Kumul
Encyclopedia
Kumul or Hami is an oasis in Hami Prefecture
, Xinjiang
(China
); it is also the name of a modern city and the surrounding district. It is well known in China as the home of the famously sweet Hami melon
s.
(Koppen
BWk) (see Hami Desert
), with extreme differences between summer and winter, yet sunny and dry weather year-round. Temperatures range from a low of -15.9 C in January to a high of 34.2 °C (94 °F) in July. Precipitation is very sparse, only totalling 39 millimetres (1.54 in) annually, and accompanied by this low amount is a high annual sunshine total of 3285 hours.
as Qumul or Qomul . The name
"Camul" appears on European maps already in the 16th century, and Matteo Ricci
in his account of the Portuguese Jesuit Benedict Goës visit to the city in 1605 uses the same spelling as well.
One of the oldest attested Chinese names is Kūnmò 昆莫; in Han-dynasty
documents it was referred to as Yīwú 伊吾 or Yīwúlú 伊吾卢, in the Tang dynasty
as Yīzhōu 伊州; in the Yuan dynasty
the Mongolian name for the place, Qamil, was transcribed into Chinese as Hāmìlì 哈密力 and from the Ming dynasty
Qumul was known as Hāmì 哈密.
Lionel Giles
has recorded the following names (with his Wade-Giles
forms of the Chinese names converted to pinyin
):
who both wanted to control this fertile and strategic oasis. Several times the Han set up military agricultural colonies to feed their troops and supply trade caravans. It was especially noted for its melons, raisins and wine.
The Mongols conquered this region during the Yuan Dynasty
. Later Gunashiri, a descendant of Chagatai Khan, founded his own small state called Qara Del
in Kumul or Hami, which accepted Ming supremacy in the early 15th century, but was conquered by another branch of Mongols later on. Since the 18th century, Kumul was the capital of the Kumul Khanate
, a semi-autonomous vassal within the Qing Empire and the Republic of China as part of Xinjiang. The last ruler of the khanate was Maqsud Shah
.
, Kazakhs and Hui
.
Hami Prefecture
Kumul Prefecture, also known as Hami Prefecture is located in eastern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 140,749 km² and 492,096 inhabitants .- History :...
, Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
(China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
); it is also the name of a modern city and the surrounding district. It is well known in China as the home of the famously sweet Hami melon
Hami melon
The Hami melon is a type of muskmelon, originally from Hami, Xinjiang. It is also referred to as the Chinese Hami melon. A generic term that can be applied is "snow melon". The outer color is generally white through pink or yellow through green. The inside flesh is sweet and crisp.In Mandarin,...
s.
Geography and climate
Like Turpan, Qumul is in a fault depression about 200 metres below sea level, and has a cold Desert climateDesert climate
A desert climate , also known as an arid climate, is a climate that does not meet the criteria to be classified as a polar climate, and in which precipitation is too low to sustain any vegetation at all, or at most a very scanty scrub.An area that features this climate usually experiences less than...
(Koppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BWk) (see Hami Desert
Hami Desert
The Desert of Hami is a section of the Gobi Desert that occupies the space between the Tian Shan system on the north and the Nan-shan Mountains on the south, and is connected on the west with the Desert of Lop.-Przhevalsky, 1879:...
), with extreme differences between summer and winter, yet sunny and dry weather year-round. Temperatures range from a low of -15.9 C in January to a high of 34.2 °C (94 °F) in July. Precipitation is very sparse, only totalling 39 millimetres (1.54 in) annually, and accompanied by this low amount is a high annual sunshine total of 3285 hours.
Names
The city is known in UyghurUyghur language
Uyghur , formerly known as Eastern Turk, is a Turkic language with 8 to 11 million speakers, spoken primarily by the Uyghur people in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of Western China. Significant communities of Uyghur-speakers are located in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and various other...
as Qumul or Qomul . The name
"Camul" appears on European maps already in the 16th century, and Matteo Ricci
Matteo Ricci
Matteo Ricci, SJ was an Italian Jesuit priest, and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China Mission, as it existed in the 17th-18th centuries. His current title is Servant of God....
in his account of the Portuguese Jesuit Benedict Goës visit to the city in 1605 uses the same spelling as well.
