Its area makes it thethird largest Chinese administrative subdivision, constituting approximately 1,200,000 km2 (463,000 sq mi) and 12% of China's total land area. Due to its long span from east to west, Inner Mongolia is geographically divided into eastern and western divisions. The eastern division is often included inNortheastern China (Dongbei), with major cities includingTongliao,Chifeng,Hailar, andUlanhot. The western division is included inNorth China, with major cities including Baotou and Hohhot. It recorded a population of 24,706,321 in the2010 census, accounting for 1.84% ofMainland China's total population. Inner Mongolia is the country's23rd most populousprovince-level division.[7]Han Chinese make up the majority of the population in the region;Mongols constitute a significant minority with over 4 million people,[8] making it the largest Mongol population in the world (larger than that of the countryMongolia).[9] Inner Mongolia is one of the more economically developed provinces in China with annual GDP per capita at US$14,343 (2022), ranked 8th in the nation. The official languages areMandarin andMongolian, the latter of which is written in thetraditional Mongolian script, as opposed to theMongolian Cyrillic alphabet, which is used in the country ofMongolia, formerly described asOuter Mongolia.
In Chinese, the region is known as "Inner Mongolia", where the terms of "Inner and "Outer" are derived fromManchudorgi andtulergi (cf.Mongoliandotugadu andgadagadu). Inner Mongolia is distinct fromOuter Mongolia, which was a term used by theRepublic of China and previous governments to refer to what is now the independentstate ofMongolia and theRepublic of Tuva inRussia. The term Inner内 (Nei) referred to the Nei Fan内藩 (Inner Tributary), i.e., those descendants of Genghis Khan who were granted the title khan (king) in the Ming and Qing dynasties and lived in part of southern Mongolia.
Due to the perceivedSinocentric nature of the name "Inner Mongolia", some Mongols outside of China, particularly those in the state of Mongolia, prefer the name "Southern Mongolia". However, this name has not been adopted officially by any government bodies.[10]
Much of what is known about the history of theMongolian Plateau is taken from Chinese chronicles and historians. Before the rise of the Mongols in the 13th century, what is now central and western Inner Mongolia, especially theHetao region, alternated in control betweenChinese farming communities in the south, andXiongnu,Xianbei,Khitan,Jurchen,Tujue, and nomadicMongol of the north. The historical narrative of what is now Eastern Inner Mongolia mostly consists of alternations between differentTungusic andMongol tribes, rather than the struggle between nomads and Chinese farmers.
Slab Grave cultural monuments are found in Northern, Central and EasternMongolia, Inner Mongolia, North-Western China, Southern, Central-Eastern and SouthernBaikal territory. Mongolian scholars prove that this culture related to theProto-Mongols.[11]
During theZhou dynasty, Central and Western Inner Mongolia (theHetao region and surrounding areas) were inhabited by nomadic peoples such as theLoufan, Linhu andDí, while Eastern Inner Mongolia was inhabited by theDonghu. During theWarring States period,King Wuling (340–295 BC) of thestate of Zhao based in what is nowHebei andShanxi Provinces pursued an expansionist policy towards the region. After destroying theDístate of Zhongshan in what is now Hebei province, he defeated the Linhu andLoufan and created theYunzhong Commandery near modernHohhot. King Wuling of Zhao also built a long wall stretching through the Hetao region. AfterQin Shi Huang created the first unified Chinese empire in 221 BC, he sent the generalMeng Tian todrive the Xiongnu from the region and incorporated the old Zhao wall into the Qin dynasty Great Wall of China. He also maintained two commanderies in the region:Jiuyuan and Yunzhong and moved 30,000 households there to solidify the region. After the Qin dynasty collapsed in 206 BC, these efforts were abandoned.[12]
During theWestern Han dynasty,Emperor Wu sent the generalWei Qing toreconquer the Hetao region from the Xiongnu in 127 BC. After the conquest, Emperor Wu continued the policy of building settlements in Hetao to defend against the Xiong-Nu. In that same year, he established the commanderies ofShuofang andWuyuan in Hetao. At the same time, what is now Eastern Inner Mongolia was controlled by theXianbei, who would, later on, eclipse the Xiongnu in power and influence.
During theEastern Han dynasty (25–220 AD), Xiongnu who surrendered to the Han dynasty began to be settled in Hetao and intermingled with the Han immigrants in the area. Later on, during theWestern Jin dynasty, it was a Xiongnu noble from Hetao,Liu Yuan, who established theHan Zhao kingdom in the region, thereby beginning theSixteen Kingdoms period that saw the disintegration of northern China under a variety of Han and non-Han (including Xiongnu and Xianbei) regimes.
TheSui dynasty (581–618) andTang dynasty (618–907) re-established a unified Chinese empire and like their predecessors, they conquered and settled people into Hetao, though once again these efforts were aborted when the Tang empire began to collapse. Hetao (along with the rest of what now consists Inner Mongolia) was then taken over by theLiao dynasty founded by theKhitans, a nomadic people originally from what is now the southern part of Manchuria and Eastern Inner Mongolia. They were followed by theWestern Xia of theTanguts, who took control of what is now the western part of Inner Mongolia (including Western Hetao). The Khitans were later replaced by theJurchens, precursors to the modernManchus, who established theJin dynasty over Manchuria and Northern China.
