Asiq Töruşi Qurgan Fortress

Asiq Töruşi Qurgan Fortress

Introduction The fortress is located in Asiq Village, Qaha Township, Hotan. Legend has it that it was built in 1001 AD, stretches about 200 meters, and is made of stone. In 1999, it was listed as a key cultural relic protection site of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region by the regional government.

Asiq is a place name, Töruşi refers to an ancient Hotan general, and Qurgan means fortress. According to the Islamic calendar, in 1001 AD, or the 404th year of the Hijri calendar, Sultan Sutuq Bughrakhan of the Kara-Khanid Khanate sent his trusted aide Musa and his son Yusuf Qadir Azi to spread Islam in Shache and Hotan.

After 24 years of warfare, the devoutly Buddhist King of Hotan, Hela Li, converted to Islam. However, two of his generals, brothers Töruşi and Nük Töruşi, refused to convert and would not surrender. They led several hundred men to retreat to the mountainous area of Qaha Township, where they built walls and dug trenches on the peaks of Asa and Asiq. They also installed copper pipes to channel water and constructed two fortified castles on strategic high grounds to hold their ground. But soon, the enemy discovered the copper water pipes, cutting off their water supply and trapping them. Unable to continue the fight, they moved up the Qira River, crossed the Kunlun Mountains, and fled to Tibet. From then on, the history of Buddhism in Hotan, Xinjiang, came to an end.

Hotan, Xinjiang