Mongol banners nominally retained the land ownership and ceaselessly fought over various rights over the Han settlers.
As the Qing dynasty gradually lost the ability to maintain social order, the Han began to challenge the rule of the minority Mongols.
[2] In addition, newly arrived Han immigrants had been frequently harassed by Mongols, where "the haughty ones mounted bands of 3~5, armed with sabers, broke into Han households, demanded wine, meat and money, assaulted women and men, robbed livestock until empty".
Also known as the Red Turban (Улаан малгайтан), the Jindandao was a secret society and considered to be an offshoot of the White Lotus sect, which had previously risen in revolt at various times in China proper.
Around the same time, another group of rebels captured Chaoyang County within the Tümed Right Banner, the Josutu League.
[2] They openly employed anti-Mongol and anti-dynastic slogans including "Defeat the Qing and wipe of the Hu (barbarians)" (平清掃胡) and "Kill Mongols in revenge" (仇殺蒙古).
Local Han population also suffered at the hands of the joint forces of the Qing army and vengeful Mongol tribesmen.
The imperial court tried in vain to ease ethnic tensions, paying relief money to both the Mongols and the Han and forbidding further revenge.
Beijing decided to make Chinese prefecture and county authorities collect tax from Han tenants on behalf of Mongol nobles.
[2] More than one hundred thousand Mongol refugees fled northward to the pastoral areas south of the Khinggan mountains.
[2] Khaisan, who later played an important role in the Mongol independence movement, then worked for the Kharachin Right Banner and got involved in the disturbance.
Sinologists only investigated official archives that contain reports from the Chinese armies, in addition to Western accounts on Christian persecution.
[14] Official publications of the People's Republic of China have appraised this massacre as a "peasant uprising" against "imperialism" and "feudalism.
"[15] As an "anti-foreign, anti-imperialist uprising," they emphasis on the attacks against Christians while the Mongol princes and lamas and Manchu officials are treated as feudal rulers to be overthrown.