AfterGenghis Khan unified theMongol tribes in 1206 and founded theMongol Empire, theTangutWestern Xia empire was ultimately conquered in 1227, and theJurchenJin dynasty fell in 1234. In 1271,Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan established theYuan dynasty. Kublai Khan's summer capitalShangdu (aka Xanadu) was located near present-dayDolonnor. During that timeOngud andKhunggirad peoples dominated the area of what is now Inner Mongolia. After the Yuan dynasty was overthrown by the Han-ledMing dynasty in 1368, the Ming captured parts of Inner Mongolia including Shangdu andYingchang. The Ming rebuilt theGreat Wall of China at its present location, which roughly follows the southern border of the modern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (though it deviates significantly at the Hebei-Inner Mongolia border). The Ming established the Three Guards composed of the Mongols there. Soon after theTumu incident in 1449, when the Oirat rulerEsen taishi captured the Chinese emperor, Mongols flooded south from Outer Mongolia to Inner Mongolia. Thus from then on until 1635, Inner Mongolia was the political and cultural center of the Mongols during theNorthern Yuan dynasty.[13]
The eastern Mongol tribes near and in Manchuria, particularly theKhorchin and SouthernKhalkha in today's Inner Mongolia intermarried, formed alliances with, and fought against theJurchen tribes untilNurhaci, the founder of the new Jin dynasty, consolidated his control over all groups in the area in 1593.[14] TheManchus gained far-reaching control of the Inner Mongolian tribes in 1635, whenLigden Khan's son surrendered theChakhar Mongol tribes to theManchus. The Manchus subsequently invaded Ming China in 1644, bringing it under the control of their newly establishedQing dynasty. Under the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), theMongolian Plateau wasadministered in a different way for each region:
Mongolia plateau during early 17th centuryInner Mongolia andOuter Mongolia within the Qing dynasty, c. 1820
"Outer Mongolia": This region corresponds to the modern state ofMongolia, plus the Russian-administered region ofTannu Uriankhai, and modern-day aimag ofBayan-Ölgii which historically was a part of northernXinjiang under China's Qing Dynasty. It included the four leagues (aimag) of theKhalkha Mongols north of theGobi Desert, as well as theTannu Uriankhai which largely corresponds to modern-dayTuva Republic of Russia, andKhovd regions in northwestern Mongolia, which were overseen by theGeneral of Uliastai from the city ofUliastai.
"Taoxi Mongolia": TheAlashan Öölüd andEjine Torghuud banners were separate from the aimags of Outer Mongolia and the chuulghans of Inner Mongolia. This territory is equivalent to modern-dayAlxa League, the westernmost part of what is now Inner Mongolia.
The ChaharBanners were controlled by the military commander of Chahar (nowZhangjiakou). Their extent corresponded to southern Ulanqab andBayannur in modern Inner Mongolia, plus the region aroundZhangjiakou inHebei province. At the same time, the jurisdiction of some border departments ofZhili andShanxi provinces also belonged to this region.
TheGuihua Tümed banner was controlled by the military commander of Suiyuan (nowHohhot). This corresponds to the vicinities of the modern city ofHohhot. At the same time, the jurisdiction of some border departments of modernShanxi province also belonged to this region.
TheHulunbuir region in what is now northeastern Inner Mongolia was part of the jurisdiction of the General ofHeilongjiang, one of the three generals ofManchuria.
The Inner MongolianChahar leaderLigdan Khan, a descendant of Genghis Khan, opposed and fought against the Qing until he died of smallpox in 1634. Thereafter, the Inner Mongols under his sonEjei Khan surrendered to the Qing. Ejei Khan was given the title of Prince (親王;qīn wáng), and Inner Mongolian nobility became closely tied to the Qing royal family and intermarried with them extensively. Ejei Khan died in 1661 and was succeeded by his brother Abunai. After Abunai showed disaffection with Manchu Qing rule, he was placed under house arrest in 1669 inShenyang and the Kangxi Emperor gave his title to his son Borni. Abunai then bid his time and then he and his brother Lubuzung revolted against the Qing in 1675 during theRevolt of the Three Feudatories, with 3,000 Chahar Mongol followers joining in on the revolt. The revolt was put down within two months, the Qing then crushed the rebels in a battle on 20 April 1675, killing Abunai and all his followers. Their title was abolished, all Chahar Mongol royal males were executed even if they were born to Manchu Qing princesses, and all Chahar Mongol royal females were sold into slavery except the Manchu Qing princesses. The Chahar Mongols were then put under the direct control of the Qing Emperor, unlike the other Inner Mongol leagues which maintained their autonomy.
Despite officially prohibiting Han Chinese settlement on the Manchu and Mongol lands, by the 18th century the Qing decided to settle Han refugees from northern China who were suffering from famine, floods, and drought into Manchuria and Inner Mongolia. As a result, the Han Chinese farmed 500,000 hectares in Manchuria and tens of thousands of hectares in Inner Mongolia by the 1780s.[15]
Ordinary Mongols were not allowed to travel outside their own leagues. Mongols were forbidden by the Qing from crossing the borders of their banners, even into other Mongol Banners and from crossing into neidi (the Han Chinese 18 provinces) and were given serious punishments if they did in order to keep the Mongols divided against each other to benefit the Qing.[16] Mongol pilgrims wanting to leave their banner's borders for religious reasons such as pilgrimage had to apply for passports to give them permission.[17]
During the eighteenth century, growing numbers ofHan Chinese settlers had illegally begun to move into the Inner Mongolian steppe. By 1791, there had been so many Han Chinese settlers in theFront Gorlos Banner that the jasak had petitioned the Qing government to legalise the status of the peasants who had already settled there.[18]
During the nineteenth century, the Manchus were becoming increasingly sinicised and faced with the Russian threat, they began to encourage Han Chinese farmers to settle in both Mongolia and Manchuria. This policy was followed by subsequent governments. The railroads that were being built in these regions were especially useful to the Han Chinese settlers. Land was either sold by Mongol Princes, or leased to Han Chinese farmers, or simply taken away from the nomads and given to Han Chinese farmers.