One of the oldest attested Chinese names is Kūnmò 昆莫; in Han-dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
documents it was referred to as Yīwú 伊吾 or Yīwúlú 伊吾卢, in the Tang dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
as Yīzhōu 伊州; in the Yuan dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
the Mongolian name for the place, Qamil, was transcribed into Chinese as Hāmìlì 哈密力 and from the Ming dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
Qumul was known as Hāmì 哈密.
Lionel Giles
Lionel Giles
Lionel Giles was a Victorian scholar, translator and the son of British diplomat and sinologist, Herbert Giles. Lionel Giles served as assistant curator at the British Museum and Keeper of the Department of Oriental Manuscripts and Printed Books...
has recorded the following names (with his Wade-Giles
Wade-Giles
Wade–Giles , sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a romanization system for the Mandarin Chinese language. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade during the mid-19th century , and was given completed form with Herbert Giles' Chinese–English dictionary of 1892.Wade–Giles was the most...
forms of the Chinese names converted to pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
):
- "Kunwu [Zhou]
- Yiwu or Yiwulu [Han]
- Yiwu Zhun [Sui]
- Yi Zhou [Tang]
- Kumul, Kamul, Camul [Turki]
- Khamil [Mongol]
- Hāmi [modern name]"
History
During the Later Han dynasty Hami repeatedly changed hands between the Chinese and XiongnuXiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
who both wanted to control this fertile and strategic oasis. Several times the Han set up military agricultural colonies to feed their troops and supply trade caravans. It was especially noted for its melons, raisins and wine.
- "The region of Yiwu [Hami] is favourable for the five types of grain [rice, two kinds of millet, wheat and beans], mulberry trees, hemp, and grapes. Further north is Liuzhong [Lukchun]. All these places are fertile. This is why the Han have constantly struggled with the Xiongnu over Jushi [Turfan/Jimasa] and Yiwu [Hami], for the control of the Western Regions."
The Mongols conquered this region during the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
. Later Gunashiri, a descendant of Chagatai Khan, founded his own small state called Qara Del
Qara Del
Qara Del was a Mongol Kingdom that existed in Hami in present-day Xinjiang. It was founded by the Yuan price Gunashiri, a descendant of Chagatai Khan, in the late 14th century , and ruled by the Chagatayids thereafter until 1463. It was destroyed as results of the wars between Ming China and Oirat...
in Kumul or Hami, which accepted Ming supremacy in the early 15th century, but was conquered by another branch of Mongols later on. Since the 18th century, Kumul was the capital of the Kumul Khanate
Kumul Khanate
The Kumul Khanate was a semi-autonomous feudal khanate within the Qing dynasty and then the Republic of China until it was abolished by Xinjiang governor Jin Shuren in 1930.- History :...
, a semi-autonomous vassal within the Qing Empire and the Republic of China as part of Xinjiang. The last ruler of the khanate was Maqsud Shah
Maqsud Shah
Maqsud Shah , was the Uyghur Khan or Prince of the Kumul Khanate from 1908 to 1930. He also held the title Hami Wang, King/Prince of Hami.-Reign:He succeeded his father Muhammmad Shah in 1908 as Khan of Kumul...
.
Population
In 2002, Qumul had a population of about 519,700, 68.4% Han and 31.6% ethnic minorities, mostly UyghursUyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
, Kazakhs and Hui
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
.
Description
- "“The kingdom of Ha-mi contains a great number of villages and hamlets; but it has, properly, only one city, which is its capital, and has the same name. It is surrounded by lofty wall, which are half a league in circumference, and has two gates, one of which fronts the east, and the other the west. These gates are exceedingly beautiful, and make a fine appearance at a distance. The streets are straight, and well laid out; but the houses (which contain only a ground-floor, and which are almost all constructed of earth) make very little shew: however, as this city enjoys a serene sky, and is situated in a beautiful plain, watered by a river, and surrounded by mountains which shelter it from the north winds, it is a most agreeable and delightful residence. On whatever side on approaches it, gardens may be seen, which contain everything that a fertile and cultivated soil can produce in the mildest climates. All the surrounding fields are enchanting; but they do not extend far; for on several sides they terminate in dry plains, where a number of beautiful horses are fed, and a species of excellent sheep, which have large flat tails which sometimes weigh three pounds. The country of Ha-mi appears to be very abundant in fossils and valuable minerals: the Chinese have, for a long time, procured diamonds and a great deal of gold from it; at present, it supplies them with a kind of agate, on which they set a great value."
External links
- hmnet.gov.cn Chinese government site on (in Chinese)
- hami.gov.cn Chinese government site on (in Chinese)