Banner System

Chinese �(Wade - Giles romanization) Ch'i-ping, �Pinyin �Qibing, � the military organization used by the Manchu tribes of Manchuria (now Northeast China) to conquer and control China in the 17th century. The Banner system was developed by the Manchu leader Nurhachi (1559 - 1626), who in 1601 organized his warriors into four companies of 300 men each. The companies were distinguished by banners of different colours - yellow, red, white, and blue. In 1615 four more