A group of Han Chinese during the Qing dynasty called "Mongol followers" immigrated to Inner Mongolia who worked as servants for Mongols and Mongol princes and married Mongol women. Their descendants continued to marry Mongol women and changed their ethnicity to Mongol as they assimilated into the Mongol people, an example of this were the ancestors ofLi Shouxin. They distinguished themselves apart from "true Mongols" 真蒙古.[19][20][21]
Republic of China and the Second World War periods
Outer Mongolia gained independence from the Qing dynasty in 1911, when the Jebtsundamba Khutugtu of the Khalkha was declared theBogd Khan of Mongolia. Although almost all banners of Inner Mongolia recognised the Bogd Khan as the supreme ruler of Mongols, the internal strife within the region prevented a full reunification. The Mongol rebellions in Inner Mongolia were counterbalanced by princes who hoped to see a restored Qing dynasty in Manchuria and Mongolia, as they considered the theocratic rule of the Bogd Khan would be against their modernising objectives for Mongolia.[22] Eventually, the newly formedRepublic of China promised a new nation of five races (Han,Manchu,Mongol,Tibetan andUyghur).[23] and suppressed the Mongol rebellions in the area.[24][25]
The Republic of China reorganised Inner Mongolia into provinces:
Rehe province was created to include the Juuuda and Josutu leagues, plus theChengde area in what is now northernHebei.
Chahar province was created to include Xilingol league as well as much of the former territory of the Eight Banners.
Suiyuan province was created to include Ulanqab league, Yekejuu league, and the Hetao region (former Guihua Tümed territory).
Hulunbuir stayed withinHeilongjiang in Manchuria, which had become a province.
Most of Jirim league came under the new province ofFengtian in southern Manchuria.
Taoxi Mongolia, i.e., Alashan and Ejine leagues, was incorporated into neighbouringGansu province. Later onNingxia province was split out of northern Gansu, and Taoxi Mongolia became part of Ningxia.
The history of Inner Mongolia during the Second World War is complicated, with Japanese invasion and different kinds of resistance movements. In 1931, Manchuria came under the control of the Japanese puppet stateManchukuo, taking some Mongol areas in the Manchurian provinces (i.e., Hulunbuir and Jirim leagues) along. Rehe was also incorporated into Manchukuo in 1933, taking Juu Uda and Josutu leagues along with it. These areas were occupied by Manchukuo until the end ofWorld War II in 1945.
In 1937, theEmpire of Japan openly and fully invaded theRepublic of China. On 8 December 1937, Mongolian PrinceDemchugdongrub (also known as "De Wang") declared independence for the remaining parts of Inner Mongolia (i.e., the Suiyuan and Chahar provinces) asMengjiang, and signed agreements with Manchukuo and Japan. Its capital was established atZhangbei (now inHebei province), with the Japanese puppet government's control extending as far west as theHohhot region. The Japanese advance was defeated by Hui Muslim GeneralMa Hongbin at theBattle of West Suiyuan andBattle of Wuyuan. Since 1945, Inner Mongolia has remained part of China.
Delegates of Inner Mongolia People's Congress shouting slogans
Ethnic Mongolian guerrilla units were created by the Kuomintang Nationalists to fight against the Japanese during the war in the late 30s and early 40s. These Mongol militias were created by the Ejine and Alashaa based commissioner's offices created by the Kuomintang.[26][27] Prince Demchugdongrub's Mongols were targeted by Kuomintang Mongols to defect to the Republic of China. The Nationalists recruited 1,700 ethnic minority fighters in Inner Mongolia and created war zones in the Tumet Banner, Ulanchab League, and Ordos Yekejuu League.[26][28]
TheInner Mongolian People's Republic was founded shortly after the Second World War. It existed from 9 September 1945 until 6 November 1945.
The Communist movement gradually gained momentum as part of the Third Communist International in Inner Mongolia during the Japanese period. By the end of WWII, the Inner Mongolian faction of the ComIntern had a functional militia and actively opposed the attempts at independence by De Wang's Chinggisid princes on the grounds of fighting feudalism. Following the end ofWorld War II, theChinese Communists gained control of Manchuria as well as the Inner Mongolian Communists with decisive Soviet support and established the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 1947. The Comintern army was absorbed into the People's Liberation Army. Initially, the autonomous region included just the Hulunbuir region. Over the next decade, as the communists established thePeople's Republic of China and consolidated control over mainland China, Inner Mongolia was expanded westwards to include five of the six original leagues (except Josutu League, which remains inLiaoning province), the northern part of the Chahar region, by then a league as well (southern Chahar remains inHebei province), the Hetao region, and the Alashan and Ejine banners. Eventually, nearly all areas with sizeable Mongol populations were incorporated into the region, giving present-day Inner Mongolia its elongated shape. The leader of Inner Mongolia during that time, as both regional CPC secretary and head of regional government, wasUlanhu.
During theCultural Revolution, the administration of Ulanhu was purged, and a wave of repressions was initiated against the Mongol population of the autonomous region.[29] Among the victims in Inner Mongolia, 75 per cent were Mongols, even though they only constituted 10 per cent of the population.[30] In 1969, much of Inner Mongolia was distributed among surrounding provinces, with Hulunbuir divided betweenHeilongjiang andJilin, Jirim going toJilin, Juu Uda toLiaoning, and the Alashan and Ejine region divided amongGansu andNingxia. This decision was reversed in 1979.
