Ming–Turpan conflict
Map showing the location of Ming-Turpan conflict, Hami
Date 15th century – 16th century Location Turpan,Hami,Gansu Result Ming victory Status quo ante bellum
Belligerents
Ming dynasty	Moghulistan (later its divisionTurpan Khanate)	Oirat Confederation
Commanders and leaders
	Yunus Khan Ahmad Alaq Mansur Khan Iburai Taishi	Esen Taishi

TheMing–Turpan conflict (Chinese:哈密之爭) were a series of conflicts between theMing dynasty and Khanate ofMoghulistan (later its division theTurpan Khanate) that erupted due to disputes over borders, trade and internal succession to the throne of Moghulistan (or Turpan).

The Ming dynasty annexedKara Del (Qumul, Hami) in 1404 and turned it intoHami Prefecture.^[1] In 1406 it defeated the ruler of Moghulistan.^[2]

In 1443, 1445 and 1448 theOirats underEsen Taishi occupied Kara Del in Hami. Moghulistan, under Ali (known asYunus Khan), then seized Hami from Esen in 1473. Ali was driven by the Ming dynasty into Turfan, but he reoccupied it after Ming left. Esen taishi's Mongols recaptured Hami twice in 1482 and 1483.

In 1491 the Ming dynasty installed a descendant of theYuan dynasty imperial house to the position of Prince of Qumul. They then appointed overseers of each ethnic group residing in Qumul, the position being called tu-tu (In Wade Giles).^[3]

The son of Ali, Ahmed (Ahmad Alaq), reconquered it in 1493 and captured the Hami leader Prince Champa and the resident of the Ming in Hami (the Chagatayid Hami was a vassal state to Ming). In response, the Ming dynasty imposed an economic blockade on Turpan and kicked out all the Uyghurs from Gansu. Conditions became so harsh for Turpan that Ahmed left.^[4][5] The Ming army then marched on Qumul. Ahmad Alaq (Hahema) retreated, released Prince Champa, acknowledged his inferior position to the Ming emperor and agreed that Champa would take the throne of Qumul.^[6] One of the Ming overseers, Sayyid Husain, was the Muslim overseer in July 1494 and fled to Ming territory when Turpan invaded Qumul, but he plotted with Turpan to be appointed as prince under the rule of Turpan. He was arrested in 1516 and sent to Beijing, but bribed his way into theZhengde Emperor's inner circle, eventually becoming his homosexual lover, although no evidence supporting this claim exists in Chinese sources.^[3]

In the 16th century, the Ming dynasty defeated a series of raids by the Khanate of Turpan under Ahmed's sonMansur and the Oirat Mongols, over disputes on tribute. Fighting broke out in 1517, 1524 and 1528 when the Ming dynasty rejected tribute missions from Turpan. Mansur took over Qumul in 1517.^[5] Mansur invaded the Ming dynasty in 1524 with 20,000 men throughSuzhou District, but was repulsed by Ming forces, including Mongol troops.^[7] The Ming refused to lift the economic blockade and restrictions that had led to the fighting and continued restricting Turpan's tribute and trade with the Ming dynasty. Turfan also annexed Qumul (Hami).^[8]

• Ming dynasty in Inner Asia
• Western Regions

• ROSSABI, M.. 1972. “MING CHINA AND TURFAN, 1406-1517”. Central Asiatic Journal 16 (3). Harrassowitz Verlag: 206–25.https://www.jstor.org/stable/41926952.
• Morris Rossabi (28 November 2014)."Ming China and Turfan 1406-1517".From Yuan to Modern China and Mongolia: The Writings of Morris Rossabi. BRILL. pp. 39–.ISBN 978-90-04-28529-3.

• 15th-century conflicts
• 16th-century conflicts
• Wars involving the Ming dynasty
• 15th century in China
• 16th century in China

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• Articles containing traditional Chinese-language text
• Use dmy dates from June 2017