Jin Relations with Steppe Tribes of the Northern Desert

Timeline

1. 1130–1131Kedun City · Mongolian PlateauJin general Yelü Yudu led troops in pursuit of Western Liao's Yelü Dashi to Kedun City; deep in the northern desert with difficult supply lines, the Jin army was counterattacked and defeated again in 1131. After Yelü Dashi moved west, the Jin briefly held the site but destroyed it and withdrew south, unable to garrison it.
2. 1130Mongolian Plateau · Mongolian PlateauDuring the Kedun City campaign, the Jin sought troops from northern desert tribes to pursue Western Liao, but most refused; the Jin army returned empty-handed, showing weak control over steppe tribes—except for the Ongud and Tatar tribes south of the desert, most were not under direct Jin rule.
3. 1135–1140Jin northern frontier · Inner MongoliaAfter the major Song-Jin wars subsided, Xizong sent large armies against the Mongol five Tatar tribes and Kereit, Mongwu, and others; the 1139 northern expedition ran out of supplies and retreated under pursuit by steppe cavalry. The Jin then strengthened the pacification commissions and border trench garrisons of the Northwest and Northeast Routes, maintaining the frontier through loose control and trade.