Boborai: A Torghut Hero in the Mazong Mountain of Gansu

Abstract

Boborai, a Torghut hero in the Mazong Mountain of Gansu, hailed originally from Bayangol but eventually concluded his life in west Gansu. In his youth, Boborai fell in love with the daughter of a Torghut Noyan in Bayangol. Unfortunately, the Noyan disapproved of his daughter marrying an ordinary boy and attempted to harm Boborai while closely monitoring his daughter. Having no choice, Boborai escaped with his younger brother to west Gansu, where he encountered many Mongol wanderers from various places. One notable group among these wanderers was thirty Torghut families led by Dugur, who were on their way to migrate to Mongolia but chose to stay at Mazong Mountain after ten households were massacred by Mongolian troops chasing escaped lamas from Mongolia. After familiarizing himself with the surrounding environment and living with these Mongols from diverse backgrounds, Boborai contemplated a plan to help them by plundering two Huihui camel herders, who had eight and nine hundred camels, and distributing the spoils among poor Mongols. As he carefully planned his movement, Boborai and his followers, disguised as Kazakh bandits, successfully seized most of the camels from the two Huis in a single night, hiding them deep in the Gobi Desert. After laying low for a few days, they posed as allies of the Hui, assisting them in reclaiming the camels, asserting that they had confiscated them from Kazakh bandits. Consequently, they were rewarded with about 400 camels from the wealthy Hui. This story not only circulated among the Torghuts in Hobogsair when the Mazong Mountain Torghuts returned from Gansu in 1958. During his time in Gansu, Boborai encountered hundreds of Lamas from Mongolia, aiding them in their migration to Kumbum. He also faced Khalha troops in pursuit, losing his Mongolian wife in the process. Later, Boborai not only joined the Nationalist Party but also rose to the rank of regimental commander. He then frequently attended party conferences in various locations such as Sichuan and Lanzhou. Eventually, he married a Chinese woman who was later revealed to be a spy for the Nationalist Party. Unfortunately, Boborai succumbed to opium addiction, leading to his untimely demise. His son, Tölömj, was subsequently adopted by his uncle Cholunbat, who stayed in Gansu and married a Deed Mongolian woman.