Inner Mongolia was underdeveloped until the early 2000s, when hugemineral deposits includingcoal (such as Dongsheng Coalfield) andrare earth metals were discovered.[31]: 47 GDP growth has continually been over 10%, even 15% and connections with theWolf Economy to the north has helped development. However, growth has come at a cost with huge amounts of pollution and degradation to the grasslands.[32] Attempts to attractethnic Chinese to migrate from other regions, as well as urbanise those rural nomads and peasants has led to huge amounts of corruption and waste in public spending, such asOrdos City.[33][34] Acute unevenwealth distribution has further exacerbated ethnic tensions, many indigenous Mongolians feeling they are increasingly marginalised in their own homeland, leading toriots in 2011 and 2013.[35][36]
On 31 August 2020,large protests broke out in ethnic Mongol communities due to unannounced plans by the Chinese government to phase out Mongolian-medium teaching.[37][38][39]
Inner Mongolian steppesTopography of Inner Mongolia in China
Inner Mongolia is a provincial-level subdivision ofNorth China, but its great stretch means that parts of it belong toNortheast China andNorthwest China as well. It borders eight provincial-level divisions in all three of the aforementioned regions (Heilongjiang,Jilin,Liaoning,Hebei,Shanxi,Shaanxi,Ningxia, andGansu), tying with Shaanxi for the greatest number of bordering provincial-level divisions. Most of its international border is with Mongolia,[c] which, in Chinese, is sometimes called "Outer Mongolia", while a small portion is with Russia'sZabaykalsky Krai.
Inner Mongolia largely consists of the northern side of theNorth China Craton, a tilted and sedimentedPrecambrian block. In the extreme southwest is the edge of the Tibetan Plateau where the autonomous region's highest peak,Main Peak in theHelan Mountains reaches 3,556 metres (11,670 ft), and is still being pushed up today in short bursts.[2] Most of Inner Mongolia is a plateau averaging around 1,200 metres (3,940 ft) in altitude and covered by extensiveloess andsand deposits. The northern part consists of theMesozoic eraKhingan Mountains, and is owing to the cooler climate more forested, chiefly withManchurian elm,ash,birch,Mongolian oak and a number ofpine andspruce species. Wherediscontinuous permafrost is present north ofHailar District, forests are almost exclusively coniferous. In the south, the natural vegetation is grassland in the east and very sparse in the arid west, and grazing is the dominant economic activity.
Owing to the ancient, weathered rocks lying under its deep sedimentary cover, Inner Mongolia is a major mining district, possessing large reserves ofcoal,iron ore andrare-earth minerals, which have made it a major industrial region today.
Due to its elongated shape, Inner Mongolia has a four-seasonmonsoon climate with regional variations. The winters in Inner Mongolia are very long, cold, and dry with frequent blizzards, though snowfall is so light that Inner Mongolia has no modern glaciers[2] even on the highest Helan peaks. The spring is short, mild and arid, with large, dangeroussandstorms, whilst the summer is very warm to hot and relatively humid except in the west where it remains dry. Autumn is brief and sees a steady cooling, with temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) reached in October in the north and November in the south.[citation needed]
Officially, most of Inner Mongolia is classified as either acold arid orsteppe regime (KöppenBWk, BSk, respectively). The small portion besides these are classified ashumid continental (KöppenDwa/Dwb) in the northeast, orsubarctic (KöppenDwc) in the far north nearHulunbuir.[40]
Inner Mongolia is divided into twelveprefecture-level divisions. Until the late 1990s, most of Inner Mongolia's prefectural regions were known asleagues (Chinese:盟), a usage retained from Mongol divisions of theQing dynasty. Similarly, county-level divisions are often known asbanners (Chinese:旗). Since the 1990s, numerous leagues have been converted intoprefecture-level cities, although banners remain. The restructuring led to the conversion of primate cities in most leagues to convert to districts administratively (i.e.:Hailar,Jining andDongsheng). Some newly founded prefecture-level cities have chosen to retain the original name of league (i.e.: Hulunbuir, Bayannur and Ulanqab), some have adopted the Chinese name of theirprimate city (Chifeng,Tongliao), and one league (Yekejuu) simply renamed itselfOrdos. Despite these recent administrative changes, there is no indication that the Alxa, Hinggan, and Xilingol Leagues will convert to prefecture-level cities in the near future.
^New district established after 2010 census:Kangbashi from a part ofDongsheng. The new district is included in the urban area count.
^abNew district established after 2010 census:Jalainur from a part of Manzhouli CLC. The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city.
^Jalainur is a satellite urban area separated from Hulunbuir (Hailar) and it is not included in the urban area count.
Most populous cities in Inner Mongolia
Source:China Urban Construction Statistical Yearbook 2018 Urban Population and Urban Temporary Population[49]
Farming of crops such aswheat takes precedence along the river valleys. In the more arid grasslands, herding ofgoats,sheep and so on is a traditional method of subsistence.Forestry andhunting are somewhat important in theGreater Khingan ranges in the east.Reindeer herding is carried out byEvenks in the Evenk Autonomous Banner. More recently, growinggrapes andwinemaking have become an economic factor in theWuhai area.
