preface:
In the era of cold weapons, the nomadic people living between the north of the Great Wall of China and the south of Lake Baikal in Russia have always been a "heart knot" of the rulers of the Central Plains, in order to resist their invasion, the Central Plains Dynasty has also worked hard and worked hard, of which the "Great Wall" is the most qualified "witness". However, throughout history, it is not difficult to find that after the time entered the Qing Dynasty, the nomadic tribes in this group of nomadic people, except for a few short-lived characters, have basically lost their former glory, which can be described as a heaven and an underground compared with the Xiongnu Turks and the powerful Mongol Empire later. So, what are the reasons for this gap, in addition to certain objective factors? In this article, the author will focus on this topic to discuss with readers and friends. (In particular, I would like to write this article only to give readers and friends a simple understanding of the history of the Qing rulers' strategic control and co-optation of the Mongol forces, for no other purpose, and if there is any deficiency, I hope you will correct it.) ）
The research content of this article:
01. The transformation of Mongolia's power status during the Ming Dynasty
The friction between the Ming Dynasty and the Mongol forces can basically be divided by the "change of Tumu Fort", before the "change of Tumu Fort", the Mongol forces were still a "heart knot" of the rulers of the Central Plains, resisting the Mongol invasion is still an important national policy, the so-called "control of the Northern Raiders through jurchens" is to some extent the beginning and this; however, after the "change of Tumu Fort", due to the sharp deterioration of relations within the Mongol forces, it is difficult to form a unified fighting force between the tribes and tribes. As a result, its position in the hearts of the Ming rulers also declined. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Jurchen people led by Nurhaci rose rapidly under the impetus of various factors. In order to achieve the purpose of balancing the Jurchens, the Ming rulers also favored the Mongol forces. However, at this moment, Mongolia is no longer the Mongolia of that year, although there are such arrogant figures as Lin Dan Khan, but the times have changed, and the complicated situation in the Central Plains at this time is difficult to control by such a figure as Lin Dan Khan alone. Objectively speaking, for the Mongol forces at this stage, "Mingzhe self-preservation" has become an unattainable thing.
Facts have proved that the Ming rulers in the balance of both the Jurchen forces and the Mongol forces are a little bit worse, the so-called "through the Jurchen to control the Northern Jurchen" or later "through the Northern Jurchen to control the Jurchen" in a sense can be regarded as a failure, of course, for this strategy we can not completely deny, but at least can prove that the Ming Rulers in the implementation of this strategy more or less there are more or less flaws.
On the eve of the Battle of Salhu, the Ming Empire and the Jurchen forces were trying their best to win over the Mongol forces in an attempt to increase their own strength, but the Mongol forces' "two-sided eat-all" approach completely lost the trust of the Ming rulers and the Jurchen forces led by Nurhaci, and also indirectly laid the groundwork for their later position in the hearts and fate of the Rulers of the Central Plains.
02. The Mongol forces in the post-Jin Dynasty - completely reduced to a "careerist" who kept to himself
At a time when the Ming Empire and the Jurchen forces were in a state of tension, the Mongol forces played an extremely important role, and at this moment, if they could wholeheartedly stand in any "camp" between the Ming Empire and the Jurchen forces, they could almost affect the final outcome, but the Mongol forces in this period did not do this, and in fact it was difficult to do so.
Later, in order to weaken the threat posed by the Mongol power to the Jurchen tribes, Nurhaci isolated the forces of Lin Dan Khan by his usual means, and in turn united the rest of the tribes such as the Horqin Mongols. In 1619, nurhaci's ambitions were intensified by the victory at the Battle of Salhu, and the complete elimination of mongol forces that had not yet surrendered to his command was listed as the next step in the plan to be implemented. In 1632, Emperor Taiji, the next heir of Houjin, personally conquered Lin Dan Khan. In 1634, the rise of mongol power in southern Mozambique finally ended with the death of Lin Dan Khan. For a long time afterwards, Mongolia lay peacefully in the "arms" of the Manchu rulers like a well-behaved child.
Lin Dan Khan
03. The Mongol forces after the Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains - deeply "strangled" and "throat" by the Manchu Qing rulers
In 1644, thanks to the great feat of Wu Zongbing's "rushing the crown into a red face", the Qing army smoothly entered Beijing from the archway of Shanhaiguan, and at this point, the Rulers of the Qing Dynasty took a crucial step in realizing the grand hegemony of entering the Central Plains.
