The Research For City And Town Sites Of Mongolia And Yuan Dynasty In Inner Mongolia

The research of ancient city and town sites is an important aspect of archaeology and history research. City system often reflects the microcosm of a dynasty in politics, military, economy and culture aspects.Major parts of Inner Mongolia district lie in "Chinese North Great Wall Zone" or "Chinese North Great Wall Culture Zone" what the historians usually called. This bar-like culture zone has peculiar significance in Chinese history, being boundary zone of farming culture and nomadic culture.The ancient walled towns builded since Han dynasty in Inner Mongolia were mainly military affairs's border towns. Their main function was that central plains dynasties resisted north nations. Until to Mongolia and Yuan dynasty. Inner Mongolia district developed from border area to a strategic point of linking up the frontier and the central plains. It has the summer capital of Yeke Mongolia Ulus and various cities and towns, taking from a net of grasslands cities and towns. The found 85 city and town sites of Mongolia and Yuan dynasty in today's Inner Mongolia district have obvious geographical features, times's features and national traits.The past researches on the city and town sites of Mongolia and Yuan dynasty in Inner Mongolia mostly concentrated on some specific sites, such as Yuan Shangdu, Yingchang Lu, Yijinai Lu and Olunsumu ancient city site etc, but the comprehensive research writings have not yet be seen. Therefore, it is very necessary to do an overall and systematic study under the condition that archaeology data accumulations being sufficient at present.This thesis includes several parts of research on the city and town sites of Mongolia and Yuan dynasty in Inner Mongolia, being respectively textual criticism of administrative system, classified studies, function discussion on politics, military, economy and culture, and investigation to the social life and custom about the residents.Inner Mongolia district in Mongolia and Yuan dynasty was subordinate to Zhongshu Province, Shanxi Province, Gansu Province and Liaoyang Province respectively,and the east area was the feudatory of the various east king. These city and town sites could be divided into six major kinds, namely capital city, administrative cities, noblemen's private cities, towns of garrison troops opening up wasteland and growing food grain, courier station towns, other towns.The research on the politics, military, economy, culture and the social life and custom of the residents in cities and towns adopts the combining method with archaeology data and history materials ,what was called "dual evidence method". These cities and towns have five important characteristics,the first is that some noblemen's private cities were the noblemen's private property, the second is that the administrative cities continused to use the same administrative cities of Jin dynasty and Xixia dynasty, the third is that some cities and towns have much political and military function,the fourth is that these cities and towns were very rich and flourishing, the fifth is that the religious belief in these cities and towns is free and pluralistic. In addition,this thesis analyses the tombs around these cities and towns , describes the cities and towns residents' clothes ,food,habitancy,etc.The research for the cities and towns of Mongolia and Yuan dynasty in Inner Mongolia district can help us further understand of the history of Mongolia and Yuan dynasty, and also have certain reference values to today's cities and towns construction in Inner Mongolia.