Academic Discourse
Year : 2012, Volume : 1, Issue : 2
First page : ( 17) Last page : ( 25)
Print ISSN : 2278-3296. Online ISSN : 2349-4441.

Ch'ing Policies towards Mongols and its Impact on Mongolian National Movement

Mandal Rohan

School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

Online published on 18 June, 2014.

Abstract

‘The ethno-national movement of Mongols of China (1911–1921) on the eve of the fall of Ch'ing rule over China (1644–1911) proved to be the only instance of successful secession of an ethnic group out of the imperial heritage claimed by the Republican China. Inspite of subsequent fragmentation in the ethnic unity established as a result of prevailing strong nationalist sentiments among Mongols, Mongols of Outer Mongolia inhabited by Khalkha Mongols forming an overwhelming majority and a small minority of Oirats and Dariganga- remained strongly anti-Chinese. This group of Mongols resisted steadfastly any Republican Chinese attempts to bring them back to their fold despite the fact that the Ch'ing rulers after having subjugating various warlike Mongol nomadic tribes dexterously followed a policy of maintaining an ethnic equilibrium that preserved Mongol ethnic identity for over two centuries. Such an ethnic integration achieved by the Ch'ing rulers had remained relatively unchallenged by Mongol nomads despite their traditionally antagonistic relations with sedentary Chinese civilization. It was only toward the latter part of nineteenth century when Western imperialism threatened Ch'ing rule that the various Ch'ing policies towards Mongols came under scrutiny and came to be viewed as designed to maintain an internal-colonialism detrimental to Mongol interests. Such an understanding of Ch'ing policies worked behind the rise of Pan-Mongolian nationalist sentiments culminating in declaration of independence on December 4, 1911 by Mongols of Outer Mongolia under their ecclesiastical head. However, the same divisive policies which were instrumental in maintaining Ch'ing control over Mongols during the course of Mongolian revolution worked behind creating structural barriers in the attainment of unity of purpose and action and coherence among various Mongol sub-ethnic groups in their struggle against nationalist Chinese that led to creation of a highly truncated Mongolia over the traditionally recognized homeland of Mongols in the Mongolian steppe.

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Keywords

Ethno-nationalism, Pan-Mongolism, Centre-Periphery relations, Mongol homeland, Mongolian Revolutions.

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