Mining-related industries are a major part of Inner Mongolia's economy.[31]: 23 Inner Mongolia has an abundance of resources especially coal,cashmere, natural gas,rare-earth elements, and has more deposits of naturally occurringniobium,zirconium andberyllium than any otherprovince-level region in China. The region is also a source ofcrude oil, with sites such as theXifeng oil field producing tens of thousands of barrels per day.[50] However, in the past, the exploitation and utilisation of resources were rather inefficient, which resulted in poor returns from rich resources. Inner Mongolia is also an important coal production base, with more than a quarter of the world's coal reserves located in the province.[51] It plans to double annual coal output by 2010 (from the 2005 volume of 260 million tons) to 500 million tons of coal a year.[52]
Inner Mongolia Gymnasium
Industry in Inner Mongolia has grown up mainly around coal,power generation, forestry-related industries, and related industries.Inner Mongolia now encourages six competitive industries: energy, chemicals, metallurgy, equipment manufacturing, processing of farm (includingdairy) produce, and high technology. Well-known Inner Mongolian enterprises include companies such asERDOS,Yili, andMengniu. As with much of China, economic growth has led to a boom in construction, including new commercial development and large apartment complexes.
The GDP of Inner Mongolia in 2022 was CN¥2.3 trillion (US$344 billion in nominal),[53] with an average annual increase of 10% from the period 2010–2015. Its per capita GDP was CN¥96,474 (US$14,343 in nominal), ranking 8th among all the 31 provincial divisions of China.[53] The primary, secondary and tertiary industries contributed ¥265 billion ($39.45 billion), ¥1.12 trillion ($167.1 billion) and ¥926 billion ($137.7 billion) to the GDP respectively.[53]
In addition to its large reserves of natural resources, Inner Mongolia also has the largest usable wind power capacity in China[51] thanks to strong winds which develop in the province's grasslands. Some private companies have set upwind parks in parts of Inner Mongolia such asBailingmiao, Hutengliang and Zhouzi.
East of Jilantai, Inner Mongolia, there is a ballistic missile training area used by thePeople's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) to train missile crews for mobile missile launchers, their support vehicles, and silo-based ballistic missiles.[54]
Hohhot Export Processing Zone was established 21 June 2002 by the State Council, which is located in the west of the Hohhot, with a planning area of 2.2 km2 (0.85 sq mi). Industries encouraged in the export processing zone include Electronics Assembly & Manufacturing, Telecommunications Equipment, Garment and Textiles Production, Trading and Distribution, Biotechnology/Pharmaceuticals, Food/Beverage Processing, Instruments & Industrial Equipment Production, Medical Equipment and Supplies, Shipping/Warehousing/Logistics, Heavy Industry.[56]
Hohhot Economic and Technological Development Zone
Under theConstitution of the People's Republic of China, articles 112–122,autonomous regions have limited autonomy in both the political and economic arena. Autonomous regions have more discretion in administering economic policy in the region in accordance with national guidelines. Structurally, the Chairman—who legally must be an ethnic minority and is usually ethnic Mongolian—is always kept in check by theCommunist Party Regional Committee Secretary, who is usually from a different part of China (to reduce corruption) and Han Chinese. As of May 2023[update], the current party secretary isSun Shaocheng. The Inner Mongolian government and its subsidiaries follow roughly the same structure as that of a Chinese province. With regards to economic policy, as a part of increasedfederalism characteristics in China, Inner Mongolia has become more independent in implementing its own economic roadmap.
The position of Chairman of Inner Mongolia alternates betweenKhorchin Mongols in the east and the Tumed Mongols in the west.[citation needed] Since the end of the Cultural Revolution, this convention has not been broken. The family ofUlanhu has retained influence in regional politics ever since the founding the People's Republic. His sonBuhe and granddaughterBu Xiaolin both served as Chairman of the region.
County-level ethnicity map of Inner Mongolia as of 2020
When the autonomous region was established in 1947, Han Chinese comprised 83.6% of the population, while the Mongols comprised 14.8% of the population.[64] By 2020, the percentage of Han Chinese had dropped to 78.7%. While the Hetao region along the Yellow River has always alternated between farmers from the south and nomads from the north, the most recent wave of Han Chinese migration began in the early 18th century with encouragement from theQing dynasty, and continued into the 20th century. Han Chinese live mostly in the Hetao region as well as various population centres in central and eastern Inner Mongolia. Over 70% of Mongols are concentrated in less than 18% of Inner Mongolia's territory (Hinggan League, and the prefectures ofTongliao andChifeng).
Mongols are the second largest ethnic group, comprising 17.7% of the population as of the 2020 census.[8] They include many diverse Mongolian-speaking groups; groups such as theBuryats and theOirats are also officially considered to be Mongols in China. In addition to the Manchus, otherTungusic ethnic groups, theOroqen, and theEvenks also populate parts of northeastern Inner Mongolia. There is also a significant number ofHui andKoreans.
Many of the traditionally nomadic Mongols have settled in permanent homes as their pastoral economy was collectivised during the Mao era, and some have taken jobs in cities as migrant labourers; however, some Mongols continue in their nomadic tradition. In practice, highly educated Mongols tend to migrate to big urban centers after which they become essentially indistinct with ethnic Han Chinese populations.
