Nian Gengyao
Encyclopedia
Nian Gengyao (Manchu
: niyan geng yoo）was a Chinese military commander of the Qing Dynasty
. He was born a member of the Chinese Bordered Yellow Banner and had extensive military experience on the western frontier of the Qing empire. Nian became commander-in-chief of the Manchu
and Chinese armies in the northwest; and helped to incorporate the region of what is now Qinghai
into the Qing empire.
from 1692 to 1704. Nian Gengyao himself became a Jinshi in 1700 and was selected a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy
. In March 1709, the Banner company to which the Nian family belonged was assigned to serve Yinzhen, later the Yongzheng Emperor. About the same time a sister of Nian Gengyao became a concubine of Yinzhen.
In October 1709, Nian was appointed Governor of Sichuan
and gradually came to the notice of the Kangxi Emperor
. During the sixteen years of his administration, he quelled several uprisings of the aborigines west of Sichuan. In 1718, he was made Governor-general of Sichuan and was given power to direct military affairs. Following the appointment of Yinti, another of Kangxi's sons, as Border Pacification General-in-chief, there were suggestions about Nian's loyalty to Yinzhen. As General Who Secures the West (定西將軍), Nian Gengyao took an active part in supplying Yinti's campaign in Tibet
against Tsewang Rabtan
. In June 1721, he was granted an audience with the elderly Emperor at Rehe
and subsequently raised to the rank of Governor-general of Sichuan and Shaanxi
.
In December 1722, the Kangxi Emperor died and Yinzhen ascended the throne as the Yongzheng Emperor
. He granted an audience to Nian Gengyao early in 1723 and awarded him a minor hereditary rank and the title of Grand Guardian, and made his elder brother Nian Xiyao (年希堯) Governor of Guangdong
. A few months later, as reward for his help in ejecting the Dzungars from Tibet, Nian was elevated to a duke of the third class. The Emperor was uncharacteristically informal with him and promoted friendship between Longkedo
and Nian.
In 1723 Nian became commander-in-chief of the forces sent to quell the uprising of the Khoshotes of Qinghai under Lobdzan Dandzin. With the help of the general Yue Zhongqi, Nian won several victories over the rebels and in a few months quelled the revolt, adding Qinghai to the Qing empire. Nian was thereupon raised to a duke of the first class. When Nian made a visit to Beijing
in late 1724, and paid his respects to the Emperor, he was given additional honours and privileges normally granted to a Prince of the Blood. His attitude, however, aroused hatred and jealousy, and many officials submitted memorials hostile to Nian.
Nian himself was not slow to discover that he had lost imperial favour, for on his return to Xi'an
in January 1725 he submitted a memorial of his own, protesting his loyalty and imploring the Emperor's mercy. Meanwhile; it was discovered that Nian Gengyao had engaged in secret correspondence with Yintang, the Emperor's brother and political rival. His plea for leave being denied, Nian was, at the end of May, transferred to the post of Tartar General at Hangzhou
. The armies he once commanded went under the control of Yue Zhongqi. As accusations accumulated from his former friends and officials, Nian was in a few months progressively degraded in rank until he became merely a bannerman-at-large. In November he was arrested and taken under escort to Beijing. Early in 1726, his crimes were enumerated under ninety-two heads, and Nian was sentenced to be executed. The Emperor granted him the privilege of committing suicide but his eldest son, Nian Fu (年富), was beheaded and his other sons were banished.
Nian Gengyao is credited with three works on military tactics: General Nian's Art of War among others, but all were apparently written by others and falsely attributed to him.
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
: niyan geng yoo）was a Chinese military commander of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. He was born a member of the Chinese Bordered Yellow Banner and had extensive military experience on the western frontier of the Qing empire. Nian became commander-in-chief of the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
and Chinese armies in the northwest; and helped to incorporate the region of what is now Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
into the Qing empire.
Biography
His father Nian Xialing (年遐齡), served as Viceroy of HuguangViceroy of Huguang
The Viceroy of Huguang , fully referred to as the Governor General of the Hubei and Hunan Provinces and surrounding areas; Overseeing Military Affairs, Food Production; Director of Civil Affairs , was one of eight viceroys in China proper during the Qing Dynasty of China. The Viceroy had...
from 1692 to 1704. Nian Gengyao himself became a Jinshi in 1700 and was selected a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy
Hanlin Academy
The Hanlin Academy was an academic and administrative institution founded in the eighth century Tang dynasty China by Emperor Xuanzong.Membership in the academy was confined to an elite group of scholars, who performed secretarial and literary tasks for the court. One of its main duties was to...
