Brief introduction of Mongolian nomads

As his most important masterpiece, Mongolian Nomadic Tales devoted ten years of effort, and the manuscript was revised several times, but it was still unfinished when he died. Later, his friend He revised it, and the last four volumes were arranged side by side to complete the wall. It is divided into four parts: 24 parts in Inner Mongolia, 4 parts in Halka, Outer Mongolia, Elut Mongolia, Elut New and Old Turkut. According to the Mongolian League flag, it is divided into four parts: the establishment and evolution of local dynasties, the four roads, castles, historical sites, temples, Karen and post stations in the mountains and rivers, the knighthood meritorious service with the feudal lords of the Central Plains Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, and the tributary relationship with ministers in the Qing Dynasty, especially in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It covers a wide range, including Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Ningxia, Northeast China and other areas where Mongolians live today.

The author thinks that Mongolia is dependent on the Central Plains, and "the strength of its tribes is related to the rise and fall of China". Therefore, the book not only describes in detail the relationship between Mongolian ministries and the imperial court, such as the main military pillars of the Qing Dynasty, their roles in major battles, and some measures taken by the Qing government to help Mongolia's economy, but also collects historical materials and makes archaeological comments on the topography and landforms of Mongolian border areas, garrison towns and even the situation of Kalun stationing troops. These comments were largely aimed at the threat of aggression by Russia at that time. At the same time, the author also made a detailed investigation on the local natural and economic conditions. Every place in the book should quote predecessors' works or old examples in detail, and describe clearly the flow direction of waterways, springs and water conservancy facilities, where there are aquatic plants suitable for animal husbandry and where the water is salty and inedible, so as to provide reference for the development of animal husbandry and farmland water conservancy in Mongolia.

Although this book is a local chronicle, the content and scope of annotations are beyond the general local chronicles. In writing this book, the author originally wanted to fill the gap in the compilation history of A Brief History of the Royal Family by Qi Yun, and it was "opposite to the outside world" (Preface to Mongolian Nomads), but in fact this book did not become a vassal of A Brief History of the Royal Family, but became a system. The book adopts the method of self-annotation, and the words are concise with a pen, which mainly records the geographical and organizational evolution of Mongolian ministries inside and outside China. The annotation quotes a lot of materials to introduce other history, historic sites and cultural relics, which makes its content far richer than the old historical geography.

In addition, this book also has some advantages in the use of information. First of all, his annotations mainly adopt the methods of extensive collection of his books and occasional textual research, but they are extensive but not excessive. Before the Yuan Dynasty, it was mainly based on the official history, the secret history of the Yuan Dynasty, Wu Sheng's personal journey to the West, Changchun's real The Journey to the West and Yeluzhu's Double Drunk Collection. Most of the materials in the Ming Dynasty are based on the origin of Mongolia in the Qing Dynasty, and the materials are the most abundant, and they are carefully and repeatedly selected, paying special attention to on-the-spot investigation and original materials, such as Fang Shiji's Long Sha Lue, Tu Lichen's Records of the Western Regions, Vae's Records of Waterways in the Western Regions, and official archives and officially revised General Map, which are close to archives. "It was built in recent years, so you need to consult the classics." Although these official files inevitably represent the views of the rulers of the Qing Dynasty, after all, many original documents are preserved. Secondly, the book also absorbed the research results or survey data of Yu, Wei Yuan, Shen Ang and others. For example, during the reign of Daoguang, Vae was appointed as the magistrate of Yulin. Please ask He Bingxun, the magistrate of Huaiyuan County, to see the former site of Tongcheng in Xixia. The book records the field investigation data, which is still the main basis for people to confirm or study the ruins of this ancient city. This research method, which combines extensive knowledge with rich resources, has made great achievements in this book.

As the first systematic work on Mongolian geography in China, this book not only fills the gap in the history of Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, but also provides a clear geographical and social outlook of Mongolian ministries in the Qing Dynasty, which also has a positive impact on the development of historical geography in northwest China in the late Qing Dynasty. Therefore, it has aroused widespread concern in academic circles and is regarded as a rare work with both academic and practical qualities.