Uqturpan

Uqturpan, also known as Ush, occupies an oasis at the foot of the Tian Shan west of Aksu. Its position near mountain routes made it a frontier town between the Tarim Basin and the lands beyond the passes. Fields watered by rivers from the mountains sustained the inhabitants amid the dry country of the basin's northern rim.

In 1765, resentment against Qing officials and their abuses erupted into a revolt in Ush. The inhabitants killed officials and soldiers and held the town against a prolonged siege. After its surrender Qing forces executed many men and deported women and children, devastating the community. The Qing subsequently moved the senior official responsible for the southern oases from Kashgar to Ush and established a mint there, making the town an important military and administrative centre.