Ancient Jirem League Assembly Site

　　The Jirem League Assembly site lies within Tülemoodu Town, nestled behind Jirem Mountain, facing the Holin River, with views westward to Kuotun Khan Mountain and eastward toward the central area of Khan Chagan Mountain. It was a crucial thoroughfare from the Jalaid, Balin, and Bayan Jirem valleys, passing through today’s Holin River Coal Mine to the Xilingol Grassland; from the Zhunge’er Jirem valley, via Horqin Right Front Banner to the border with Mongolia at Bogda Mountain; and from the Agui valley through Liuhu to Ulanhot and the Nenjiang region. Extending south along the Holin River through Bayan Hushuo to Tongliao and beyond, the area formed a “Five-Forked Valley” configuration. It served as both a military strategic stronghold and a hub for goods distribution.

　　Historical records indicate that this site was an important pass during the Liao and Jin dynasties. Remnants of the Jin Dynasty Great Wall and the garrison headquarters of the Jin Northeastern Route Pacification Commissioner’s Office are still clearly visible. To the west of the assembly site lies land that once belonged to the Liao Linhuang Prefecture, while the east fell under the jurisdiction of the Jin Tai Prefecture.

　　In the 49th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1710), the Mongolian territories spanning nearly 400,000 square kilometers were organized into a single league under centralized administration. These lands included the four tribes and ten banners of the Horqin in the Nenjiang region: Tüsheetü, Jasaqtu, Sögedong, Jalaid, Dörbed, Darhan, Bodogetei, Bintu, Horqin Right Front Banner, and Horqin Right Rear Banner — extending north to Bogda Mountain, south to the Willow Palisade near Shenyang, west to Tegh Kan Mountain, and east to Harbin, Changchun, and other areas. The league was named the Jirem League because its first assembly was held at the foot of Jirem Mountain in the northern part of the Tüsheetü Banner. Monumental stone cairns, known as oboos, were erected here as symbols: one large central ooboo, representing the league, with a base diameter of about 5 meters and a height of over 6 meters; and ten smaller oboos forming a large circle around it, each representing one of the ten banners, with base diameters of approximately 2 meters. The large ooboo and each small ooboo were spaced approximately 30 meters apart, as were the small oboos from each other. Every three years, during the league assembly, the jasag (banner lords) of each banner conducted military reviews, resolved disputes, discussed and elected officials, hosted the Naadam Festival, and engaged in trade and material exchanges. Qing imperial officials also attended these events in person to oversee proceedings.

　　The choice of Tüsheetü Banner as the site for the league assembly was determined by its historical significance and strategic geographic location. Although situated at the northwest corner of the Jirem League, the banner had long been a key transportation hub and military stronghold since the Liao and Jin periods. The historical prominence of Tüsheetü Banner itself laid a solid foundation for it to become the assembly site of the ten banners. In the 3rd year of the Ming Jiajing reign (1524), Qiumengke Taisiha, the 14th-generation descendant of Genghis Khan’s younger brother Hasar, led his people eastward to settle in the Nenjiang River basin to escape warfare. After several battles and truces with the rising Later Jin, he gradually established a political alliance through marriage ties, coexisting with the Later Jin as the Kerqin Khanate. The leader of the Kerqin tribe, Oba, was titled Tüsheet Khan. During the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, the Kerqin tribe rendered outstanding service. In the 1st year of the Chongde reign (1636), the Qing court ennobled Oba’s son, Badarai, as Prince Tüsheet of the First Rank, stripped him of the khan title, and ranked him first among the 49 Mongolian princes and nobles of Inner Mongolia. Thus, the Tüsheetü Banner was named. Consequently, when the administrative league system was instituted over the Mongolian territories of the four tribes and ten banners of Kerqin, the assembly naturally took place in Tüsheetü Banner.