The Qing rulers, who were well aware of the ambitions of the Mongol forces, knew very well that in order to stabilize their dominance in the Central Plains, in addition to eradicating the peasant army and the Southern Ming regime, they must also firmly "choke" the "throat" of the Mongol forces in the north. To this end, the Manchu rulers tailored a system for the Mongol tribes, the "alliance flag system".
The so-called "alliance flag system" can be divided into two independent forms of military organization, "alliance" and "flag", in the literal sense, "alliance" and "flag" are a kind of social organization and grass-roots political organization forcibly injected into the blood of the Mongol forces by the Manchu Qing rulers. The history can basically be traced back to the period when Nurhaci founded the Eight Flags system. At that time, in order to unify the management of the Mongol forces that had returned with their troops, Nurhaci created the "Alliance Flag System" based on the original Otok and Aimak social organizations of the Mongolian nation, and at the same time created the "Alliance Flag System" with some innovations in the Manchu Eight Banners System, and the "Alliance Flag System" was further improved after the Qing army entered the customs. Why, then, is it that the alliance flag system can firmly control the Mongol forces? And listen to the author's details!
First of all, let's give a brief explanation of the organizational structure of the "alliance flag system":
Under the "Alliance Flag System", the League, the Flag, and the Zona are three different levels of political power. Among them, the "league" is composed of one banner or more flags, and one league leader is set up, and the league leader needs to lead his members to hold a meeting once every three years, and complete many matters such as "clearing up criminal names and compiling and reviewing ding nationalities" during the alliance. There is a zazak under the banner to manage the flag affairs, and its specific personnel arrangements are issued by the Li Fan Yuan. There is a person in charge of the whole zo, and there is a riding school, a collar, a vest, and so on. For example, in the early Qing Dynasty, the southern Mongolian region had six leagues under the rule of the Qing Dynasty, namely the Zhelim League, the Zhuosotu League, the Zhaowuda League, the Xilingol League, the Ulanchabu League, and the Yikezhao League.
Under the "Alliance Flag System", the Mongolian region needs to be compiled and reviewed once every three years, and all those under 60 years old and over 18 years old must be written into the register, and the compiled and reviewed data needs to be truthfully submitted to the Court of Management. During this period, if there is any hidden person, from Zasak to the Horse Riding School, there are joint punishments. This move enabled the Qing government to accurately and effectively grasp the number of people in Mongolia, which not only ensured the import of soldiers, but also helped the construction of feudal order in Mongolia.
As a nomadic people, having a vast pasture is the primary prerequisite for ensuring survival, and it is also the source of contradictions between tribes and tribes, so the Qing government has also made sufficient efforts in this regard. In 1650, the Qing government stipulated that "every fifteen dings in Mongolia should be given one mile of land and twenty miles of vertical" as a grazing place. At the same time, in order to ensure that these lands are not reclaimed by the Han, the rulers have also promulgated one ban after another, and it is undeniable that this practice of the rulers in the early Qing Dynasty not only effectively maintained the basic livelihood of the Mongolian flag people, but also promoted the development of the animal husbandry economy in mongolia in a sense, and played a role in stabilizing the entire Mongolian region. At the same time, in order to prevent the movement of people in Mongolia, the Qing government also issued a fairly strict household registration system.
In addition, in order to more effectively maintain stability within mongolia, the Qing government formulated relevant policies around political, military, and even living customs, such as controlling the amount of wedding dowry, implementing the annual "military parade" system of league leaders, and supporting disaster victims in times of disasters.
On the surface, a series of favorable measures formulated by the Qing government around the "alliance flag system" in Mongolia provided a strong living guarantee for the Mongolian herders and enhanced the political and military stability of the Mongolian region, but in a sense, behind this stability was the necessary means for the Qing government to implement the rule of the Mongolian region. Create an environment for the Qing government to better rule the Mongolian region. All in all, the "alliance flag system" in the early Qing Dynasty was like a long sword that deeply "strangled" the "throat" of the Mongol forces.
bibliography:
Dark Cloud Bilig: Outline of Mongolian History
Gang Yangshu: A New Perspective on the Study of the Mongolian League Flag System in the Qing Dynasty: A Study on the Mongolian League Flag System in the Qing Dynasty
Zhao Fei: "An Examination of the Evolution of the Alliance Flag System"