Serindia
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| Khaganate of Serindia | |
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The Khaganate of Serindia is a landlocked nation in Central Asia, bordering Russia to the north and west, Huaxia to the east, and Tibet to the south.
History
The region of what is now Serindia was originally inhabited by Buddhist Indo-European Tocharians. Islam was introduced in the region after the conversion of the Kara-Khanid Khanate. The region was incorporated into the Chinese Empire when it was conquered by the Mongol leader Genghis Khan in the 13th century. By the 17th century, the Manchu Qing dynasty successfully asserted control over the region, defeating the resistance of local tribes.
Consolidation of the Uighur Khagan (1850s)
Qing control over the region was weakened in the wake of the Canton War (1850-1858). By 1851, Külüg I began consolidating his power in the Tarim Basin and in the Han-populated Dzungaria north of the Tianshan Mountains. He rebelled against the Qing and established an Uighur Khaganate.
The "Great Game" and the Treaty of London (1892)
All the while this was happening, the western powers were starting to encroach on Qing territory, with the Russians to the north and the British taking Tibet from the south. Külüg I established diplomatic ties with both nations and offered to be an ally against the Qing. The Russians and British saw the region as a good buffer zone between them. In the Treaty of London (1892), the British and Russians agreed to cease expansion into Central Asia and recognize the state of the Uighur Khagan. On the treaty, the state was called "Serindia," which combines the terms Seres (China) and India, refering to its geographical position. It is the namesake of the modern-day state in English sources.