Inter-marriage between Mongol and non-Mongol populations is very common, particularly in areas where Mongols are in regular contact with other groups. There was little cultural stigma within Mongol families for marrying outside the ethnic group, and in urban centers in particular, Mongol men and women married non-Mongols at relatively similar rates. The rates of intermarriage stands in very sharp contrast to ethnic Tibetans and Uyghurs in their respective autonomous regions. By the 1980s, for instance, inthe former Jirim League, nearly 40% of marriages with at least one Mongol spouse was a mixed Mongol-Han Chinese marriage.[65] However, anecdotal reports have also demonstrated an increase in Mongol-female, Han Chinese-male pairings in which the woman is of a rural background, ostensibly shutting rural Mongol males from the marriage market as the sex ratio in China becomes more skewed with a much higher proportion of men.[66]
The use of Mongolian by Inner Mongolia's 4.1 million ethnic Mongols has sharply declined since the 1980s.[73] Across the whole of China, the language is spoken by roughly half of the country's 5.8 million ethnic Mongols (2005 estimate).[74] However, the exact number of Mongolian speakers in China is unknown, as there is no data available on the language proficiency of that country's citizens. The use of Mongolian in China, specifically in Inner Mongolia, has witnessed periods of decline and revival over the last few hundred years. The language experienced a decline during the late Qing period, a revival between 1947 and 1965, a second decline between 1966 and 1976, a second revival between 1977 and 1992, and a third decline between 1995 and 2012.[75] However, in spite of the decline of the Mongolian language in some of Inner Mongolia's urban areas and educational spheres, the ethnic identity of the urbanised Chinese-speaking Mongols is most likely going to survive due to the presence of urban ethnic communities.[76] The multilingual situation in Inner Mongolia does not appear to obstruct efforts by ethnic Mongols to preserve their language.[77][78] Although an unknown number of Mongols in China, such as the Tumets, may have completely or partially lost the ability to speak their language, they are still registered as ethnic Mongols and continue to identify themselves as ethnic Mongols.[74][79] The children of inter-ethnic Mongol-Chinese marriages also claim to be and are registered as ethnic Mongols.[80]
By law, all street signs, commercial outlets, and government documents must be bilingual, written in both Mongolian and Chinese. There are three Mongolian TV channels in the Inner Mongolia Satellite TV network. In public transportation, all announcements are to be bilingual.
Mongols in Inner Mongolia speakMongolian dialects such asChakhar, Xilingol,Baarin,Khorchin and Kharchin Mongolian and, depending on definition and analysis, further dialects[81] or closely related independent CentralMongolic languages[82] such asOrdos,Khamnigan, BarghuBuryat and the arguablyOirat dialectAlasha. The standard pronunciation of Mongolian in China is based on the Chakhar dialect of thePlain Blue Banner, located in central Inner Mongolia, while the grammar is based on allInner Mongolian dialects.[83] This is different from the Mongolian state, where the standard pronunciation is based on the closely relatedKhalkha dialect. There are a number of independent languages spoken inHulunbuir such as the somewhat more distant Mongolic languageDagur and theTungusic languageEvenki. Officially, even the Evenki dialectOroqin is considered a language.[84]
TheHan Chinese of Inner Mongolia speak a variety of dialects, depending on the region. Those in the eastern parts tend to speakNortheastern Mandarin, which belongs to theMandarin group of dialects; those in the central parts, such as theYellow River valley, speak varieties ofJin, another subdivision of Chinese, due to its proximity to other Jin-speaking areas in China such as theShanxi province. Cities such as Hohhot and Baotou both have their unique brand of Jin Chinese such as theZhangjiakou–Hohhot dialect which are sometimes incomprehensible with dialects spoken in northeastern regions such asHailar.
The vast grasslands have long symbolised Inner Mongolia. Mongolian art often depicts the grassland in an uplifting fashion and emphasises Mongolian nomadic traditions. TheMongols of Inner Mongolia still practice their traditional arts. Inner Mongolian cuisine has Mongol roots and consists ofdairy-related products andhand-held lamb (手扒肉). In recent years, franchises based onhot pot have appeared in Inner Mongolia, the best known of which isLittle Sheep. Notable Inner Mongolian commercial brand names includeMengniu andYili, both of which began as dairy product andice cream producers.
Among the Han Chinese of Inner Mongolia,Shanxi opera is a popular traditional form of entertainment. See also:Shanxi. A popular career in Inner Mongolia is circus acrobatics. The internationally known Inner Mongolia Acrobatic Troupe travels and performs with the renownedRingling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
According to a survey held in 2004 by theMinzu University of China, about 80% of the population of the region practice the worship of Heaven (that is namedTian in the Chinese tradition andTenger in the Mongolian tradition) and ofovoo/aobao.[85]
Official statistics report that 10.9% of the population (3 million people) are members of Tibetan Buddhist groups.[86] According to the Chinese Spiritual Life Survey of 2007 and the Chinese General Social Survey of 2009,Christianity is the religious identity of 3.2% of the population of the region andChinese ancestral religion that of 2.36%,[87] while a demographic analysis of the year 2010 reported that Muslims make up 0.91%.[88]
Thecult ofGenghis Khan, present in the form of various Genghis Khan temples, is a tradition ofMongolian shamanism, in which he is considered acultural hero and divine ancestor, an embodiment of theTenger (Heaven, God of Heaven).[89] His worship in special temples, greatly developed in Inner Mongolia since the 1980s, is also shared by theHan Chinese, claiming his spirit as the founding principle of theYuan dynasty.[90]
Tibetan Buddhism (Mongolian Buddhism, locally also known as "Yellow Buddhism") is the dominant form of Buddhism in Inner Mongolia, also practised by manyHan Chinese. Another form of Buddhism, practised by the Chinese, are the schools ofChinese Buddhism.
Five-pagoda Temple is located in the capital of Inner Mongolia Hohhot. It is also called Jingangzuo Dagoba, used to be one building of the Cideng Temple (Temple of Merciful Light) built in 1727.
Wanbu-Huayanjing Pagoda (万部华严经塔) in Hohhot. It was built during the reign of Emperor Shengzong (983–1031) of the Khitan Liao dynasty (907–1125) and is still well preserved.
