| Fujibayashi Akimatsu 藤林 アキ松 | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mikhail Ivanovich Turganov January 23, 1900  Chita, Russian Empire |
| Died | November 1, 1980 Ulaan Khur Luu
, China |
| Nationality | China Japan (1925-1931) Buryatokuo (1931-1942) Menggukuo (1942-1945) |
| Ethnicity | Buryat |
| Citizenship | China |
Marshal Fujibayashi Akimatsu (Japanese: 藤林 アキ松) originally born as Mikhail Ivanovich Turganov (Cyrllic: Михаил Иванович Турганов, January 23, 1900-November 1, 1980) and known in China by the courtesy Yin Laoshi (隱老師, "mysterous teacher") and the pseudonym Qiuguang (Chinese: 秋光) was a Buryat and a later Mongolian military marshal who was known as one of the chief enforcers of the persecutions against nomads and Tibetan Buddhists. He is venerated by Hei-Tao, Tengrists, and Tiandi-Jao as Jieng-fa (懲罰者, lit. "Punisher"), and Shiitgegch.
Prior to his military career in Buryatia, he was an Imperial Russian Army soldier, and during the Russian Civil War, he was part of Ataman Grigory Semyonov's Transbaikal Cossacks, and then went to go serve in the armed forces of the Japanese puppet state of Buryatia. Turganov served under the command of Marshal Urzhin Garmaev, and was a pan-Mongol. Turganov went to study in Japan, where he made Buryat culture known in the country. In Japan, he officially changed his name to "Fujibayashi Akimatsu" and studied Japanese law, later serving in the Imperial Japanese Army. He also studied Japanese martial arts.
Akimatsu later returned to Buryatia, to serve as the Chief Army Prosecutor of Buryatia, introducing Japanese law and discipline into Buryatia. During the Buryat invasion of Outer Mongolia, Akimatsu was at this point, a Marshal, and was the leader of the Enforcers Command. General Akimatsu reported to Marshal Garmaev of the "sub-human and desolate condition of Mongolia".
This is where Marshal Garmaev gave General Akimitsu the green-light to imprison Tibetan Buddhists, and captured nomads, to help develop the city of Urga. General Akimatsu forebode the newly captured from leaving the city of Urga.
At the end of the war, Akimatsu was offered a position as the Prosecutor-General of the Khaganate of Mongolia, however, he turned down the position, and later would help find the Akimatsu Ulan-Ude School of Law, now one of Mongolia's most prestigious law schools, as well as founding one of the oldest Japanese-language programs in Mongolia.
During Sino-Russian conflict, Akimatsu advocated getting rid of the Cyrllic alphabet, and re-adopting the Traditional Mongolian alphabet of Khalkhas and Inner Mongolians, and he continued to serve as part of the local Senate of Mongolia.
Akimatsu acted as a guide to Tsagaanlamyn Dügersüren or "Marshal Kaishi", who succeeded Urzhin Garmaev as the Marshal of Mongolia. Throughout other parts of China, he went under the pseudonym Qiuguang, due to this association serving as part of the Imperial Japanese, and often-not, only surrounded himself as other Japanese collaborator veterans.
Lile other modernist politicians, Akimatsu had a very hostile relation with Buddhists, with the United Confederation of Buddhists advocating for his imprisonment. Buddhists in China and Japan have called for the outlawing of his veneration.
Biography[]
After the Second World War[]
In the aftermath of the surrender of Japan, Akimatsu retained a very low profile and adopted the pseodynum Qiuguang (秋光). Having followed Shintoism, he studied Taoism and Tengrism, and while he referred to himself as a Tengrist, his actual practices resembled a mix of the two.
However, Akimatsu continued to act as a guide and an advisor to Tsagaanlamyn Dügersüren, the post-war Marshal of Mongolia in handling negotiations with the Allied forces. Akimatsu spent his time writing memoirs.
Akimatsu initially favored Russian influence over Chinese, sharing Japan's same views of China as being an outdated civilizations, though stated that he would give China as a chance if they integrated themselves with the modern world.
Russo-Chinese conflict[]
During the Russo-Chinese conflict, much like other Mongolians, Akimatsu changed his views on the Russians and re-joined the Mongolian military, calling for the Buryats to distance themselves from Russia. This is after Chinese spies in Russia revealed to their Mongolian counterparts of Russian plans to re-invade and re-subjagate Mongol lands, and promote a "Russian lebensraum", followed by the annhilation of the native religions, and its replacement with an Eastern Orthodox dictatorship. This time, he was assigned by his former student, Tsagaanlamyn Dügersüren, as the Chief General of the Internal Security Forces, aimed at spotting and fighting Russian agents and sleeper cells.
