Altan Khan's Raids on the Ming Frontier

Timeline

1. 1550Beijing · BeijingAltan Khan's Mongol cavalry broke through the Xuan-Datong line and reached Beijing, prompting the Ming court to rush reinforcements from all directions. The battle exposed gaps in northern defenses; Minister of War Ding Rukui and others were severely punished, making it a landmark crisis of the Jiajing reign.
2. 1551–1560Xuanfu–Datong–Jizhen · Nine FrontiersAfter the Gengxu Incident, Altan's forces and the Ming clashed repeatedly around Xuan-Datong and Jizhen, with Mongol cavalry raiding border civilians and contesting trade markets. Under commanders such as Qiu Luan and Tan Lun the Ming reorganized frontier defenses and built Great Wall sections and beacon towers, but failed to resolve the Mongol threat at its root.