National Autonomy of Khingan (Xingan) as a public-power institution of control by the Japanese of the Mongolian territories of Manchukuo. Part 1: Eastern and Southern regions / governorships

The purpose of the study is to assess the degree of effectiveness of the national policy of the Japanese in the Mongolian lands they occupied, which became part of the state of Manchukuo formed by them in 1931, and to determine the place of the Khingan (Xingan) national autonomy in it. The source base was made up of periodicals and nonperiodicals in Russian, published on the basis of Orientalist societies and the CER by our compatriots living in Manchuria, foreign media, periodicals and reference publications. The content of the study is based on the fact that the ethnic composition of the population of Manchuria, as well as the entire Outer China, was not monolithic, and therefore the national question in the region played a paramount role for any act. Using anti-Chinese sentiment, the Japanese, by granting the Mongols a high degree of autonomy, enlist their support and loyalty, which is necessary both for securing control over the territories under their control, and for moving further deep into the continent, and for ensuring the security of their sphere of influence from the USSR. Having retained the traditional Mongolian institutions of governance, a new administrative-territorial unit is being formed - the largest in the new empire, with complex intrastate administration, called Khingan or Xingan. The core of the new province was the territories of the western limits of Inner Mongolia actively colonized by the Chinese, on which the Eastern, Southern and Northern regions were formed. Unlike other provinces, there is no position of governor here: each of the territories is governed by its own administration, the coordination of which is provided by the Directorate / Main Directorate / Ministry of Mongolian Affairs, headed by an ethnic Mongol - the prince of a large Western Mongolian khoshun. The autonomy status was confirmed by the preservation of ancient foundations and the possibility of independent internal control, the right to have its own armed forces, carry out educational and religious policies, exemption from a significant part of taxes and fees, and other privileges. Each region, transformed into a governorship in 1934, was headed by an ethnic Mongol - a representative of the ancient tribal aristocracy and the number of descendants of Genghis Khan or his brothers. Regions/governorships were divided into khoshuns, whose borders remained unchanged. The author comes to the conclusion that at the initial stage of the military invasion of the continent, the Japanese side managed to achieve its goals and, without military force, gain support among the Mongolian population. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

Keywords

Authors

References