Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/155

 the Emperor of China as their lord paramount, and may not enter into any relations with foreign powers without reference to Peking. The tosalakchi, whose office is also hereditary, rank next; each banner has one, two, or four of these officials; the prince, who is military chief of the banner, has two lieutenants (meiren zanghin); every regiment has its colonel (chialan zanghin), and captains of squadrons (somun zanghin). The whole military force of the aimak is under a tsiang-tsiun (general), chosen from among the Mongol princes.

The princes of the koshungs or banners assemble once a year for the gathering (chulkan), presided over by one of their number who must have been confirmed in his authority by the Emperor. These assemblies, at which local questions are decided, are under the control of the governors of the nearest provinces of China.

Some parts of the country bordering with China Proper are modelled entirely after the Chinese system; such as the district of Cheng-ta-fu beyond the Great Wall, north of Peking, the aimak of Chakhar, north-west of Kalgan, and the district of Kuku-hoto (Kwei-hwa-cheng), still further to the west, near the northern bend of the Yellow River. Western