Lai Hui-min, 2020, The Mandarin’s Purse: Yamen and Merchants in Khalkha Mongolia during the Qing Dynasty, 563 pages, Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company.
 

This book discusses local finance in Khalkha Mongolia, paying particular attention to how the Qing government controlled this special area of Mongolia and its ethnic groups. Merchants, the author argues, played a crucial role in the Qing state’s efficient Governance of Khalkha Mongolia with limited financial resources. By looking into the merchants’ advantages from favorable timing, geographical conditions and social networks, this book provides a vivid picture of interactions between the merchants and the Qing government.