Although ethnically a Mongol, Sando's aggressive implementation of Beijing ordered reforms, including increased immigration of ethnic Han to the area and a rapid buildup of a sinicized military to fend off growing Russian influence, aggravated Mongols and precipitated moves by Khalkha nobles to declare independence from China in 1911.

[5] He promoted increased immigration of Han farmers, which he felt was a more effective way to counter expanding Russian influence in the area than simply garrisoning troops, and built up the Qing military capacity by establishing a Military Training Office under the domineering leadership of Army Chief of Staff Colonel Tang Zaili[1] (唐在礼) who forcibly recruited Mongolians, including lamas,[4] into the cavalry and local Chinese into the machine gun battalion.

He dispatched agents to investigate Outer Mongolia's natural resource potential, created the Bureau of Cultivation to exploit agricultural possibilities, especially in the central Tusheet Khan area of the country, and planned construction of a railway between the Urga and Beijing.

[7] Local Khalkha Mongols, unsettled by Sando's brutishness and the rapid pace of reforms, viewed these moves as little more than a purposeful colonization of the country.

Outraged, Sando demanded that the Mongolian spiritual leader, the Jebstundamba Khutuktu, surrender a particular lama believed to be the ringleader of the incident.

A minor noble, Togtokh Taij, with a small band, had with the connivance of local Mongolian officials plundered several Chinese merchant shops in eastern Mongolia.

And the prince of the khoshuun which Togtokh had raided refused Sando's demand to pay compensation to the plundered Chinese merchants.

Opposition to Sando's administration continued to spread, in particular to Tang Zaili's heavy-handed attempts to tighten military control over Outer Mongolia.

They proclaimed their intention declare independence to save their country from the fate of overt colonization by ethnic Chinese as suffered by their Inner Mongolian kinsmen.

[10] Sando immediately summoned the head of the Khutukhtu's ecclesiastical administration (Ikh shav’), the Erdene Shanzav Gonchigjalzangiin Badamdorj, and demanded an explanation.

Badamdorj, pleading that he had not been involved, revealed the entire plot to Sando, who then demanded that the Khutuktu withdraw his request for Russian troops.

Sando then ordered the Mongolians to have no further contact with the Russian consulate, threatening in case of disobedience to bring an additional 500 troops to Urga and to arm the Chinese population in the city.

[13] On December 1, 1911, a delegation of nobles and lamas visited Sando's office, and informed him of their decision to declare independence and to install the Khutuktu as emperor.

On the following day, his soldiers were disarmed by Mongolian militiamen, as well as Russian Cossacks of the consular convoy under command of Grigory Semyonov, future Ataman.