Banner Reorganization and Company Expansion in the 1670s

Timeline

1. 1670Beijing · BeijingThe Kangxi Emperor ordered all banners to strengthen instruction in archery and horsemanship, criticizing banner soldiers for growing soft and neglecting old Manchu customs. In 1680 he personally inspected banner schools, testing Manchu language and archery, rewarding the skilled and punishing negligent instructors; the banner school system was thereby systematized.
2. 1674Various banner garrison stations · ChinaAs Eight Banners households multiplied and surplus soldiers in each company grew, the Qing court drew surplus soldiers from existing companies to form new gongzhong (public) companies, appointed by the court and led by banner officers. This expanded the grassroots structure, eased overloading of companies, and provided an organizational basis for mobilizing the war against the Three Feudatories.
3. 1673–1679Battlefields of the Three Feudatories (Huguang, Yunnan-Guizhou, Fujian, etc.) · ChinaIn the early stages of the Revolt of the Three Feudatories the Eight Banners' combat effectiveness was poor, so the Qing court ordered banner military officers to return to their banners' military duties, reduced concurrent civil posts for lower-ranking banner officers, and emphasized training and discipline. The Green Standard Army was the main force in suppressing the revolt; the Banners and Green Standard cooperated, and through this war the Banners became further bureaucratized and centralized.