Kazakh,

Han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

, Uyghur,

Hui The Hui people ( zh, c=, p=Huízú, w=Hui2-tsu2, Xiao'erjing: , dng, Хуэйзў, ) are an East Asian ethnoreligious group predominantly composed of Chinese-speaking adherents of Islam. They are distributed throughout China, mainly in the n ...

,

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...

, Xibe,

Kyrgyz Kyrgyz, Kirghiz or Kyrgyzstani may refer to: * Someone or something related to Kyrgyzstan *Kyrgyz people *Kyrgyz national games *Kyrgyz language *Kyrgyz culture *Kyrgyz cuisine *Yenisei Kirghiz *The Fuyü Gïrgïs language in Northeastern China ...

, Uzbek,

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and ...

,

Tatar The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

,

Russ Russ is a masculine given name, often a short form of Russell, and also a surname. People Given name or nickname * Russ Abbot (born 1947), British musician, comedian and actor * Russ Adams (born 1980), American retired baseball player * Russ B ...

, Daur and Tajik peoples. As of the end of 2018, it had a population of 4,582,500; of which 2,745,500 were ethnic minorities, which accounted for 59.9% of its total population. A 2015 report provided the following ethnic breakdown of the population: the

Han people The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive ...

numbered at 1,934,571 (making up 41.2% of the population), the Kazakh population was 1,257,003 (26.8%),

Uyghurs The Uyghurs; ; ; ; zh, s=, t=, p=Wéiwú'ěr, IPA: ( ), alternatively spelled Uighurs, Uygurs or Uigurs, are a Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central and East Asia. The Uyghur ...

were 819,701 (17.45%),

Hui The Hui people ( zh, c=, p=Huízú, w=Hui2-tsu2, Xiao'erjing: , dng, Хуэйзў, ) are an East Asian ethnoreligious group predominantly composed of Chinese-speaking adherents of Islam. They are distributed throughout China, mainly in the n ...

at 433,045 (9.2%),

Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...

were 75,597 (1.6%), Xibes were 34,457, 22,428

Kyrgyz Kyrgyz, Kirghiz or Kyrgyzstani may refer to: * Someone or something related to Kyrgyzstan *Kyrgyz people *Kyrgyz national games *Kyrgyz language *Kyrgyz culture *Kyrgyz cuisine *Yenisei Kirghiz *The Fuyü Gïrgïs language in Northeastern China ...

, 8,298

Uzbeks The Uzbeks ( uz, , , , ) are a Turkic ethnic group native to the wider Central Asian region, being among the largest Turkic ethnic group in the area. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, next to Kazakh and Karakalpak mino ...

, 8,298

Daurs The Daur people (Khalkha Mongolian: Дагуур, ''Daguur''; ) are a Mongolic people in Northeast China. The Daur form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognised in the People's Republic of China. They numbered 131,992 according to the la ...

, 5,394

Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...

, 5,199

Manchus The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and Q ...

, 2,852

Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

, 153

Tajiks Tajiks ( fa, تاجيک، تاجک, ''Tājīk, Tājek''; tg, Тоҷик) are a Persian-speaking Iranian ethnic group native to Central Asia, living primarily in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Tajiks are the largest ethnicity in Tajik ...

and 91,749 'others'.

Tourism

Major tourist attractions include Narati Grassland, Guozigou and Kanas Lake. In 2015 alone, Ili has seen over 25 million travellers and earned over 19 billion CNY (US$2.92 billion) tourism receipts.

Transport

Road and Railway

An extensive road network is being built across the prefecture for economic development. In 2015, 66 million passengers travelled on road. The railway has extended to both the very north part of

Altay City Altay is a county-level city in Altay Prefecture within Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, in far Northern Xinjiang, China. The city centre is located on the slopes of Kelan River. Administrative divisions Subdistricts () *Jinshan (Altin Taw) Ro ...

and the westmost city of

Khorgas Khorgas, officially known as KorgasThe official spelling according to , (Beijing, ''SinoMaps Press'' 1997); ( zh, s=霍尔果斯, t=霍爾果斯, p=Huò'ěrguǒsī; kk, قورعاس, Qorǵas), also known as ''Chorgos'', ''Gorgos'', ''Horgos' ...

on the China-Kazakhstan border.

