Send message to Author

Paper short abstract:

This paper studies a Chinese-Manchu-Mongolic-Turkic quadrilingual inscription in Peking from 1760. I introduce its history with transcriptions and translations of all four versions. I analyze the texts for linguistic features and translate features. This paper is based on first hand materials.

Paper long abstract:

This paper studies a Chinese-Manchu-Mongolic-Turkic quadrilingual inscription found in Peking from 1760. Its content was a poem of Emperor Qianlong that commemorating the saluting ceremony for the triumphant conquer troop returned from Central Asia at the outskirts of Peking. I introduce the history background of the establishing of this monument with transcriptions and translations of all four versions. I argue the turn of the translating was from Chinese to Manchu then to Mongolic then to Turkic, which is different from the other similar inscriptions before and after. I also argue the translators of the Turkic version were the teachers from Qomul and their Bannermen pupils. This inscription is the third of all four quadrilingual inscriptions that established after the Qing conquest of Eastern Central Asia. It is an important clue of multilingualism of Qing court related to Islamic world. I argue these inscriptions are not only important documents for history but also for historical Turkic linguistics. This paper is based on first hand materials, including rubbing, Manchu and Chinese archives, and other published historical materials.