During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Mongolia were active in the vast land north of the Great Wall, stretching from Heilongjiang in the east to the Altai Mountains in the west. According to its nomadic territory, it is divided into three parts: with Hanhai as the boundary, its southern part is called Monan Mongolia, that is, Inner Mongolia: the northern part is called Mobei Mongolia, that is, Outer Mongolia; The western part is known as Moxi Mongolia, that is, Erut Mongolia. Among them, the eastern part of southern Mongolia borders the Later Jin, and the relationship with the Later Jin is the most complicated, and the struggle with the Later Jin has been fierce all year round, among which the Chahar Department has the most fierce struggle with the Later Jin in order to establish its hegemony in the southern Mongolia. Emperor Taiji of the Qing Dynasty finally defeated Chahar Lindan Khan through a series of political and military means, completing the final unification of Monan Mongolia.
志大才疏：林丹汗整合蒙古引众怒
Since Dayan Khan Batu Munk, the left and right Mongolia of the Mo Nan Mongolia have been divided into several political entities that do not belong to each other, among which the descendants of Dayan Khan have mastered the Chahar tribe, and the sons have been divided into various tribes, such as the five tribes of Inner Khalkha (Zalut, Bahrain, Onjila, Bayout, and Uziyat), Ordos, Tumut, Karaqin and other tribes. Since the separation of the various tribes, they have attacked and killed each other, and there have been constant wars with the Ming Dynasty, and the tribes are in a state of weakness.
Lin Dan Khan (known as "Hudun Rabbit Han" by the Ming) as the leader of the Chahar tribe of southern Mongolia, according to his lineage, he was a descendant of Dayan Khan, and among all the tribes, he was the only one who worked hard to restore the achievements of his ancestors. During the reign of Daxun Khan (the fourth ancestor of Lin Dan Khan), the Chahar tribe under his control migrated to Liaodong in order to avoid the Tumut Khan of Mongolia. After several generations of operation, "Shima was strong and rampant in Monan", becoming the most powerful tribe in Monan Mongolia or even in the whole of Mongolia, "from Liaodong in the east to the Taohe River in the west, all of them were offered by the (Chahar) Insertion", and the Weixing Hetao was to the west", and he claimed to "rule 400,000 Mongolia lords Batulu Qinghis Khan".
"Hearing and Seeing in the Mountains"
Lin Dan Khan could not be satisfied with the current situation of Mongolia, and his tribe was strong, so he began to use force to start a war of unification against the Mongolia tribes. However, in the process of unifying the Mongolia departments, its policy was extremely inappropriate, burning and looting everywhere it passed, forcing some tribes to flee in all directions, "there is the violence of Song Kangwuyi". He is greedy and greedy, and he is insatiable in demanding from all departments. The Korqin Chief's Territory Shetu Khan has a famous horse called "Hang Ai", and Lin Dan Khan wants to exchange it for this famous horse with only one hand, which makes Tushetu Khan dare not speak out. Later, he exchanged a piece of horses for a thousand horses of the Alu Horqin tribe, and this Jinong scolded: "How can a horse be worth a thousand horses?" It's a provocation for no reason, and it wants to invade my ears. In the end, I had to swallow my anger and send five hundred horses.
"Manchu Old Files"
even connived at his subordinates to exploit the tribe to which they belonged. Lin Dan Khan connived at his favorite vassal Guiyingcha to seize the wife of the Ulut leader Ming An, who was angry, but his strength was indeed weak, and he had to leave in a fit of rage, first defecting to Inner Khalkha Mongolia and then to Houjin.
"Three Dynasties Liao Facts"
Originally, the so-called unification war he launched meant the loss of the autonomous power of the Mongolian ministries, which could easily cause resistance among the Mongolian ministries, and his wanton conquest and tyranny aroused greater resentment among the feudal lords of the Mongolia ministries.
与后金争端之始
The Mongolia tribes were very angry at Lin Dan Khan's actions, but they could not compete with the Chahar tribes on their own, and they turned to Houjin for refuge. At this time, in order to expand his strength, the Qing Taizu Nurhachi implemented preferential treatment and protection policies for the Mongolia feudal lords who threw themselves into Houjin, and treated Mongolia with courtesy, such as the Ulut Department that broke away from Chahar and returned to Houjin, Nurhachi gave them 200 horses and 400 cattle, and rationed them to the Ulut Belle gardeners and Zhuangding.
