THE  GOVERNMENT

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Red  ;  (vii)  The  Plain  Blue  ;  and  (viii)  The  Bordered  Blue.
Each  of  the  eight  Banners  is  further  divided  into  three
“  nations  "—viz.,  (a)  Manchu,  (6)  Mongol,  and  (c)  Chinese,
the  last  consisting  of  the  descendants  of  the  natives  of
North  China  who  joined  the  Manchu  invaders  during  the
time  of  the  conquest.  Just  as  every  Chinese  is  inscribed
in  his  native  district,  in  which  he  is  liable  (in  theory)  to
tribute  while  living,  and  to  which  his  bones  are  taken  when
dead,  so  all  living  Manchus  and  all  descendants  of  the
Mongol  and  Chinese  soldiery  of  the  conquest  are  inscribed
in  their  proper  Banners,  under  which  they  (are  supposed  to)
fight  to  maintain  the  conquest  and  receive  their  quota  of
the  tribute  and  other  (theoretic)  benefits  of  the  conquest.
Each  Banner  (Ki)  has  for  each  of  its  nations  (Kusai)  a
Lieutenant-General  (Tutung),  a  Deputy  Lieutenant-General
(or  Brigadier),  and  Adjutant-Generals,  two  each  for  the
Manchu  and  Chinese,  and  one  for  the  Mongol  nation  of  the
Banner.  Each  Banner  is  divided  into  regiments  (chala),
five  Manchu,  five  Chinese  and  two  Mongol,  each  with  its
Colonel  (Tsanling),  Lieutenant-Colonel,  and  Adjutant.
Under  them  are  Captains  (Tsoling),  each  charged  with
command  and  supervision  over  70  to  100  households  of
the  Banner,  Lieutenants,  and  Corporals.  The  main  force
of  the  eight  Banners  is  “  encamped  ”  in  Manchuria  and  in
and  around  Peking,  and  is  provided  in  the  capital  with
rations  drawn  from  the  tribute  rice,  of  which  some  two
million  piculs  (125,000  tons)  are  received  annually.  Outside
Peking  is  the  “  military  cordon  "  of  twenty-five  cities  of
Chihli,  at  which  are  settled  military  colonies  drawn  from
the  eight  Banners.  Outside  these,  again,  are  the  provincial
garrisons.
When  the  conquest  was  completed,  the  Manchus  had
the  good  sense  to  associate  the  Chinese  with  themselves  in
the  government  of  the  empire,  and  to  hold  the  country  by
garrisons  stationed  at  a  few  strategic  points  ;  and,  in  the
original  scheme,  the  garrisons  in  the  provinces  made  a
total  of  half  the  garrison  of  the  capital.  Of  the  provincial
garrisons  about  half  were  in  a  northern  belt,  designed  partly