Baotou's urban grassland,Saihantala, with elevations ranging from 1,034 to 1,058 meters, features yurts, god hills, wrestling, and horse racing activities.
Bashang Grasslands, on the border close toBeijing, is a popular retreat for urban residents wanting to get a taste of grasslands life.
The Arshihaty Stone Forest inHexigten Global Geopark has magnificent granite rock formations formed from natural erosion.
Xiangshawan, or "singing sands gorge", is located in theGobi Desert and contains numerous tourist attractions including sand sledding and camel rides.
Remains of Zhongjing (Central Capital) built in 1003 by Emperor Shengzong of theKhitanLiao dynasty (907–1125) in Ningcheng County.
Remains of Shangjing (Upper Capital) built in 918 by Yelu Abaoji the 1st emperor of the Khitan Liao dynasty (907–1125). Also called Huangdu it was one of the five capitals of the Liao dynasty.
Zuling Mausoleum of Abaoji Khan. It was built in 926 for Abaoji the 1st Emperor of the Liao dynasty. Located north-west of Shifangzi village.
Tablets of Juyan. Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) inscriptions on wood and bamboo. In 1930 Folke Bergman of the Sino-Swedish expedition first discovered 10,000 tablets atEjin Khoshuu in the Gobi Desert.
Ruins of Shangdu (Xanadu) the Summer Capital of the Mongol Yuan dynasty built in 1256 by Kublai Khan.
White pagoda of the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1279–1368) inKailu County, Tongliao. It is still well preserved.
One of China's space vehicle launch facilities,Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, is located in theAlxa League'sEjin Banner, in the west of Inner Mongolia. It was founded in 1958, making it the PRC's first launch facility. As of 2021, Jiuquan has documented more launches than any other launch facilities in China, and is still the only launch site for crewed space missions (Shenzhou program). While geologically located inside Inner Mongolia, the launch center is named after Jiuquan, which is the nearest urban center in the nearby province of Gansu. As military facilities, the core areas at Jiuquan Center are highly restricted and can only be visited by tourist buses operated by the center, while the visitor center is open to the public and can be accessed from the south gate.
Inner Mongolia is also home to the two (and only two) space vehicles landing sites in China, theSiziwang Banner Landing Site in Ulanqab and the Dongfeng Landing Site in Alxa.
Inner Mongolia under the People's Republic of China has historically allowed the Mongolian language as amedium of instruction. A 1979 article from thePeople's Daily praises the re-establishment of Mongolian-language education after "interference and vandalism by the Gang of Four" during the Cultural Revolution.[91]
It was reported byThe New York Times on 31 August 2020 that in the summer 2020, the Chinese government announced a new education policy, which called for Chinese to gradually replace Mongolian as the language of instruction in three subjects, including language and literature, politics, and history, in elementary and middle schools around the Inner Mongolia region. Thousands of ethnic Mongolians in northern China gathered to protest the policy.[92]
^The White Sulde (White Spirit) is one of the two spirits of Genghis Khan (the other being the Black Sulde), represented either as his white or yellow horse or as a fierce warrior riding this horse. In its interior, the temple enshrines a statue of Genghis Khan (at the center) and four of his men on each side (the total making nine, a symbolic number in Mongolian culture), there is an altar where offerings to the godly men are made, and three white suldes made with white horse hair. From the central sulde there are strings which hold tied light blue pieces of cloth with a few white ones. The wall is covered with all the names of the Mongol kins. The Chinese worship Genghis as the ancestral god of theYuan dynasty.
^Borjigin, Huhbator (2004). "The history and political character of the name of 'Nei Menggu' (South Mongolia)".Inner Asia (6):61–80.doi:10.1163/146481704793647207.
^CPAtwood-Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire, p. 246.
^Atwood, Christopher. Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire, p. 449.
^Reardon-Anderson, James (October 2000). "Land Use and Society in Manchuria and Inner Mongolia during the Qing Dynasty".Environmental History.5 (4):503–530.doi:10.2307/3985584.JSTOR3985584.S2CID143541438.
^Borjigin, Burensain (2004). "The Complex Structure of Ethnic Conflict in the Frontier: Through the Debates around the 'Jindandao Incident' in 1891".Inner Asia.6 (1):41–60.doi:10.1163/146481704793647171.JSTOR23615320.
^Atwood, Christopher. The Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire, p. 454.
^Atwood, Christopher. The Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire, p. 91,
^Belov, E. A. Anti-Chinese rebellion led by Babujav in Inner Mongolia, 1915–1916. – Annaly (Moscow), no. 2, 1996.
^Belov, E. A. Rossiya i Mongoliya (1911–1919). Moscow: Vost. Lit. Publ.
^Lin, Hsiao-ting (13 September 2010)."4 War and new frontier designs".Modern China's Ethnic Frontiers: A Journey to the West. Routledge Studies in the Modern History of Asia. Routledge. pp. 136–.ISBN978-1-136-92392-0.
^Lin, Hsiao-ting (13 September 2010)."4 War and new frontier designs".Modern China's Ethnic Frontiers: A Journey to the West. Routledge Studies in the Modern History of Asia. Routledge. p. 137.ISBN978-1-136-92392-0.Archived from the original on 10 November 2018. Retrieved24 May 2018.
^David Sneath, "The Impact of the Cultural Revolution in China on the Mongolians of Inner Mongolia", inModern Asian Studies, Vol. 28, No. 2 (May 1994), pp. 409–430.
