The Mongol Local Autonomy Political Affairs Committee (蒙古地方自治政務委員會), also referred to as the Pailingmiao Council or Peilingmiao Council, was a political body of ethnic Mongols in the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

between 1934 and 1936. The

Nationalist government The Nationalist government, officially the National Government of the Republic of China, refers to the government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China from 1 July 1925 to 20 May 1948, led by the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT ...

authorised its establishment in March 1934.

Background

The Committee grew out of a visit by

Huang Shaoxiong Huang Shaohong (1895 – August 31, 1966) was a Chinese warlord who governed Guangxi as part of the New Guangxi Clique through the latter part of the Warlord era, and a leader in later years of the Republic of China. Biography Huang was born i ...

as an envoy to a Mongolian autonomy conference held at Bat-khaalag ( Bailingmiao/Pailingmiao) in the aftermath of the Japanese annexation of

Rehe Province Rehe, previously romanized as Jehol, was a former Chinese special administrative region and province centered on the city of Rehe, now known as Chengde. Administration Rehe was north of the Great Wall and east of Mongolia in southwestern M ...

. Fearful that the Mongols would side with the Japanese and cause China to lose further territory, Huang promised them that they could establish such an autonomous political committee and open up a direct line of communication with Nanjing. Chiang Kai-shek, knowing his government's limited power in

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of China. Its border includes two-thirds of the length of China's China–Mongolia border, border with the country of Mongolia. ...

left his options severely constrained, wrote in his private diary that he would have to grant the Mongols "whatever they desire short of complete political independence".

Demchugdongrub Demchugdongrub (8 February 1902 – 23 May 1966), also known as Prince De ( zh, 德王), courtesy name Xixian ( zh, 希賢), was a Qing dynasty Chinese Mongol prince descended from the Borjigin imperial clan who lived during the 20th century and ...

served as secretary-general, while Yondonwangchug held the chairmanship.

Membership

Members of the committee included various league and banner nobility: * Yondonwangchug (head of

Ulanqab Ulanqab or Ulan Chab ( zh, s=乌兰察布, p=Wūlánchábù; ''Ulaɣančab qota-means in Mongolian Ulaan-red, Tsab/tsav is-hills''; Mongolian Cyrillic: Улаанцав хот) is a region administered as a prefecture-level city in south-centr ...

League), chairman of the Committee * Sodnam Labtan (索特那木拉布坦, head of

Xilin Gol League Xilingol League (also transliterated as Xilin Gol or Shiliin Gol; zh, s= ; , , , ) is one of the 3 leagues of Inner Mongolia. The seat is Xilinhot, and the area is . The league's economy is based on mining and agriculture. Xilingol borders ...

), vice chairman of the Committee * Shagdurjab (沙克都尔扎布, head of Yeke-juu League), vice-chairman of the Committee *

(deputy head of

), general secretary of the Committee * Altanochir (deputy head of Yeke-juu League) * Babadorj (巴宝多尔济,

jasagh A jasagh (; ; ) was the head of a Mongol Banner (Inner Mongolia), banner or khoshun during the Qing dynasty and the Bogd Khanate of Mongolia, Bogd Khanate. The position was held by hereditary succession by certain Mongol princes, most of whom wer ...

of Urat Middle Banner) * Jodbajab (nobleman of Chahar) * Gongchok Lashe (贡楚克拉什, nobleman of Chahar) * Darijaya (

of Alxa Banner,

Alxa League Alxa League or Alashan League ( zh, c=阿拉善盟, p=Ālāshàn Méng; , Mongolian Cyrillic: Алшаа аймаг) is one of 12 prefecture level divisions and 3 extant leagues of Inner Mongolia. The league borders Mongolia to the north, B ...

) * Toktaghu (托克托胡, nobleman of

East Ujimqin Banner East Ujimqin Banner ( Mongolian: ; zh, s=东乌珠穆沁旗) is a banner in the northeast of the Inner Mongolia, China. It is under the administration of Xilin Gol League. Demographics East Ujimqin Banner, excluding territories under jurisdict ...

) * Pandegunchab (潘迪恭扎布,

of Dörbed,

League) * Namjilsereng (那木吉勒色楞, deputy head of Jerim League) As well as a number of ethnic Mongol Kuomintang members: *

Ünenbayan Wu Heling (; 1896 – 1980) was a politician in the Republic of China. He was born in Harqin Right Banner, Josutu League (now Harqin Banner, Chifeng), Inner Mongolia. His Mongolian name was Ünenbayal.. His name is usually transcribed into Chi ...