. In March 1709, the Banner company to which the Nian family belonged was assigned to serve Yinzhen, later the Yongzheng Emperor. About the same time a sister of Nian Gengyao became a concubine of Yinzhen.
In October 1709, Nian was appointed Governor of Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
and gradually came to the notice of the Kangxi Emperor
Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor ; Manchu: elhe taifin hūwangdi ; Mongolian: Энх-Амгалан хаан, 4 May 1654 –20 December 1722) was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the first to be born on Chinese soil south of the Pass and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722.Kangxi's...
. During the sixteen years of his administration, he quelled several uprisings of the aborigines west of Sichuan. In 1718, he was made Governor-general of Sichuan and was given power to direct military affairs. Following the appointment of Yinti, another of Kangxi's sons, as Border Pacification General-in-chief, there were suggestions about Nian's loyalty to Yinzhen. As General Who Secures the West (定西將軍), Nian Gengyao took an active part in supplying Yinti's campaign in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
against Tsewang Rabtan
Tsewang Rabtan
Tsewang Rabtan was a Choros-Oirat prince and the Khong Tayiji of the Zunghar Khanate from 1697 until his death in 1727. He was married to Lha-bzang Khan's sister.Tsewang Rabtan married his daughter to Lha-bzang Khan's son in 1714...
. In June 1721, he was granted an audience with the elderly Emperor at Rehe
Rehe
Rehe , also known as Jehol, is a defunct Chinese Special administrative district and later province.-Administration:Rehe was located north of the Great Wall, west of Manchuria, and east of Mongolia. The capital of Rehe was the city of Chengde. The second largest city in the province was Chaoyang,...
and subsequently raised to the rank of Governor-general of Sichuan and Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
.
In December 1722, the Kangxi Emperor died and Yinzhen ascended the throne as the Yongzheng Emperor
Yongzheng Emperor
The Yongzheng Emperor , born Yinzhen , was the fifth emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty and the third Qing emperor from 1722 to 1735. A hard-working ruler, Yongzheng's main goal was to create an effective government at minimal expense. Like his father, the Kangxi Emperor, Yongzheng used military...
. He granted an audience to Nian Gengyao early in 1723 and awarded him a minor hereditary rank and the title of Grand Guardian, and made his elder brother Nian Xiyao (年希堯) Governor of Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
. A few months later, as reward for his help in ejecting the Dzungars from Tibet, Nian was elevated to a duke of the third class. The Emperor was uncharacteristically informal with him and promoted friendship between Longkedo
Longkodo
Longkodo was an eminent Manchu-Chinese official at court from the Tunggiya Clan, belonging to the Bordered Yellow Banner, during the Qing Dynasty...
and Nian.
In 1723 Nian became commander-in-chief of the forces sent to quell the uprising of the Khoshotes of Qinghai under Lobdzan Dandzin. With the help of the general Yue Zhongqi, Nian won several victories over the rebels and in a few months quelled the revolt, adding Qinghai to the Qing empire. Nian was thereupon raised to a duke of the first class. When Nian made a visit to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in late 1724, and paid his respects to the Emperor, he was given additional honours and privileges normally granted to a Prince of the Blood. His attitude, however, aroused hatred and jealousy, and many officials submitted memorials hostile to Nian.
Nian himself was not slow to discover that he had lost imperial favour, for on his return to Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
in January 1725 he submitted a memorial of his own, protesting his loyalty and imploring the Emperor's mercy. Meanwhile; it was discovered that Nian Gengyao had engaged in secret correspondence with Yintang, the Emperor's brother and political rival. His plea for leave being denied, Nian was, at the end of May, transferred to the post of Tartar General at Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
. The armies he once commanded went under the control of Yue Zhongqi. As accusations accumulated from his former friends and officials, Nian was in a few months progressively degraded in rank until he became merely a bannerman-at-large. In November he was arrested and taken under escort to Beijing. Early in 1726, his crimes were enumerated under ninety-two heads, and Nian was sentenced to be executed. The Emperor granted him the privilege of committing suicide but his eldest son, Nian Fu (年富), was beheaded and his other sons were banished.
Nian Gengyao is credited with three works on military tactics: General Nian's Art of War among others, but all were apparently written by others and falsely attributed to him.