Xiyu wenjian lu by Qishiyi: Materials on the History of Central Asian Peoples in Mid-to-Late 18th Century Revisited

Introduction. The article examines the Chinese written source Xiyu wenjian lu  西域闻见录 (‘Record of Things Seen and Heard in the Western Regions’) by the Manchu official Qishiyi (Chunyuan) and its data on the history and ethnography of Central Asian peoples in the mid-to-late 18th century. Goals. The work seeks to introduce new data on the history of Central Asia contained in Xiyu wenjian lu, analyze various copies and versions of the written source, and provide new information about the author of the composition. Materials and methods. The study explores the Japanese woodblock print edition of 1801 and one modern Chinese edition of 2016, translates some extracts. The work considers various works by Russian and foreign authors regarding the written source, employs the generalizing and comparative research methods, while historical/chronological analysis proves instrumental in investigating certain interesting facts from Xiyu wenjian lu. Results. The paper introduces into scientific circulation new translations of extracts from Qishiyi’s work that significantly supplement and expand data presented in the famous work of N. Ya. Bichurin (Hyacinth) titled ‘Description of Dzungaria and East Turkestan in Ancient and Present Times’. The article contains the most famous copies and versions of Xiyu wenjian lu. The biography of the author is supplemented with new facts of his life that have remained little-known to Russian-speaking researchers. Conclusions. The revealed factual materials from Xiyu wenjian lu show that the work of Manchu official Qishiyi contains original data on historical geography, socioeconomic life of Central Asian peoples, and political situation in the region. Despite its fame, Xiyu wenjian lu is to be thoroughly explored since lots of historical accounts from this source remain unexplored.

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