A banner (; ) is an

administrative division Administrative divisions (also administrative units, administrative regions, subnational entities, or constituent states, as well as many similar generic terms) are geographical areas into which a particular independent sovereign state is divi ...

of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China, equivalent to a county-level administrative division. Banners were first used during the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

, which organized the Mongols into banners, except those who belonged to the

Eight Banners The Eight Banners (in Manchu language, Manchu: ''jakūn gūsa'', , ) were administrative and military divisions under the Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasties of China into which all Manchu people, Manchu househol ...

. Each banner had sums as nominal subdivisions. In Inner Mongolia, several banners made up a league. In the rest, including

Outer Mongolia Outer Mongolia was the name of a territory in the Manchu-led Qing dynasty of China from 1691 to 1911. It corresponds to the modern-day independent state of Mongolia and the Russian republic of Tuva. The historical region gained ''de facto'' ...

, northern

Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...

, and

Qinghai Qinghai is an inland Provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. It is the largest provinces of China, province of China (excluding autonomous regions) by area and has the third smallest population. Its capital and largest city is Xin ...

, Aimag (Аймаг) was the largest administrative division. While it restricted the Mongols from crossing banner borders, the dynasty protected Mongolia from population pressure from

China proper China proper, also called Inner China, are terms used primarily in the West in reference to the traditional "core" regions of China centered in the southeast. The term was first used by Westerners during the Manchu people, Manchu-led Qing dyn ...

. After the Mongolian People's Revolution, the banners of Outer Mongolia were abolished in 1923. There were 49 banners and 24 tribes in Inner Mongolia during the Republic of China. Today, banners are a county-level division in the Chinese administrative hierarchy. There are 52 in total, including 3 autonomous banners.

Banners

The following list of 49 individual banners is sorted alphabetically according to each specific title (i.e., ignoring adjectives such as New, Old, Left, Right, etc.) *

Abag Banner Abag Banner ( Mongolian: ; zh, c=阿巴嘎旗) is a county of Inner Mongolia, China. It is under the administration of Xilingol League. Abaga and Abaganar Mongols live here. The local dialect has variously been classified as Chakhar or Khalk ...

; League: Xilingol *

Alxa Right Banner Alxa Right Banner ( Mongolian: ; zh, c=阿拉善右旗) is a banner in the southwest of Inner Mongolia, China, bordering Gansu province to the south and southwest. It is under the administration of Alxa League. The banner is served by the Alx ...

; League: Alxa *

Alxa Left Banner Alxa Left Banner ( Mongolian: ; zh, c=阿拉善左旗) is a banner (administrative division) in the southwest of Inner Mongolia, China. It borders Mongolia's Ömnögovi Province to the north, the autonomous region of Ningxia to the southeast, an ...

; League: Alxa *

Aohan Banner Aohan Banner ( Mongolian: ; zh, s=敖汉旗) is a banner of southeastern Inner Mongolia, China, bordering Liaoning province to the south. It is under the administration of Chifeng City, to the west. Administrative divisions Aohan Banner is mad ...

Ar Horqin Banner Ar Horqin Banner ( Mongolian: ; zh, s=阿鲁科尔沁旗) is a banner of eastern Inner Mongolia, China. It is under the administration of Chifeng City, about to the south-southwest. The banner lies on China National Highway 303, running from ...

Arun Banner Arun Banner ( Mongolian: ; zh, s=阿荣旗) is a banner of northeastern Inner Mongolia, China, bordering Heilongjiang province to the south and east. It is under the administration of Hulunbuir City, and is north-northwest of the city of Qiqi ...

Bairin Left Banner Baarin Left Banner ( Mongolian: ; zh, c=巴林左旗), or Bairin, is a banner of eastern Inner Mongolia, China, under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Chifeng. The banner spans an area of 6,644 square kilometers, and as of 2018, ...

