#297 - Qing 32: Tea, Trade, & Thunder

The balance holding the steppe together didn’t shatter because of an army. It shattered because of a funeral. When the Jungar khan dies, a brutal succession crisis leaves an ambitious, low-ranking prince named Amursana desperate enough to invite the enemy inside. He flees to the Qianlong Emperor, offering to guide a massive Qing invasion into his own people's heartland. Amursana thinks he’s using the empire to win a crown. But Qianlong has already decided to abolish the throne entirely. Time Period Covered: 1739 – 1755 CE Major Historical Figures: The Jungar Khanate & Allies: Galdan Tseren, Khan of the Jungar Khanate [d. 1745] Tsewang Dorji Namjal, second son and short-lived successor to Galdan Tseren Lama Dorji, eldest son of Galdan Tseren and usurper khan Dawachi, Choros prince and rival claimant to the khanship Amursana, prince of the Khoit, grandson of Tsewang Rabtan, and Qing ally Ablai, Sultan of the Middle Jüz of the Kazakhs Qing Dynasty: The Qianlong Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Hongli), ruler of the Qing Empire The Yongzheng Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Yinzhen), late father of Qianlong Ban Di, Manchu general and commander of the Northern Route army Major Sources Cited: Perdue, Peter C. China Marches West: The Qing Conquest of Central Eurasia.