Border crossings

Ili Kazak's 8 functioning

ports of entry In general, a port of entry (POE) is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has border security staff and facilities to check passports and visas and to inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. Internatio ...

are: * With Kazakhstan ** Aqimbek () of

Altay Prefecture Altay Prefecture is located in Northern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. It has an area of and a population of 561,667 (2000). It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. At the 2000 census, Altay was the only major subdivision of Ili ...

**

Bakhtu TachengThe official spelling according to (), as the official romanized name, also SASM/GNC romanization, transliterated from Mongolian as Qoqak, is a county-level city (1994 est. pop. 56,400) and the administrative seat of Tacheng Prefecture, in ...

(), from

Tacheng TachengThe official spelling according to (), as the official romanized name, also transliterated from Mongolian as Qoqak, is a county-level city (1994 est. pop. 56,400) and the administrative seat of Tacheng Prefecture, in northern Ili Kazakh A ...

; another primary point or port **

Dulat The Dughlat clan ( kk, Дулат, Dulat, lit=ruthless or fierce warrior; Mongolian: '' Dolood/sevens, Doloo/seven; Middle Mongolian: Doluga, Dolugad''; Dulğat; ) was a Mongol (later Turko-Mongol) clan that served the Chagatai khans as hereditary ...

(), in

Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County (; Xibe language, Xibe: , Cabcal Sibe beye dasangga siyan, also transliterated as ''Chapchal'', ug, چاپچال شىبە ئاپتونوم يېزىسى; kk, شاپشال سىبە اۆتونوميالى اۋدانى) ...

: under Ili **

Jeminay Jeminay County or Jimunai County, is a county situated in the north of the Xinjiang, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Altay Prefecture. A road border crossing into Kazakhstan is located in Jeminay town. The ...

() of

Altay Prefecture Altay Prefecture is located in Northern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. It has an area of and a population of 561,667 (2000). It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. At the 2000 census, Altay was the only major subdivision of Ili ...

; another primary point or port **

Khorgas Khorgas, officially known as KorgasThe official spelling according to , (Beijing, ''SinoMaps Press'' 1997); ( zh, s=霍尔果斯, t=霍爾果斯, p=Huò'ěrguǒsī; kk, قورعاس, Qorǵas), also known as ''Chorgos'', ''Gorgos'', ''Horgos' ...

(), in

Huocheng County Huocheng County () as the official romanized name, also transliterated from Uyghur as Korgas County (; ), is situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It is locate ...

; under Ili; a primary Chinese "national" border crossing point or port of entry ** Muzart (), in

Zhaosu County Mongolküre County ( mn, ; ug, موڭغۇلكۈرە ناھىيىسى, translit=Mongghulküre; zh, s=蒙古库热县, links=no), also Zhaosu County ( zh, s=昭苏县) as the Chinese romanized name, is a county situated within the Xinjiang, Xin ...

: directly controlled by Ili; another primary point or port * With Mongolia ** Khiziltaw () of

Altay Prefecture Altay Prefecture is located in Northern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. It has an area of and a population of 561,667 (2000). It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. At the 2000 census, Altay was the only major subdivision of Ili ...

** Taskhin () of

Altay Prefecture Altay Prefecture is located in Northern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. It has an area of and a population of 561,667 (2000). It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. At the 2000 census, Altay was the only major subdivision of Ili ...

to Khovd ** Dayan-Khunshanzyui of

Altay Prefecture Altay Prefecture is located in Northern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. It has an area of and a population of 561,667 (2000). It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. At the 2000 census, Altay was the only major subdivision of Ili ...

to Bayan-Ölgii. Only open during Summer.

Head

First Secretary

# Zhao Tianjie ()

Governors

# Fathan (Pätіhan) Dälelhanūly Sügіrbaev (; kk, Фатхан (Пәтіхан) Дәлелханұлы Сүгірбаев), November 1954 – June 1955 # Jağda Babylyqūly (; ), June 1955 – February 1957 Acting Act, from May 1958 # Qūrmanälі Ospanūly (; ), June 1958 – September 1963 # Erğali Äbіlqaiyrūly(; ), September 1963 – May 1969 #

Zhong Liangshu Zhong can refer to * Zhong (surname), pinyin romanization of Chinese surnames including 钟, 种, 仲, etc. * Zhong County, a county of Chongqing, China * Zhongjian River, a river in Hubei, China * Bianzhong, a Chinese musical instrument similar to ...

