In the previous article, the author talked to you about a series of stories about the adjustment of administrative divisions in Gansu Province. For example, the administrative division adjustment between Gansu Province and Ningxia, Qinghai and Shaanxi provinces, today, we talk about the administrative division adjustment between Gansu Province and Inner Mongolia. In the long river of history, the Ejina Banner and the Alxa Banner in western Inner Mongolia have been divided into Gansu Province three times. However, it was divided into Inner Mongolia three more times. Why is this region repeatedly adjusting its divisions? Today, we will talk about the complex story of the repeated division of the Ejin Na Banner and the Alxa Right Banner.
First of all, let's talk about the historical development of Gansu Province. Gansu Province is located in the northwest of China, with a complex geological structure, but its strategic position is very important. Many place names in Gansu Province are related to the Han Dynasty, such as Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, etc., symbolizing the great power of the Han Empire. From the time of the Han Dynasty, the Gansu region was brought under the control of the Central Plains Dynasty. Driven by the Silk Road, the economy of Gansu once flourished. As for the northern grassland area, it belongs to the area of repeated tug-of-war. In the strong stage of the Central Plains Dynasty, a series of Northern Expeditions will certainly be carried out to control the northern grasslands.
However, once the Central Plains Dynasty entered a period of decline, the northern nomadic regime would return and control the northern steppe region again. This problem continued from the Qin and Han dynasties to the Ming Dynasty, and has not been completely solved. After the Yuan Dynasty unified the whole country, due to the vast territory of the empire, the Yuan Dynasty encountered trouble in administrative management. Under such circumstances, the Yuan Dynasty divided the country into 10 provinces. Among them, including Gansu Province. However, the provincial system of the Yuan Dynasty had many problems and was still in its infancy. After the Ming Dynasty expelled the Yuan Dynasty forces, it further improved the provincial system. In order to defend against the nomadic cavalry in the north, the Ming Dynasty incorporated Gansu Province into Shaanxi Province. Therefore, during the reign of the Ming Dynasty, there was no Gansu Province, and the Gansu Province of the Ming Dynasty was equivalent to several provinces now, with a very large area.
After the defeat of the Yuan Dynasty and the Mongolian steppe, it gradually split into many tribes, and it belonged to the antagonistic relationship with the Ming Dynasty. In the mid-17th century, the Ming Dynasty, which ruled for more than 200 years, collapsed, and the Qing Dynasty in the northeast region began to enter the customs on a large scale. For more than 10 years, the Qing Dynasty established its rule over the regions of the Central Plains. Before entering the customs, the Qing Dynasty had already controlled all parts of the Mongolian steppe and the northeast region.
Therefore, there is no need to worry about the threat from the north. The Qing Dynasty reformed the provincial system in the homeland of the Ming Dynasty, and re-established it in the northwest region, Gansu Province. However, the administrative division of Gansu Province was not stable, because the northwestern Dzungars had always been enemies of the Qing Dynasty, and the two sides had been fighting each other for 70 years. During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, the Dzungars were pacified, and the administrative divisions of Gansu Province were determined. At that time, the administrative divisions of Gansu Province were large, including the present-day Gansu Province, Ningxia Region, Western Inner Mongolia, Eastern Qinghai, and Eastern Xinjiang. During the reign of the Qing Dynasty, Gansu Province began to administer the western part of Inner Mongolia, specifically the Ejina Banner and the Alxa Banner in Inner Mongolia. The Qing Dynasty did not implement the provincial system in the northwest, northeast, and Mongolian steppes, and this policy left a series of hidden dangers. In the middle and early period of the Qing Dynasty's rule, due to the strong national strength, the problem was not obvious. However, in the late period of Qing rule, the national strength of the Qing Dynasty had declined.
The Western powers launched a series of wars of aggression, and the Qing Dynasty was forced to sign a large number of unequal treaties and cede many lands. The Western powers began to invade the northern region of the Qing Dynasty, and in order to consolidate the northern region, the Qing Dynasty successively established Fengtian Province, Heilongjiang Province, Jilin Province and other provinces. However, the grasslands of Inner Mongolia have not been administratively divided, and until the fall of the Qing Dynasty, this problem has not been solved. In 1912, the Qing Dynasty collapsed, and China entered the stage of warlord melee. Due to the serious fighting between the various warlords, no warlord is concerned about the issue of administrative division.
In 1928, after the end of the Northern Expedition, in order to consolidate the northern region, the then regime successively established Suiyuan Province, Rehe Province, Chahar Province and Ningxia Province. These four provinces, each responsible for administering parts of Inner Mongolia, are known as the four northern provinces. The western part of Inner Mongolia administered by Gansu Province was included in Ningxia Province. At that time, Gansu Province underwent a large-scale administrative division adjustment. In the blink of an eye, in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, with the establishment of New China, the external environment has undergone tremendous changes. The pressure in the northern region has been significantly reduced, and the existence value of the four northern provinces of Cyprus has become lower and lower. At that time, the western part of Inner Mongolia, which was administered by Ningxia Province, had been reclassified into Gansu Province. Beginning in 1952, the four northern provinces of Saibei were gradually abolished, and most of the jurisdictions were merged into inner Mongolia.
In 1954, after Ningxia Province was abolished, the Hetao region was incorporated into Gansu Province. So on the map of the mid-1950s, the jurisdiction of Gansu Province was large. The Ejina Banner and the Alxa Banner administered by Gansu Province were once again assigned to the Inner Mongolia region. In 1958, the Ningxia Autonomous Region was established, and the jurisdiction of Gansu Province was readjusted. By this time, the administrative divisions of Gansu Province and the current administrative divisions were very close. This situation lasted for more than 10 years, and with a series of key projects settled in Gansu Province, the economic development of Gansu Province is very fast. In the late 1960s, as the task required at that time, the western part of Gansu and Inner Mongolia was divided into Gansu Province and Ningxia Autonomous Region. Among them, the Ejin Banner and the Alxa Right Banner were assigned to Gansu Province, and the Alxa Left Banner was assigned to Ningxia.
The eastern region of Inner Mongolia is divided into three northeastern provinces. Regarding the articles in the three northeastern provinces, the author has talked a lot with you. This is the third time that western Inner Mongolia has been placed under the administration of Gansu Province, and in short, all three divisions are based on the needs of the situation. This administrative division adjustment lasted for 10 years. In 1969, the Ejin Banner and the Alxa Right Banner were incorporated into Gansu Province. By 1979, given that the situation had changed dramatically and that reform and opening up had begun. In order to develop the economy, China's regional divisions have begun a new round of adjustment.
At that time, Inner Mongolia was divided into the northwest and northeast regions in 1969, and all of them were returned to Inner Mongolia. At this point, the administrative divisions of Gansu Province have completely formed the current outline. Finally, let's talk about the geological structure of Gansu Province. Gansu Province is vast, rich in resources and simple in folk customs, but the geological structure of Gansu Province is too complex, which limits the economic development of Gansu Province. The inability to expand the size of the urban area limits the growth of the urban population. In addition, many areas in Gansu have more or less water shortage problems. These problems have a great impact on economic development, and one of the author's colleagues is a Gansu native, and for his hometown, this colleague has a complicated heart. There are many more stories about the adjustment of administrative divisions in various regions of our country, and the author will slowly talk to you in future articles.