dogu-turkistan-sempozyumu

FREEEAST TURKISTAN SYMPOSIUMmilitary troops. Yakub Beg and Buzurg Khan failed to save Kashgar from Chineseoccupation in 1865. Then, Yakub Beg took over the government. After Tashkentwas seized by the Russians, Yakub Beg, joined by some Hokand troops, droveback the enemy and established his government in Kashgar. 11 Yakub Beg, whohad extensive military experience due to his struggles against Russian troops formany years, came to power and established a sound government, managing togather together all the Turkic provinces that had been so dispersed and had beenfighting against one another.In the early years, both Great Britain and Russia recognized the KashgarState that had been established by Yakub Beg; the latter was addressed as Bedevlet(Founder of the State). This recognition by these imperialist powers was mainlydue to commercial interests. Trade delegations immediately started to be sentand attempts were made for the signing of agreements. However, Britain did nottrust the Bedevlet Government. In particular, the fact that this state had close tieswith the Ottomans was a source of concern for the British. Thus, Great Britainconnived to facilitate the Russian occupation in Ili. As noted in some Britishdocuments, insurgences of Tungani chiefs in the north of Kashgar against theChinese administration in 1863 and Atalik Gazi’s 12 capturing of Aksu, Turfan,Hochi and Karasehir in the north of the Altai Mountains in the summer of 1867were overlooked. 13The sovereign power of China was the Manchu dynasty, which by this timehad also collapsed. Before the arrival of Atalik Gazi, this region played host tosome Turkic statelets that were in conflict with one another, as well as Chinesegovernors who had broken away from the center. Although the British always statedthat they were in control of anything that happened in the region, they claimedthat these developments were terrorist actions that emerged from mountainousregions that were beyond their control. When Atalik Gazi was informed thatthe Russian troops were on the Kashgar border, he marched against the Tungani.Russia captured the border town of Ili; with the removal of the Russian troops astrong Turkish government was established. The British representative Robert B.Shaw, who conveyed this information, notes:“Their expansion is not only to capture their former lands, which they call theAncient and Great Kingdom of Tungani, but they are also heading for the existing296