"Manchu Old Files"
Nurhachi's measures clearly challenged the Chahar Ministry's intention to unify Mongolia, causing fear and jealousy among Lin Dan Khan. He first issued a military threat to Nurhachi in the fourth year of the Mandate of Heaven (1620), claiming to be the lord of 400,000 Mongolia, ridiculing Nurhachi as the lord of the 30,000 Zhushen on the waterfront, and warning Nurhachi not to take the city of Guangning, otherwise he will give you some color.
"Manchu Old Files" Lin Dan Khan's threat to Nurhachi
In the face of Lin Dan Khan's threat, Nurhachi did not panic at all, so he wrote a letter to "repay the evil words". In his reply, he explained the actual situation of the division of Mongolia, the so-called 400,000 Mongolia lords were just bluffing, and he ruthlessly exposed their shortcomings, helping Lin Dan Khan recall the past history, from the expulsion of his ancestors from Beijing until he failed several times, and finally hoped that Lin Dan Khan and his alliance against the Ming Dynasty was the "right way".
Nurhachi replied
Lin Dan Khan was so angry by Nurhachi's reply that he arrested the envoy and imprisoned him. Nurhachi ignored the threat of Lin Dan Khan, and sent troops to conquer Guangning in the seventh year of the Mandate of Heaven (1622). Nurhachi then established a military alliance with the five departments of Korqin and Inner Khalkha, Lin Dan Khan was angry again, he led his troops to attack Korqin Mongolia in the tenth year of the Mandate of Heaven (1625), Nurhachi received Korqin's request for help, immediately fulfilled the covenant, ordered Mang Gurtai, Huang Taiji and other Beylers to immediately lead 5,000 Eight Banner soldiers to help, and the Chahar troops fled in a hurry.
Battle of Nong'anta
In the eleventh year of the Mandate of Heaven (1626), Lin Dan Khan did another brain-dead thing, Inner Khalkha Mongolia reneged on the alliance with Nurhachi, Nurkhachi personally led the Eight Banner Army to attack Inner Khalkha Mongolia on eight roads, and the Inner Khalkha Department was severely damaged under the blow of Houjin, Lin Dan Khan not only did not give assistance, but took advantage of the danger of the people, annexed the Inner Khalkha Department, "fried his subordinates to slaughter Saixi and fled to the tiger (Lin Dan Khan), and the tiger fried people and animals to merge it."
"Yuan Chonghuan Collection"
After Lin Dan Khan's confrontation, Jin fell to a serious disadvantage, which had already reduced his prestige among the Mongolia tribes. Its practice of taking advantage of the danger of others made the Mongolia departments cold, and the remnants of the five Inner Khalkha tribes, the Zarut Department and the Bahrain Department, attached themselves to Korqin, and eventually returned to Houjin. At this point, Lin Dan Khan fell into a lonely situation, and then Jin became more and more prestigious in the Mongolia steppe.
皇太极三征察哈尔
After Emperor Taiji took the throne, in order to concentrate on fighting against the Ming, he decided to first concentrate on solving the Chahar problem and subduing the southern Mongolia tribes. Seeing that under the intervention of Later Jin, Lin Dan Khan could not conquer the left-wing Mongolia tribes and Genghis Khan's brother tribes, turned his sharp edge to the west, crusaded against the right-wing Tumut, Ordos, and Karaqin tribes of Mongolia, and strengthened his strength by annexing the population and obtaining the Ming Dynasty city reward. In the first year of Tiancong, Lin Dan Khan went westward, and there was a second split within Chahar, and the leaders of the Ao Han tribe, Sonomu Duliang and Saichen Zhuo Liktu, "all belonged to Chahar at the beginning, and Lin Dan Khan did not do it, and in the first year of Tiancong, he returned with the minister of Naiman Gunchuk."
Biography of the Hui Princes of Mongolia
In November of the same year, the Chahar Ministry of Belle Angkun Duling and others returned and complained to Huang Taiji that Lin Dan Khan had "betrayed his brother and corrupted the Taoist system". It can be seen that Lin Dan Khan has rebelled and left, and the time is ripe for Houjin to attack the Chahar Department on a large scale.
