Otog Banner

Otog Banner (Mongolian: ᠣᠲᠣᠭ ᠬᠣᠰᠢᠭᠤ; Chinese: 鄂托克旗) is a banner of southwestern Inner Mongolia, China. It is under the administration of Ordos City, and borders Otog Front Banner to the southwest and Uxin Banner to the southeast.

Evidence of human habitation in present-day Otog Banner dates back to the Neolithic era, when the area was inhabited by the Hetao people (Chinese: 河套人; pinyin: Hétào rén).

According to the banner's government, the area was ruled over by the Shang Dynasty during its existence. During this time, the area was inhabited by the Tufang [zh], the Guifang, and other fang-countries, in addition to the Northern Qiang [zh] and Xunyu nomads.

During the Western Zhou period of the Zhou dynasty, the area around Otog Banner was home to nomadic tribes such as Xianyun, who were part of the Beidi. During the Spring and Autumn period, the Quyan [zh] and other nomadic tribes lived on the southwestern edge of present-day Otog Banner. During the Warring States period, the Linhu [zh] and the Loufan [zh] lived in the area.

Following the Zhou dynasty, the area was inhabited by the Xiongnu.

In 215 BCE, the area was incorporated into the Qin dynasty as part of Beidi Commandery. The area was reorganized in 127 BCE as part of Shuofang Commandery, with present-day Otog Banner occupying its subdivisions of Linrong County [zh] and Xiudu County [zh]. In 50 CE, the southern Xiongnu and other tribes occupied the area, and present-day Otog Banner fell under the jurisdiction of Xiongnu Right Tuqi-prince [zh].

During the Jin Dynasty and the Sixteen Kingdoms period, the area belonged to both the Former Zhao and Later Zhao. During this time, the area was administered as Shuozhou [zh].

In 407 CE, Helian Bobo established the Great Xia, which administered present-day Otog Banner. In 427 CE, the Northern Wei dynasty occupied the entirety of present-day Ordos, and administered the area of present-day Otog Banner as Xi'an Prefecture [zh].