* Bairin Right Banner * Old Barag Banner * New Barag Left Banner * New Barag Right Banner * Chahar Right Middle Banner * Chahar Right Front Banner * Chahar Right Rear Banner * Dalad Banner * Darhan Muminggan United Banner * Ejin Banner; League: Alxa * Ejin Horo Banner *

Hanggin Banner Hanggin Banner or Hangjin Banner is a Banner (Inner Mongolia), banner in southwest Inner Mongolia, China. Occupying the northwest corner of the Ordos Loop, it is under the administration of Ordos Prefecture and is bordered by Dalad Banner to the ...

* Hanggin Rear Banner * Harqin Banner * Hexigten Banner * Horqin Left Rear Banner * Horqin Left Middle Banner * Horqin Right Front Banner; League: Hinggan * Horqin Right Middle Banner; League: Hinggan * Hure Banner * Jalaid Banner; League: Hinggan * Jarud Banner *

Jungar Banner Jungar Banner ( Mongolian: ; zh, s=准格尔旗) is a banner of western Inner Mongolia, China, lying on the western (right) bank of the Yellow River and bordering the provinces of Shanxi to the southeast and Shaanxi to the southwest. It is under ...

* Muminggan Banner -> Darhan Muminggan United Banner * Naiman Banner * Ongniud Banner * Otog Banner * Otog Front Banner * Siziwang Banner * Sonid Left Banner; League: Xilingol * Sonid Right Banner; League: Xilingol * Taibus Banner; League: Xilingol * Tumed Left Banner * Tumed Right Banner * East Ujimqin Banner; League: Xilingol * West Ujimqin Banner; League: Xilingol *

Urad Rear Banner Urad Rear Banner (; zh, s=乌拉特后旗) is a banner of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. It is located in the west of the region, northwest of the city of Bayan Nur, which administers this banner, and borders the Republic of Mongo ...

Urad Middle Banner Urad Middle Banner ( Mongolian: ; zh, s=乌拉特中旗) is a banner of Inner Mongolia, China. It is located in the west of the region, and administratively is part of Bayan Nur City. It has a total area of and in 2020 had a population of 112,1 ...

Urad Front Banner Urad Front Banner (; zh, s=乌拉特前旗) is a Banner (Inner Mongolia), banner of Inner Mongolia, China. It is located in the west of the region, situated on the northern (left) bank of the Yellow River, on the Ordos Loop, and in between the ci ...

* Uxin Banner * Xianghuang Banner; League: Xilingol * Zhenglan Banner; League: Xilingol * Zhengxiangbai Banner; League: Xilingol

Autonomous banners

autonomous In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Autonomy can also be defi ...

banner () is a special type of banner set up by the government of China. There are three autonomous banners, all of which are found in northeastern Inner Mongolia, each with a designated ethnic majority other than Han or

Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...

that is a national

ethnic minority The term "minority group" has different meanings, depending on the context. According to common usage, it can be defined simply as a group in society with the least number of individuals, or less than half of a population. Usually a minority g ...

: * Oroqen Autonomous Banner (鄂伦春自治旗) for the Oroqen * Evenki Autonomous Banner (鄂温克族自治旗) for the

Evenks The Evenki, also known as the Evenks and formerly as the Tungus, are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic people of North Asia. In Russia, the Evenki are recognised as one of the Indigenous peoples of the Russian North, indigenous peoples of the Russi ...

* Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner (莫力达瓦达斡尔族自治旗) for the Daur

Banner-converted cities/counties

* Dorbod Mongol Autonomous County (Dorbod Banner) * Ergun (Ergun Right Banner) * Genhe (Ergun Left Banner) * Harqin Left Wing Mongol Autonomous County (Harqin Left Banner) * Front Gorlos Mongol Autonomous County (Front Gorlos Banner) * Xilinhot (Abahanar Banner) * Yakeshi (Xuguit Banner) * Zhalantun (Butha Banner) * Zhaoyuan County (Rear Gorlos Banner)

References

{{Reflist Autonomous administrative divisions of China Geography of Inner Mongolia County-level divisions of the People's Republic of China Articles containing Mongolian script text

Banners

Autonomous banners

Banner-converted cities/counties

See also

References