Tulišen
Encyclopedia
Tulišen Manchu
official and diplomat during the early Qing dynasty
.
Tulišen was a member of the Manchu Plain yellow banner in the Eight Banners
and belonged to the Ayan Gioro clan. In 1712, after having served in several minor positions in the Qing government, the Kangxi emperor appointed him to the Qing embassy to Ayuka Khan
(r. 1673-1724) of the Torghuts, who had migrated to the lower Volga River
, where they had formed the Kalmyk Khanate under the Russian czar
. The whole journey through Russia's Siberian territories
took three years and Tulišen later recorded the journey in a famous travelogue, which was published in 1723. This fascinated many readers in Europe, and later appeared in English, German, Russian and French translations.
In 1727, Tulišen served as head of the Qing delegation when the Treaty of Kyakhta was negotiated with the Russian
representative Savva Lukich Vladislavovich-Raguzinsky. However, upon his return to the Capital, he was accused of misconduct during the treaty negotiations as well as having betrayed military secrets earlier in his career. He was tried and sentenced to death in 1728, but the Yongzheng Emperor eventually pardoned him. Following the enthronement of the Qianlong emperor in 1735, Tulišen was given a number of important positions in the government, but was later forced to retire because of failing health.
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
official and diplomat during the early Qing dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
.
Tulišen was a member of the Manchu Plain yellow banner in the Eight Banners
Eight Banners
The Eight Banners were administrative divisions into which all Manchu families were placed. They provided the basic framework for the Manchu military organization...
and belonged to the Ayan Gioro clan. In 1712, after having served in several minor positions in the Qing government, the Kangxi emperor appointed him to the Qing embassy to Ayuka Khan
Ayuka Khan
Ayuka Khan was a Kalmyk leader under whose rule the Kalmyk Khanate reached its zenith in terms of economic, military, and politic power. On behalf of Russia, Ayuka Khan protected the southern borders of Russia, engaging in many military expeditions against the Muslim tribes of Central Asia, the...
(r. 1673-1724) of the Torghuts, who had migrated to the lower Volga River
Volga River
The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage...
, where they had formed the Kalmyk Khanate under the Russian czar
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
. The whole journey through Russia's Siberian territories
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
took three years and Tulišen later recorded the journey in a famous travelogue, which was published in 1723. This fascinated many readers in Europe, and later appeared in English, German, Russian and French translations.
In 1727, Tulišen served as head of the Qing delegation when the Treaty of Kyakhta was negotiated with the Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
representative Savva Lukich Vladislavovich-Raguzinsky. However, upon his return to the Capital, he was accused of misconduct during the treaty negotiations as well as having betrayed military secrets earlier in his career. He was tried and sentenced to death in 1728, but the Yongzheng Emperor eventually pardoned him. Following the enthronement of the Qianlong emperor in 1735, Tulišen was given a number of important positions in the government, but was later forced to retire because of failing health.
Further reading
- Perdue, Peter CPeter C. PerduePeter C. Perdue is an American author, professor, and historian. He is a professor of Chinese history at Yale University.Perdue has a Ph.D. degree from Harvard University in the field of History and East Asian Languages...
. China Marches West: The Qing Conquest of Central Eurasia. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press, 2005. - Hummel, Arthur WilliamArthur W. Hummel, Sr.Arthur William Hummel, Sr. was an American Christian missionary to China, noted Sinologist and father of Arthur W. Hummel, Jr., a career diplomat and U.S. Ambassador to China.-Biography:...
, ed. Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period (1644-1912). 2 vols. Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1943. - Tulišen. Narrative of the Chinese Embassy to the Khan of the Tourgouth Tartars, in the Years 1712, 13, 14, & 15. Translated by Sir George Thomas StauntonGeorge Thomas StauntonSir George Thomas Staunton, 2nd Baronet was an English traveller and Orientalist.-Early life:Born at Milford House near Salisbury, he was the son of Sir George Leonard Staunton , first baronet, diplomatist and Orientalist...
. London: J. Murray, 1821.