Bannermen

Making a late entrance, she arrives in an emerald dress – which we quickly learn is the colour that her house, the Hightowers, use to call their bannermen to war.

In 1860 bannermen were a magnificent anachronism, their dress and weaponry scarcely changed for over two hundred years.

Bannermen could not undertake trade or manual labor; they had to petition to be removed from banner status.

By 1648, less than one-sixth of the bannermen were of Manchu ancestry.

Han bannermen were differentiated from Han civilians by the Qing and treated differently.

Han Bannermen were made out of Han Chinese who defected to the Qing up to 1644 and joined the Eight Banners, giving them social and legal privileges in addition to being acculturated to Manchu culture.

So many Han defected to the Qing and swelled up the ranks of the Eight Banners that ethnic Manchus became a minority within the Banners, making up only 16% in 1648, with Han Bannermen dominating at 75%.

They issued edicts ordering the foreigners to be protected, but the Gansu warriors ignored it, and fought against Bannermen who tried to force them away from the legations.