Eight Banners System

Timeline

1. 1601–1615Jianzhou (Liaodong) · LiaoningIn 1601 Nurhaci divided his forces into yellow, white, red, and blue banners; in 1615 he added the bordered yellow, bordered white, bordered red, and bordered blue banners, forming the basic framework of the Eight Banners system, each banner comprising several niru (300 households per niru), serving both military mobilization and household registration functions.
2. 1635–1642Shengjing (Shenyang) · LiaoningHong Taiji organized submitting Mongols separately, formally establishing the Mongol Eight Banners in 1635; large numbers of surrendered Han were incorporated into the Han Eight Banners, completed in 1642, forming the full system of three series and twenty-four banners, with Manchu, Mongol, and Han banner people each with their own roles.
3. 1644–1650Beijing Inner City · BeijingAfter the Qing army entered the pass, large numbers of Banner officers and men garrisoned Beijing's Inner City, living in districts by banner color. Meanwhile, garrison generals were set up at strategic points such as Xi'an, Hangzhou, Jingzhou, and Guangzhou, with Banner troops stationed long-term, maintaining nationwide rule together with the Green Standard Army.
4. 1651–1660Beijing and provincial garrison cities · ChinaAfter the Shunzhi Emperor personally took power, banner affairs were directly controlled by the emperor; the Upper Three Banners (bordered yellow, plain yellow, plain white) were under his direct command, the Lower Five Banners under various princes and beiles. Banner people enjoyed state support (pay and grain), priority in land enclosures, and a separate imperial examination quota. At this stage the Inner City Banners had over a hundred thousand able-bodied men, provincial garrisons about a hundred thousand in total, while Green Standard soldiers far outnumbered them, forming a military pattern centered on the Banners with the Green Standard as auxiliary.