Why did Inner Mongolia become more Chinese in population and culture under Manchu rule?

Under Manchu rule during the Qing dynasty, Inner Mongolia became increasingly integrated with China and Sinicized due to several key factors:

• Strategic Integration: The Manchu organized the southern fringe of Mongolia into a military reserve to help dominate China, creating the administrative concept of "Inner" Mongolia. This region was more closely tied to the Chinese political and military structure than the more distant "Outer" Mongolia.1
• Economic Influence: The Manchu promoted trade through itinerant Han merchants, which facilitated a growing Chinese presence. Over time, this evolved into Chinese control of the caravan and barter trade, often utilizing usurious credit terms that exploited the local population.21
• Agricultural Encroachment: As the 19th century progressed, population pressure in China proper drove many Chinese farmers into Inner Mongolia in search of arable land. This led to the gradual encroachment of Chinese colonization onto traditional Mongol pasturelands.21
• Shift in Policy: Because Mongol troops became less essential for controlling China, the Manchu authorities had less incentive to protect the Mongol economic base, allowing Chinese settlement to expand further into the region.1