Miraculously, the Mongolian military this time, became re-inforced with mutinees from the Imperial Russian Army, mostly those of Kalmyk, Yakut or Tuvan background. Both Akimatsu and Dügersüren had expected that the Mongolians would not last in a long-term conflict against the Russians, therefore, with Akimatsu's blessing, gave Dügersüren the greenlight to have Mongolian re-join China as a northern expansion of the Empire.
Much to the surprise of the Chinese, the forces of Mongolia were well-trained, well-equipped, industrialized and armed with warplanes and tanks. Thus, the Zhanhou Emperor pardoned Akimatsu for his service to the Empire of Japan, and bestowed onto him the courtesy name of Yin Laoshi (隱老師).
The Mongolia Agreement basically made the former Mengukuo a northern extension of the Empire of China, as well as uniting the Mongol lands, a long-standing dream of many pan-Mongolists during the First World War. As a result, former Army of Mongolia, now part of the Northern Command of the Imperial Chinese Forces, send some tanks to Beijing for examination, these would later form the models for modern Chinese tanks.
Post Sino-Russian conflict[]
In the aftermath, Akimatsu continued to be referred to by "Yin Laoshi" across China, but like before, kept a very low profile. Akimatsu served as part of the United Mongol Association of China, helping to spread Buryat studies across the country.
Relations with other Chinese citizens[]
Kuomintang[]
Akimatsu had a strong hatred against the Kuomintang, commonly seen a byproduct of the Japanese occupation, Akimatsu argues that he has always had a hatred of the Kuomintang, and saw them as China's equivalent of the Bolsheviks and the likes of Alexander Kerenesky. As a result, as noted in his memoir, the Underground War, Akimatsu was subject to over 43 assassination attempts from Kuomintang agents, and as a result, also sent assassination attempts against Kuomintang leaders. Akimatsu viewed the Kuomintang as nothing more but the byproduct of European and American colonial interests.
Beifang and monarchists[]
Akimatsu, although having some mode of suspicion, mostly sided with the Beifang China, due to the latter's refusal to hand over Japanese war criminals to the Allied trials. It is ultimately North Chinese leaders who saved Akimatsu from imprisonment and in-turn, Akimatsu helped save many former Chinese collaborators with Japan. A staunch monarchist, Akimatsu states that the Mandate of Heaven clearly favors either the Qing or Hongxian dynasties to be in leadership of the Chinese state.
Buddhists[]
Akimatsu had a strong hatred against Buddhists, whom he considered a sub-human and dangerous religion that is adversarial to advanced societies. He blames Buddhists for having contributed to "desolating" Mongolia and stated that he had no regrets persecuting Buddhists in Mongolia. He argues that if Buddhists had their way in Mongolia, that it would still be a degenerate nation.
Russia[]
Akimatsu had conflicting views on Russians and the Tsar. He was a fluent Russian-speaker. He often views Russia as being one of the most Asia-friendly European civilizations and supported the Russian influence over Mongolia. However after the "Eurasian Prosperity Protocol" was leaked, Akimatsu soured his views against the Russians and publicly wrote a letter in Russian addressing grievances, in which he referred to Rodzianko and Rodzeavsky as "subhumans".
However, after Alexander Solzhenytsin led a coup against both, Akimatsu again, lightened his views on Russians. Akimatsu returned to Russia on many occasions.
Personal life[]
At height of his career, Akimatsu spoke five languages, Buryat, Russian, Japanese, Chinese and Mongolian. He was originally a Russian Orthodox with influences of shamanism, but later came to adopt State Shinto. After the surrender of Japan, Akimatsu became a Tengrist, and joined the Tiando-Jao religion. He also held alliances with the Hei-Tao religion.
Akimatsu spent a lot of time at the Grand Temple and Monastery of the Black Dragon in Ulan Khar Luu.
Memoires[]
Akimatsu wrote a couple memoirs, in Buryat, Japanese, Chinese and Mongolian. However, the Chinese translations of his works were not yet readily available until 2005 due to the controversy surrounding his service to the Empire of Japan.