ABSTRACT
The garrison system of Guards and Battalions, which was implemented not only at strategic positions on the borders but also throughout the interior, was an important element of this process of “internal colonialism.” The most important of the resources were the agricultural lands of the garrison system’s military colonies. The Ming did not rely exclusively on hereditary military households to provide its military personnel. From the mid-Ming onwards, the sources of military recruitment became increasingly diverse, and irregulars of various types began to be incorporated into the system. New non-hereditary forms of military service also appeared. Yongzhou was strategically located on one of the key transportation routes connecting the north and south of the empire. The postal routes between Hunan and Guangdong and between Hunan and Guangxi converged at Yongzhou. Taochuan Battalion lay southwest of the Yongming county seat.