At the beginning of the second year of Tiancong (1628), Lin Dan Khan led his troops westward and encountered strong resistance from the right-wing Mongolia. The right-wing tribes were forced to unite for self-defense, according to the letter from Tabu Nang of the Karaqin Department to Huang Taijizhong, claiming to have killed 40,000 Chahar soldiers in Zhaocheng (Guihua City, now Hohhot), and killed more than 3,000 Chahar Khan who went to Ming to seek rewards (I personally think that the two figures are too exaggerated), pointing out that "Chahar is fundamentally shaken", and euphemistically hoped that Huang Taiji would send troops to pull him, "if you don't send troops, you will be convenient".
Chinese Translation of the Compilation of Mongolia Archives of the Qing Inner Secretariat
In February of the second year of Tiancong, the Alakhtite and Dorot tribes of Chahar intercepted and killed the envoys sent by Houjin to Karaqin. When Huang Taiji learned of this letter, he was furious, and he summoned Zhubeile, personally led the army, and led the elite army to attack the Dorot Department. Through reconnaissance, it was learned that the Dorot Division was in the area of Aomulun, and the Eight Banners Army galloped forward to raid, and the Dorot Department was caught off guard, defeated and lost, and was captured "11,200 people".
Fierce battle in Aomulin
In May of the same year, Guttabunang, who had escaped from Chahar, came to the old garrison of the Alak Tribe, Aomulin, to intercept and kill the Mongolia who had returned to Houjin, so Houjin sent Zilharang and Haoge to lead 600 troops to crusade, kill Guttabunang, "collect all its people", and capture more than 10,000 livestock. The battle was also recorded in the "National Legend", the so-called "defeat of the Han Dynasty, killing and wounding more than 10,000 people".
"Manchu Old Files"
In August of the second year of Tiancong, the right-wing coalition army was defeated by Lin Dan Khan in the Battle of Abuha, and suffered heavy losses. In the same month, right-wing Mongolia sent a large delegation of 534 people to Houjin before and after the war to ask for help, again begging Emperor Taiji to send troops to pull his brothers, "For the sake of the reputation of the Khan, please send troops to the battle." The conspiracy of this wicked man is to unite with the Ming Dynasty in order to strengthen the strength of both sides. Please Khan decree". and called Huang Taiji "World Monarch Chechen Khan", it seems that he is really anxious, otherwise he would not have written so numbly.
Chinese Translation of the Compilation of Mongolia Archives of the Qing Inner Secretariat
- A conquest of Chahar
In September of the second year of Tiancong, at the strong request of the right-wing Mongolia (pretending to be still the emperor Taiji can pretend), the emperor Taiji made up his mind to crusade against Lin Dan Khan, and he ordered "the northwest to subordinate the foreign vassals of the Korqin State of Mongolia, the Karaqin tribe Tabunang, etc., and the Ao Han, Naiman and Khalkha tribes Zhubele, and order each of the troops to meet in the agreed place."
On the sixth day of the first month of September, the Emperor Taiji commanded the Eight Banners to march westward. On the 18th, the Ao Han Division, the Zarut Division, the Karaqin Division, and the Naiman Division successively led troops to the meeting, but the Mongolia troops of the Horqin Division were nowhere to be found. According to the pen-style Xifu report, although Tushetu Khan Oba and Manzhu Xili have already led their troops to set off. But "invade" Chahar on its own, plunder, and then let the army join the army.
Huang Taiji was greatly annoyed, and asked Xifu to urge the Horqin soldiers to come. Don't wait for the Horqin soldiers to come. On the 19th, they marched overnight. On the morning of the 20th, Huang Taiji ordered the army to raid, "galloping on the four roads of Xierha, Xibotu, Ying, and Tangtu, and all conquered them", and caught Lin Dan Khan off guard. On the 21st, they chased all the way to Xing'anling. In October, he returned to Shenyang.
After returning to Shenyang, Horqin Taiji Manzhu Xili and Batun led the crowd to come to meet the teacher, and was rewarded by the Emperor Taiji, and was given the names "Darhan Baturu" and "Darhan Zhuo Liketu". Tushetu Khan Oba was severely reprimanded by Huang Taiji, frightened, and wanted to run to Shenyang to apologize, and finally his crime was pardoned by Huang Taiji and reconciled. All in all, this expedition in the second year of Tiancong "did not count people and animals", and Huang Taiji further established the vassal relationship between Later Jin and Mongolia.
