# League (China)

A league (Mongolian: ayimaγ [æːmɑ̆ɡ̊] Aimag; historically, čiγulγan [t͡ʃʰʊːlɡ̊ɑ̆n] Qûûlgan; Chinese: 盟; pinyin: méng) is a prefecture-level administrative unit of the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia in the People's Republic of China.
Leagues are the prefectures of Inner Mongolia. The name comes from a Mongolian administrative unit used during the Qing dynasty in Mongolia. Mongolian Banners (county level regions) were organized into conventional assemblies at the league level. During the Republic of China era, the leagues had a status equivalent to provinces. Leagues contain banners, equivalent to counties.
After the establishment of the provincial level Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 1947, leagues of Inner Mongolia became equal to prefectures in other provinces and autonomous regions. The administrative commission (Chinese: 行政公署; pinyin: xíngzhènggōngshǔ) of the league is the administrative branch office dispatched by the People's Government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The leader of the league's government, titled as league leader (simplified Chinese: 盟长; traditional Chinese: 盟長; pinyin: méngzhǎng), is appointed by People's Government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. So are deputy leaders of leagues. Instead of local level of People's Congress, league's working commissions of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are detached and supervise the league's governments, but can not elect or dismiss league's government officials. In such a way, the league's working committee of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region's committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is instead of league's committee of CPPCC.
Leagues have existed since the Qing dynasty as a level of government. The head of a league was chosen from jasagh or sula of the banners belonging to it. The original six leagues were Jirem, Ju Ud, Jost, Xilingol, Ulanqab, and Ih Ju. More were added in the subsequent centuries.
Today, leagues belong to the prefecture level of the Chinese administrative hierarchy. Of the 9 leagues that existed in the late 1970s, 6 have now been reorganized into prefecture-level cities. There are only 3 leagues remaining in Inner Mongolia: Xilingol, Alxa, and Hinggan.

## Leagues (1949–present)
### Current

| Name | Mongolian | Transcription and IPA (Chakhar Mongolian) | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin | Capital | Notes |
| Hinggan | ᠬᠢᠩᠭᠠᠨ | Hinggan [xɪŋɡ̊ɑ̆n] | 兴安 | Xīng'ān | Ulanhot | Established: 26 July 1980 |
| Xilingol | ᠰᠢᠯᠢ ᠶᠢᠨ ᠭᠣᠤᠯ | Xiliin Gôl | 锡林郭勒 | Xīlínguōlè | Xilinhot | Present day: Xilingol and Hinggan (1954) |
| Alxa | ᠠᠯᠠᠱᠠᠨ | Alxaa | 阿拉善 | Ālāshàn | Bayanhot Town, Alxa Left Banner | Until 1954 it was known as Alxa Öölüd Banners and Ejin Torghuud Banner |

### Defunct

| Name | Mongolian | Transcription and IPA (Chakhar Mongolian) | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin | Capital | Notes |
| Bayannur | ᠪᠠᠶ᠋ᠠᠨᠨᠠᠭᠤᠷ | Bayan Nûûr | 巴彦淖尔 | Bāyànnào'ěr | Linhe (Linhe District) | Dissolution: 1 December 2003 Present day: Bayannur (prefecture-level city) |
| Jirem | ᠵᠢᠷᠢᠮ | Jirem | 哲里木 | Zhélǐmù | Bayisingtu (Horqin District) | Dissolution: 13 January 1999 Present day: Tongliao (prefecture-level city) |
| Ju Ud | ᠵᠤᠤ ᠤᠳᠠ | Jûû Ûd | 昭乌达 | Zhāowūdá | Ulanhad (Hongshan District) | Dissolution: 10 October 1983 Present day: Chifeng (prefecture-level city) |
| Jost | ᠵᠣᠰᠤᠲᠤ ᠶᠢᠨ | Jôstiin | 卓索图 | Zhuósuǒtú | Chaoyang (Shuangta District) | Dissolution: 10 October 1911 Present day: Fuxin, Chaoyang, and part of Chifeng (prefecture-level city) |
| Chahar | ᠴᠠᠬᠠᠷ | Qahar | 察哈尔 | Cháhā'ěr | Baochang | Dissolution: 1 October 1958 merged into Xilingol and Ulanqab |
| Ulanqab | ᠤᠯᠠᠭᠠᠨᠴᠠᠪ | Ulaanqab | 乌兰察布 | Wūlánchábù | Jining (Jining District) | Dissolution: 1 December 2003 Present day: Ulanqab (prefecture-level city), Baotou (1954), & Bayannur (1954) |
| Ih Ju | ᠶᠡᠺᠡ ᠵᠣᠤ | Ih Jûû | 伊克昭 | Yīkèzhāo | Dongsheng (Dongsheng District) | Dissolution: 26 February 2001 Present day: Ordos (prefecture-level city) |
| Heilongjiang (present day northern part of Inner Mongolia) |||||||
| Hulunbuir–Nunmoron | ᠬᠥᠯᠦᠨᠪᠤᠶᠢᠷ ᠨᠤᠨ ᠮᠥᠷᠡᠨ | Holon Bûir–Nûûn Moron | 呼伦贝尔纳文慕仁 / 呼纳 | Hūlúnbèi'ěr–Nàwénmùrén / Hūnà | Hailar (Hailar District) | Dissolution: 1 April 1953 merge into Inner Mongolia Eastern Administrative Zone |
| Hulunbuir | ᠬᠥᠯᠦᠨᠪᠤᠶᠢᠷ | Holon Bûir | 呼伦贝尔 | Hūlúnbèi'ěr | Hailar (Hailar District) | Dissolution: 11 April 1949 Merged into Hulunbuir-Nunmoron Re-established: 21 May 1954 Dissolution: 10 October 2001 (present day greater Hulunbuir) |
| Nun Moron | ᠨᠤᠨ ᠮᠥᠷᠡᠨ | Nûûn Moron | 纳文慕仁 | Nàwénmùrén | Zhalantun | Dissolution: 11 April 1949 merge into Hulunbuir–Nunmoron |

