How a British Pickle Merchant Became a Uyghur King

"The Pickle King of Tartary" is a strange footnote in the often-turbulent history of central Asia. His real name was Khalid Sheldrake, a pickle manufacturer from London, and during the Chinese civil war he nearly became the king of Xinjiang and the Uyghur people. It's one of those obscure topics that deserve more attention... His moniker has an amusing ring to it, and when I first heard about this story thought that I’d be making a light-hearted video. But I think it’s more complex than that. And I suspect depending on your own life experiences, you’ll react to it in a number of ways. You might see Khalid Sheldrake as the charitable philanthropist and a patron of Britain’s Muslim communities. But you might also see it as a story of empires and colonies, and a naïve man at the centre of it. What's more, you may be reminded of the ongoing accusations coming out of Xinjiang and the alleged maltreatment of the Uyghur people. Links, as always, are down below. I had great fun making this video, and plan to cover more niche topics like these moving forward. Thank you all for 532k! H. ------------- Music: Intro - "Epic of Gilgamesh" in Sumerian by Peter Pringle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUcTs​... "The Pickle King" by hochelaga (yes, even the throat singing) "Rule, Britannia!" by James Thomson and Thomas Arne. Sung by Albert Farrington in 1914 for Edison Records, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons. "New York Blues" by Pietro Frosini in 1916, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Elf Meditation Preview by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song... License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Guzheng City by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/7523-guzheng-city License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Unpromised by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4568-unpromised License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Infados by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3914-infados License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Teller of the Tales by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4467-teller-of-the-tales License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Outro - Peaceful Ambient Music by CO.AG https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav... ------------- Further Reading: The Last King of Xinjiang: How a Briton Almost Ruled Kashgar – South China Post https://www.asiaone.com/china/last-king-xinjiang-how-briton-almost-ruled-kashgar “Attitudes to Muslims” (Sheldrake's Letter to King George V) https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/loyalty-dissent/attitudes-moslems/ The Suburban King of Tartary – Max Everest‐Phillips https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03068379008730395 Khalid Sheldrake - Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalid_Sheldrake ------------- Important Reading: Who are the Uyghurs and why is China being accused of genocide? - BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-22278037 China guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity against Uyghurs, watchdog finds - NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/news/china/china-guilty-genocide-crimes-humanity-uyghurs-watchdog-finds-rcna8157 U.S. Says China’s Repression of Uighurs Is ‘Genocide’ - New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/trump-china-xinjiang.html Uyghur Genocide - Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uyghur_genocide ------------- Find me on Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/hochelaga_yt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hochelaga_yt/ Discord: https://discord.gg/29tngpT --------- Email me: [email protected] #Uyghur #Xinjiang #Pickles