"Records of Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty" records the first expedition to Lin Dan Khan
The first expedition recorded in the Old Manchu Files
- II. Expedition to Chahar
In the sixth year of Tiancong (1632), Huang Taiji decided to conquer Chahar again, and this expedition, Huang Taiji planned to completely solve the Chahar problem. On the first day of the fourth month, Huang Taiji ordered Belle Abatai, Du Du and others to stay in Shenyang and personally lead the army westward. When the army reached the Liao River, when the water was rising, Huang Taiji and Zhu Beile and the baggage passed by boat, and the rest of the men and horses waded through the water, "where two days and nights begin". On the 12th, the imperial Taiji army arrived at Zhaowuda, Korqin, Tumut, Zarut, and Ao Han led troops to the meeting, this time the Manchu and Mongolian troops were huge, about 100,000 people, especially Tushetu Khan Oba, learned the lesson of the last time, and was rewarded by the emperor Taiji, "Tushetu led a large number of soldiers, and did not hesitate to save horses", the leaders of the Mongolia tribes listened to the imperial Taiji's decree, "all bowed and were ordered", and the emperor Taiji was already the highest authority in southern Mongolia.
On 22 April, the Manchu and Mongolian forces crossed the Xing'an Mountains and camped at the Zhigong Guli River, which was already 1,200 miles away from Shenyang. On the 23rd, a man who escaped from the Chahar army and joined the Houjin camp brought news that two Mongolia from the Manchu-Mongolian alliance had fled to Chahar with six horses, revealing to Lin Dan Khan the actions of the Houjin army. Lin Dan Khan was very frightened, and hurriedly led "people who can be brought by more than two oxen" to escape, "abandon the native and run west, send people to Guihua City, and drive the rich people and livestock across the Yellow River." The people of Chahar fled in a hurry, and all the baggage was entrusted to them."
"Manchu Old Files"
"Records of Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty" records that Lin Dan Khan fled
Faced with the new situation, Huang Taiji was obviously very unwilling, so he had to suspend the pursuit of Lin Dan Khan first, and rest in the city of casualties. Two days later, the Houjin army sent a sentry to capture 4 Chahar soldiers, and learned that Lin Dan Khan's troops were in the area of the Karamang Naizuo Boundary, and Huang Taiji once again decided to arrest Lin Dan Khan in depth, but because Lin Dan Khan turned too fast, he still failed. It is worth mentioning that on the ninth day of the first month of May, when the Qing army arrived in Buruntu, the Qing general Rausa led 7 people to encounter nearly 100 Chahar soldiers when he was going forward to reconnoitre, and he actually defeated the Chahar soldiers, which shows that the Chahar soldiers are far inferior to the Eight Banners Army in terms of combat effectiveness and organization. Yuan Chonghuan said: "The tiger can bring hundreds of thousands, strong and weak, slaves are not tiger enemies; However, the slave is a hundred battles, the tiger is undisciplined, chaotic and neat, and the tiger is not a slave enemy. The comparison between Chahar and Houjin can be described as hitting the nail on the head.
"Manchu Old Files"
"Yuan Chonghuan Collection"
According to the news brought back by Rausa's reconnaissance, "there is no trace of it, Chahar has fled", and the emperor Taiji had to abandon the plan to attack Chahar, and summoned Zhubeile and the minister to discuss the next plan of action, and after discussion, decided to drive the army to the Ming border, obtain the Mongolia troops left by Lin Dan Khan, and wait for the opportunity to attack the Ming Dynasty.
By May, after more than a month of trekking, the Houjin army had moved far away from the rear, and there was a shortage of food. On 19 May, Huang Taiji ordered the whole army to hunt, and "the army ran out of food and could hunt," thus alleviating the problem of military rations.
Later, the Jin army hunted to solve the problem of food shortage
On May 23, the Houjin army arrived at Mulu Harakqin. Huang Taiji ordered the soldiers to be divided into two wings, with Azig as the commander on the left wing, commanding 10,000 Mongolia soldiers from Korqin, Tumut, Karaqin and other foreign clans, and plundering the Chahar tribesmen in Xuanfu and Datong; The right wing ordered Zilharang, Deg, Dolgon, Yueto, Sakhalian and other Beylers to lead 20,000 troops to plunder the Chahar tribesmen in the area of the Naturalized City; Huang Taiji, together with Dai Shan and Mang Gurtai, led the army to Guihua City. On the 27th, Huang Taiji entered the Naturalization City.
