Page "Qing Dynasty" Paragraph 78

Banner Armies were broadly divided along ethnic lines, namely Manchu and Mongol.

Although it must be pointed out that the ethnic composition of Manchu Banners was far from homogeneous as they included non-Manchu bondservants registered under the household of their Manchu masters.

As the war with Ming Dynasty progressed and the Han Chinese population under Manchu rule increased, Hong Taiji created a separate branch of Han Banners to draw on this new source of manpower.

However these Han bannermen were never regarded by the government as equal to the other two branches due to their relatively late addition to the Manchu cause as well as their Han Chinese ancestry.

The nature of their service — mainly as infantry, artillery and sappers, was also alien to the Manchu nomadic traditions of fighting as cavalry.

Furthermore, after the conquest the military roles played by Han bannermen were quickly subsumed by the Green Standard Army.

The Han Banners ceased to exist altogether after the Yongzheng Emperor's banner registration reforms aimed at cutting down imperial expenditures.