(; ), May 1969 – May 1970 (military government) #

Wang Zhenzhong Wang may refer to: Names * Wang (surname) (王), a common Chinese surname * Wāng (汪), a less common Chinese surname * Titles in Chinese nobility * A title in Korean nobility * A title in Mongolian nobility Places * Wang River in Thailand ...

(; ), May 1970 – July 1975 (military government) #

Xie Gaozhong Xie or Hsieh may refer to: Xie People *Xie of Xia (), legendary king of the Xia Dynasty *Xie of Shang (契), legendary nobleman *Xie, Marquis of Jin (; th century BC), ruler of the State of Jin *King Xie of Zhou (; BC) *Alexandra Kitchin (1864� ...

(; ), July 1975 – September 1975 (military government) # Jänäbil Smağūlūly (; ), September 1975 – February 1978 # Qasymbek Seiіtjanūly (; ), March 1979 – April 1983 # Dıar Qūrmaşūly (; ), April 1983 – May 1988 # Ashat Kerimbay (; ), May 1988 – May 1993 # Bekmūhammed Mūsaūly (; ), April 1993 – March 1998 # Alpysbai Rahymūly (; ), March 1998 – June 2001 # Nurlan Äbilmäjinulı (; ), March 2002 – January 2003 # Qyzaijan Seiіlqojaūly (; ), March 2003 – November 2007 # Mäuken Seiіtqamzaūly (; ), November 2007 – January 2012 # Mänen Zeinelūly (; ), February 2012 – January 2016 # Qūrmaş Syrjanūly (; ), from February 2016()() # Qadan Käbenuly (; )2021.4

Notable persons

*

Sayragul Sauytbay Sayragul Sauytbay ( kk, Сайрагүл Сауытбай; born 1977) is a Chinese people, Chinese doctor, headteacher and whistleblower for the Kazakhs in China, Kazakh Chinese people. In 2018, she left China illegally and then told the media ab ...

*

Ehmetjan Qasim Ehmetjan Qasim ( ug, ئەخمەتجان قاسىمى; April 15, 1914 – August 27, 1949) was the president of the Second East Turkestan Republic.劉學銚，新疆史論，知書房，2013年2月，，第192頁杜榮坤、紀大椿、任一飛� ...

*

Shayilan Nuerdanbieke Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (born May 4, 1994 kk, Нұрданбек Сайран) is a Chinese Kazakhs in China, mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Nue ...

References

Citations

Sources

*

Henry Lansdell Henry Lansdell (10January 18414October 1919) was a nineteenth-century British priest in the Church of England. He was also a noted explorer and author. Life Born in Tenterden, Kent, Lansdell was the son of a schoolmaster and home schooled bef ...

, "Russian Central Asia: Including Kuldja, Bokhara, Khiva and Merv"
Full text
available at

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical c ...

; there is also a 2001 facsimile reprint of the 1885 edition, . (Chapters XIV-XVI describe Lansdell visit to the area in the early 1880s, soon after the Russian withdrawal).

External links

Official site

Official site

(in Simplified Chinese)
A TALE OF TWO CITIES: NEW MUSEUMS FOR YINING AND URUMQI
"CHINA HERITAGE NEWSLETTER", China Heritage Project, The Australian National University. ISSN 1833-8461. No. 3, September 2005. (Talks about Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture Museum in Yining). {{authority control Altai Mountains Prefecture-level divisions of Xinjiang Autonomous prefectures of the People's Republic of China Kazak autonomous counties States and territories established in 1954 1954 establishments in China

History

Early history

Qing dynasty

Modern times

Geography

Administrative divisions

Ethnic groups

Tourism

Transport

Road and Railway

Border crossings

Head

First Secretary

Governors

Notable persons

See also

References

Citations

Sources

External links