The armies of the two wings of the Later Jin Dynasty "went west to the Munahan Mountain of the Yellow River and to the Xuanfu in the east, and those who fled from the residents of the south of the naturalized city and the border of the Ming Kingdom were captured and those who returned to them were compiled as household registrations." The Mongolia people along the Yellow River had already fled west with Lin Dan Khan, but because they did not see the Houjin army for a while, they returned to their homeland, but unexpectedly, the Houjin army was killed and thousands were captured. What is worth criticizing is that in order to make up for the long-distance expedition this time, Huang Taiji did not achieve the regret of finding abuse, and no longer emphasized military discipline as before, and ordered "There are many prisoners, and if you can carry them, you can carry them." If you can't carry it all, you can do it at your discretion. ……。 When the master is rotated, he can burn the grain in his house." The intent of conniving at burning is obvious.
"Records of Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty"
In June, the Horqin tribe reported to the Emperor Taiji that the Chahar tribes near the border had fled into Shahe Fort, and the Emperor Taiji believed in the Ming Dynasty officials and asked them to hand over the Chahar tribesmen. The officials of the Ming Dynasty were frightened, so they had to hand over 320 people and 1,440 livestock from the Chahar tribe, and handed over 6,490 pieces of cloth and silk that were originally given to the Chahar department to the Houjin army. The Houjin army burned and plundered in the area of Guihua City, capturing "more than 100,000 people and livestock", causing great damage to the local area. On June 8, Huang Taiji led his army out of Guihua City and negotiated peace with Ming border officials in the form of military intimidation. On July 24, he returned to Shenyang.
Ming border officials handed over the Chahar tribesmen
This long-distance expedition, which lasted for three months, did not capture Lin Dan Khan, but the Chahar tribe discarded almost all the baggage, forced to migrate, fell into a desperate situation, and Lin Dan Khan's influence in the steppe disappeared.
- Three expeditions to Chahar
In the face of the Later Jin's westward expedition, Lin Dan Khan had no resistance and led the tribe to run west day and night, fleeing in the direction of Tibet. In the process of escaping, the former Monan overlord Chahar Department was scattered, and the "ten to seven eight" who stayed and fled, Lin Dan Khan's subordinates had little left, and after the grain and grass were exhausted, there was a tragedy of "killing people for food". In the eighth year of Tiancong, Lin Dan Khan died of illness in Dacaotan, Qinghai.
After the second expedition, the Chahar Department disintegrated
On February 26, 1635, Huang Taiji ordered Dolgon, Yue Tuo and others to lead 10,000 troops to find the traces of Ezhe, the son of Lin Dan Khan.
"Tiancong Nine Years File"
The army marched to the western Rajurg area, and the widow of Lin Dan Khan, the Empress Dowager Nang, led 1,500 households to surrender to Houjin, and informed the location of the Ezhebu station. On the one hand, Dolgon sent people to escort the Empress Dowager and her entourage to Shenyang, and on the other hand, he crossed the Yellow River to appease the remnants of Chahar in the Hetao area. On April 28, Dolgon's army arrived in Ordostotuli and sent people to persuade Ezhe to surrender, and Ezhe, who was stationed here, and his mother, the Empress Dowager Sutai, heard the news of the arrival of the Houjin army and led their troops to surrender, so far, all the Chahar troops were ambushed by the Qing Dynasty. The Qing army also unexpectedly obtained the jade seal of the country, which greatly encouraged the Houjin regime, Huang Taiji called the emperor, changed the Yuan Chongde, and the founding number of the country was "Qing" is closely related to this matter. Subsequently, Dolgon continued to lead his troops to attack the Shanxi region of the Ming Dynasty. He returned to Shenyang in September.
Three expeditions to Chahar and capture Ezhe
Emperor Taiji of the Qing Dynasty after three use of troops, completely subdued the Monan Mongolia headed by Chahar, not only enhanced their own strength, but also obtained a more favorable position from the strategic situation of the Ming Dynasty, so far, the Qing army can repeatedly go around to the Mongolia, attack the Central Plains, the pressure on the northern border of the Ming Dynasty increased sharply, and the national strength of the Ming Dynasty was greatly consumed.
Citations: "Records of Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty", "Manchu Old Files", "Tiancong Nine Years Files", "Chinese Translation of the Compilation of Mongolia Archives of the Qing Inner Secretariat", "Yuan Chonghuan Collection", "Records of Hearing and Seeing in the Mountains", "Chronicle of Ming History", "Guoyu", "Biography of the Princes of the Hui Department of Mongolia"