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 Chinese Republic. The Nationalist government 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 warlord in Guangxi province and 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 Hu ...

as an envoy to a Mongolian autonomy conference held at Bat-khaalag (

Bailingmiao Bailingmiao (also known as Pailingmiao, Bat Khaalga, or Bathahalak) is a small settlement of 705 people in Inner Mongolia, China. It is located in the Darhan Muminggan United Banner, about northeast of Baotou. From 1934 to 1936 it served as the s ...

/Pailingmiao) in the aftermath of the Japanese annexation of Rehe Province. 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 Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...

, knowing his government's limited power in

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...

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 ( mn, , Demchigdonrob, Дэмчигдонров, translit=Demchigdonrov, , Chinese: 德穆楚克棟魯普, 8 February 1902– 23 May 1966), also known as Prince De ( zh, 德王), courtesy name Xixian ( zh, 希賢), was a Qing ...

served as secretary-general, while

Yondonwangchug Yondonwangchug (1870 – March 24, 1938) was an Inner Mongolian nobleman of Ulanqab League and politician under the Qing Dynasty, Republic of China and Mengjiang governments. Names His name Yondonwangchug, also spelled Yondonvanchig or Yunden Wan ...

held the chairmanship.

Membership

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

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

Xilin Gol League Xilingol, Xilin Gol, Shiliin Gol or Xilinguole Aimag/League (; mn, , , , ) is one of 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 Mongolia to th ...

), 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 Altanochir (1887 – ?), also known under the Chinese name of Jin Yongchang, was an Inner Mongolian politician under the Republic of China and the Mengjiang government. Career When Altanochir was in his youth, he was one of a small number ...

(deputy head of Yeke-juu League) * Babadorj (巴宝多尔济, jasagh of

Urat Middle Banner Urad Middle Banner ( Mongolian: Урад-ун Думдаду Қосиу ''Urad-un Dumdadu Qosiɣu''; ) is a banner of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. It is located in the west of the region, and administrativel ...

) *

Jodbajab Jodbajab; (1873 or 1877 – 1945), also known under the courtesy name of Shih Hai () was an Inner Mongolian military officer and government official during the late Qing dynasty and Mengjiang governments. He was an ethnic Mongol belonging to ...

(nobleman of Chahar) * Gongchok Lashe (贡楚克拉什, nobleman of Chahar) *

Darijaya Darijaya (1904–1968) was an Inner Mongolian nobleman of Alxa League and a politician under the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and People's Republic of China governments. Names Darijaya's Mongolian name was transcribed into C ...

( jasagh of Alxa Banner,

Alxa League Alxa League or Ālāshàn League (; mn, , 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, Bayan Nur to the northeast, Wuhai ...

) * Toktaghu (托克托胡, nobleman of

East Ujimqin Banner East Ujimqin Banner ( Mongolian: ''Jegün Ujumučin qosiɣu''; ) is a banner in the northeast of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Xilin Gol League. Geography and climate East ...

) * Pandegunchab (潘迪恭扎布, jasagh of Dörbed, Ulanqab 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 Hortin Right Banner, Zhelimu League (now Horqin District, Tongliao), Inner Mongolia. His Mongolian name was Ünenbayan.. His name is usually transcribed into Chines ...

(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 () is a ''de jure'' province of the Republic of China according to the ROC law, as the ROC government formally claims to be the legitimate government of China, with its capital located Guisui (now Hohhot). The abbreviation was (pinyin: ...

under Fu Zuoyi attempted to levy tariffs on goods imported from

Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...

. 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) ''Vigna mungo'', also known as black gram, urad bean, urid be ...

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

, 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 southwe ...

, 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 of Inner Mongolia in the north of the People's Republic of China, serving as the region's administrative, economic and cultural center.''The Ne ...

), was under the control of Fu Zuoyi, and was also advised by Yan Xishan. Demchugdongrub and Yondonwangchug withdrew to Dehua and established the

Mongol Military Government Mengjiang, also known as Mengkiang or the Mongol Border Land, and governed as the Mengjiang United Autonomous Government, was an autonomous area in Inner Mongolia, formed in 1939 as a puppet state of the Empire of Japan, then from 1940 being ...

, 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 History of Inner Mongolia 1934 establishments in China 1936 disestablishments in China