(Jerim League representative in Beijing, Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission member) * Enkhbat (恩克巴图; Kuomintang Central Oversight Committee member) *

Serengdongrub Serengdongrub (17 February 1894 – 2 August 1980), courtesy name Chü Ch'uan () and also known under the Chinese name of Pai Yün-t'i (), was an Inner Mongolian politician in the Republic of China. An ethnic Mongol, he was a native of Harqin ...

(Kuomintang Central Executive Committee member, Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Committee member) * Kesingge (KMT Central Executive Committee reserve member, Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission member) * Nima-odsor (Kuomintang Central Committee member)

Operation

The committee was officially inaugurated in a ceremony at Bailingmiao in April 1934. By late June, offices had been installed at the monastery and blessed by its priests. Their clashes with other regional authorities began immediately; both the Committee and the government of

Suiyuan Province Suiyuan () was a historical province of China. Suiyuan's capital was Guisui (now Hohhot). The abbreviation was (pinyin: ). The area Suiyuan covered is approximated today by the prefecture-level cities of Hohhot, Baotou, Wuhai, Ordos, Bayan ...

under

Fu Zuoyi Fu Zuoyi () (June 2, 1895 − April 19, 1974) was a Chinese military leader. He began his military career in the service of Yan Xishan, and he was widely praised for his defense of Suiyuan from the Japanese. During the final stages of the Chine ...

attempted to levy tariffs on goods imported from

Gansu Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...

. Regional nobility such as Shirabdorji of the

Urad Urad may refer to: * Urad Mongols, a tribe in Inner Mongolia * Urad, a region in Bayannur, Inner Mongolia ** Urad Front Banner ** Urad Middle Banner ** Urad Rear Banner * Urad (bean), a bean used in Indian cuisine * Urad, Poland Urad () is a ...

also did not cooperate with the Committee; in August 1935, Suiyuan forces, seeking to take advantage of their conflict, again confronted Committee troops near Shirabdorji's residence, and forced them to cede further authority to him. The Nationalist government took little action in the conflict. Yondonwangchug, angered by this, threatened to dissolve the Committee in response. The Japanese military watched the conflict closely, and even had its air force make several illegal overflights of Suiyuan in late September.

Collapse

In early 1936, the Japanese had Nima-odsor assassinated, sparking fear among the other Committee members, in particular his close associate Jodbajab, which led him to collaborate with the Japanese. In March 1936, Yondonwangchug resigned from the Committee, after having been effectively retired since mid-1935. Shagdurjab was elevated to the chairmanship in his place, while Demchugdongrub was offered the vice-chairmanship. The council also opened a branch office at

Kalgan Zhangjiakou (), also known as Kalgan and by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province in Northern China, bordering Beijing to the southeast, Inner Mongolia to the north and west, and Shanxi to the southwest ...

, headed by Puyintala. The central government later ordered the Committee to move to Chahar; however, the council itself opposed the order at a meeting the following week, apparently because they were reluctant to surrender authority to the new Suiyuan Mongol Council. That council, at Guisui (

Hohhot Hohhot,; abbreviated zh, c=呼市, p=Hūshì, labels=no formerly known as Kweisui, is the Capital (political), capital of Inner Mongolia in the North China, north of the China, People's Republic of China, serving as the region's administrativ ...

), was under the control of

, and was also advised by

Yan Xishan Yan Xishan (; 8 October 1883 – 22 July 1960; also romanized as Yen Hsi-shan) was a Chinese warlord who served in the government of the Republic of China from June 1949 to March 1950 as its last premier in mainland China and first premi ...

. Demchugdongrub and Yondonwangchug withdrew to

Dehua () is a county located in central Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Quanzhou City and covers an area of with a total population of 332,148 ( 2020 census). History Dehua is rich in kaolin and famous ...

and established the Mongol Military Government, leaving the Committee defunct.

References

Bibliography

* * * * *{{citation, author=张永昌 — Zhang Yongchang, author2=张翔鹰 — Zhang Xiangying, year=2006, title=''末代王爷传奇'' — Biographies of royals at the end of an era, publisher=作家出版社 — Writers' Publishing House, isbn=978-7-5063-3730-4, ref=CITEREFZhangZhang2006 1930s in Inner Mongolia 1934 establishments in China 1936 disestablishments in China