^Dikötter, Frank (2016).The Cultural Revolution: A People's History, 1962–1976 (1st U.S. ed.). New York: Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 191.ISBN978-1-63286-422-2.
^Census Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China; Population and Employment Statistics Division of the National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China (2012).中国2010人口普查分乡、镇、街道资料 (1 ed.). Beijing:China Statistics Print.ISBN978-7-5037-6660-2.
^《2010年人口普查中国民族人口资料》 [Tabulation on Nationalities of 2010 Population Census of China]. Beijing: Nationalities Publishing House (民族出版社). 2003.ISBN978-7-105-05425-1.
^abc(withoutRehe)《中华人民共和国人口统计资料汇编1949—1985》 [People's Republic of demographic data compilation 1949–1985]. China Financial and Economic Publishing House (中国财政经济出版社). 1988. p. 924.
^1990年第四次人口普查 [4th National Census]. Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Bureau of Statistics. Archived fromthe original on 27 July 2013. Retrieved4 June 2013..
^National Bureau of Population and Social Science and Technology Statistics Division of China (国家统计局人口和社会科技统计司); Department of Economic Development of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission of China (国家民族事务委员会经济发展司) (2003).《2000年人口普查中国民族人口资料》 (in Chinese (China)). Beijing:Publishing House of Minority Nationalities. pp. 4–8.ISBN978-7-105-05425-1.
^人口民族.Horqin Right Middle Banner People's Government (in Chinese). 24 April 2020.Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved9 July 2020.
^Tsung, Linda (27 October 2014). "Maintaining the Mongolian Language in Inner Mongolia".Language Power and Hierarchy: Multilingual Education in China. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 59.
^abJanhunen, Juha (29 November 2012). "1".Mongolian. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 11.
^Tsung, Linda (27 October 2014). "3".Language Power and Hierarchy: Multilingual Education in China. Bloomsbury Academic.
^Iredale, Robyn; Bilik, Naran; Fei, Guo (2 August 2003). "4".China's Minorities on the Move: Selected Case Studies. p. 84.
^Janhunen, Juha (29 November 2012). "1".Mongolian. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 16.
^Otsuka, Hitomi (30 November 2012). "6".More Morphologies: Contributions to the Festival of Languages, Bremen, 17 Sep to 7 Oct, 2009. p. 99.
^Iredale, Robyn (2 August 2003). "3".China's Minorities on the Move: Selected Case Studies. Routledge. pp. 56,64–67.
^Janhunen, Juha (29 November 2012). "1".Mongolian. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 11.Iredale, Robyn; Bilik, Naran; Fei, Guo (2 August 2003). "3".China's Minorities on the Move: Selected Case Studies. p. 61.
^e.g. Sečenbaγatur, Qasgerel, Tuyaγ-a, B. ǰirannige, U Ying ǰe. 2005.Mongγul kelen-ü nutuγ-un ayalγun-u sinǰilel-ün uduridqal. Kökeqota: ÖMAKQ.
^e.g.Janhunen, Juha. 2006. Mongolic languages. In: Brown, K. (ed.):The encyclopedia of language & linguistics. Amsterdam: Elsevier: 231–234.
^Janhunen, Juha. 1997. The languages of Manchuria in today's China. In: Northern Minority languages: Problems of survival.Senri ethnological studies, 44: 123–146. See pages 130–133.
^Fenggang Yang, Graeme Lang.Social Scientific Studies of Religion in China. BRILL, 2012.ISBN90-04-18246-2. pp. 184–185, reporting the results of surveys held in 2004 by theMinzu University of China. Quote from page 185: «[...]the registered adherents of the five official religions comprise only 3.7% of those [populations] in Inner Mongolia. When we compare this final statistic with Minzu University research team's finding that80% of the inhabitants of Inner Mongolia worshipTian (loosely translated "Heaven") andaobao (traditional stone structures that serve as altars for sacrifice), it is evident that the official calculations of registered religious believers are markedly low, and the policy decisions based on these numbers lack the necessary grounding in reality. [...]Foreign religions can be transformed into indigenous ethnic religions, and the traditional folk religions of China's ethnic minorities can integrate and neutralize non-native religions. Thus, China's ethnic religions should not be regarded as social burdens or challenges, but rather as valuable cultural assets.»
^Wu, Jiayu; Fang, Yong (January 2016)."Study on the Protection of the Lama Temple Heritage in Inner Mongolia as a Cultural Landscape".Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering.15 (1):9–16.doi:10.3130/jaabe.15.9. Note that the article, in an evident mistranslation from Chinese, reports 30 million Tibetan Buddhists in Inner Mongolia instead of 3 million. Note that the article, in an evident mistranslation from Chinese, reports 30 million Tibetan Buddhists in Inner Mongolia instead of 3 million.
^Min Junqing.The Present Situation and Characteristics of Contemporary Islam in China. JISMOR, 8.2010 Islam by province, page 29Archived 27 April 2017 at theWayback Machine. Data from: Yang Zongde,Study on Current Muslim Population in China, Jinan Muslim, 2, 2010.
^John Man.Genghis Khan: Life, Death and Resurrection. Bantam Press, London, 2004.ISBN978-0-553-81498-9. pp. 402–404.
Wang, Liping. "From Masterly Brokers to Compliant Protégées: The Frontier Governance System and the Rise of Ethnic Confrontation in China–Inner Mongolia, 1900–1930."American Journal of Sociology 120.6 (2015): 1641–1689.
Williams, Dee Mack.Beyond great walls: environment, identity, and development on the Chinese grasslands of Inner Mongolia (Stanford University Press, 2002).Online
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