## Original leagues of the Qing
### The 6 leagues under Inner Mongolia

| Name | Mongolian | Transcription and IPA (Chakhar Mongolian) | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin | Tribes & Banners |
| Jirem | ᠵᠢᠷᠢᠮ | Jirem | 哲里木 | Zhélǐmù | 4 tribes 10 banners |
| Jost | ᠵᠣᠰᠤᠲᠤ ᠶᠢᠨ | Jôstiin | 卓索图 | Zhuósuǒtú | 2 tribes 5 banners |
| Ju Ud Ju'ud | ᠵᠤᠤ ᠤᠳᠠ | Jûû Ûd | 昭乌达 | Zhāowūdá | 8 tribes 11 banners |
| Xilingol | ᠰᠢᠯᠢ ᠶᠢᠨ ᠭᠣᠤᠯ | Xiliin Gôl | 锡林郭勒 | Xīlínguōlè | 5 tribes 10 banners |
| Ulanqab | ᠤᠯᠠᠭᠠᠨᠴᠠᠪ | Ulaanqab | 乌兰察布 | Wūlánchábù | 4 tribes 6 banners |
| Ih Ju Ihju | ᠶᠡᠺᠡ ᠵᠣᠤ | Ih Jûû | 伊克昭 | Yīkèzhāo | 1 tribe 7 banners |

### Other league

| Name | Mongolian | Transcription and IPA (Chakhar Mongolian) | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin | Tribes & Banners | Notes |
| Chahar | ᠴᠠᠬᠠᠷ | Qahar | 察哈尔 | Cháhā'ěr | 8 banners | |

### Changes

| Year(s) | Leagues |
| 1636–1928 (Qûûlgan) | Jirem, Ju Ud, Jost, Xilingol, Ulanqab, and Ih Ju |
| 1928–1938 (Qûûlgan and Province) | Jirem, Ju Ud, Jost, Xilingol, Chahar Province (Qahar), Ulanqab, and Ih Ju |
| 1938–1945 (ROC) | Jirem, Ih Ju |
| 1938–1945 (Mengjiang) | Ju Ud, Xilingol, Chahar (Qahar), Ulanqab, Bayantala (Bayantal) |
| 1945–1948 (Aimag) | Nun Moron, Jirem, Ju Ud, Jost, Xilingol, Qahar, Ulanqab, and Ih Ju |
| 1948–1949 (Aimag) | Hulunbuir, Nun Moron, Jirem, Ju Ud, Jost, Xilingol, Qahar, Ulanqab, and Ih Ju |
| 1949 (Aimag) | Hulunbuir, Nun Moron, Jirem, Ju Ud, Jost, Xilingol, Qahar, Ulanqab, and Ih Ju |
| 1949–1953 (Aimag) | Hulunbuir–Nun Moron, Hinggan, Jirem, Ju Ud, Xilingol, Qahar |
| 1953 (Aimag) | Ju Ud, Xilingol, Qahar |
| 1953–1956 (Aimag) | Hulunbuir, Jirem, Ju Ud, Xilingol, Qahar, Ulanqab, Ih Ju |
| 1956–1958 (Aimag) | Hulunbuir, Jirem, Ju Ud, Xilingol, Qahar, Ulanqab, Ih Ju, Bayannur |
| 1958–1969 (Aimag) | Hulunbuir, Jirem, Ju Ud, Xilingol, Ulanqab, Ih Ju, Bayannur |
| 1969–1979 (Inner Mongolia) | Xilingol, Ulanqab, Ih Ju, Bayannur |
| 1969–1979 (Heilongjiang) | Hulunbuir |
| 1969–1979 (Jilin) | Jirem |
| 1979–1980 (Aimag) | Hulunbuir, Jirem, Ju Ud, Xilingol, Ulanqab, Ih Ju, Bayannur, Alxa |
| 1980–1983 (Aimag) | Hulunbuir, Hinggan, Jirem, Ju Ud, Xilingol, Ulanqab, Ih Ju, Bayannur, Alxa |
| 1983–1999 (Aimag) | Hulunbuir, Hinggan, Jirem, Xilingol, Ulanqab, Ih Ju, Bayannur, Alxa |
| 1999–2001 (Aimag) | Hulunbuir, Hinggan, Xilingol, Ulanqab, Ih Ju, Bayannur, Alxa |
| 2001–2003 (Aimag) | Hinggan, Xilingol, Ulanqab, Bayannur, Alxa |
| 2003–present (Aimag) | Hinggan, Xilingol, Alxa |