The Ordos campaign of 1592, also called the Ningxia campaign (寧夏之役), Ningxia mutiny (寧夏兵變), or Pubei rebellion (哱拜之亂), was a rebellion of the garrison in Ningxia against their regional commanders. It took place in March 1592 in Ningxia, which was one of the nine military regions on the border of Ming China with Mongolia. The rebellion was led by Chinese officer Liu Dongyang and possibly Mongol general Pubei, who was serving in the Ming army. They successfully overthrew the commanding generals and took control of the city and its surrounding fortifications. The Ming army, led by Wei Xueceng, quickly regained control of the region and laid siege to the city in mid-May. The rebels had a sizable force of 20,000–30,000 soldiers, while the city's population was 300,000. In response, the Ming government gathered 40,000 soldiers, armed with hundreds of cannons, to suppress the rebellion.[2] The siege lasted for several months, with neither side gaining the upper hand. The rebels attempted to gain support from the Mongol khans, but were unsuccessful. The stalemate was broken when the Ming army built a dam around the city, which, when filled with water, flooded the city and destroyed its castles. The defenders' morale was further weakened by a lack of food. On 20 October 1592, the city was finally captured and the rebel leaders were either killed or captured and executed.[1]
