Nurhaci
Encyclopedia
Nurhaci was an important Jurchen chieftain who rose to prominence in the late sixteenth century in what is today Northeastern China. Nurhaci was part of the Aisin Gioro
clan, and reigned from 1616 to his death in September 1626.
Nurhaci reorganized and united various Jurchen tribes (the later "Manchu"), consolidated the Eight Banners
military system, and eventually launched an assault on Ming Dynasty
and Korea
's Joseon Dynasty
. His conquest of China's northeastern Liaoning
province laid the groundwork for the conquest of the rest of China by his descendants, who would go on to found the Qing Dynasty
in 1644. He is also generally credited with the creation of a written script for the Manchu language
.
in the Manchu language
. Regarded as the founding father of the Qing Dynasty, he is given the customary temple name
of Taizu, which is traditionally assigned to founders of dynasties. His name is also alternatively spelled Nurgaci, Nurhachi, or Nu-er-ha-chi (the last of these simply the transcription of the Chinese characters used to write his name).
Nurhaci was the last chieftain of the Jianzhou
Jurchens and First Khan
of Later Jin
Dynasty. His title in Manchu as Khan was Geren gurun-be ujire genggiyen Han (“Brilliant Khan Who Benefits All Nations”). His Chinese reign name was Tianming ' onMouseout='HidePop("76719")' href="/topics/Manchu_language">Manchu
: ᠠᠪᡴᠠᡳ ᡶᡠᠯᡳᠩᡤᠠ Abkai fulingga), in Mongolian
Tengri-yin Süldetü. He was given a posthumous name
in 1736 (see infobox), the shortened form of which was "Emperor Gao" .
, a Mongol-Jurchen headman who lived some two centuries earlier. According to Chinese sources, the young man grew up as a soldier in the household of Ming Dynasty General Li Chengliang
in Fushun, where he learned Chinese. He named his clan Aisin Gioro
around 1612, when he formally ascended the throne as Khan of Later Jin.
In 1582 his father Taksi
and grandfather Giocangga
were killed in an attack on Gure (today a village in Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County
) by a rival Jurchen chieftain Nikan Wailan ("Nikan Wailan" means "Secretary of Chinese people" in Jurchen language, thus his existence is suspected by some historians.) while being led by Li Chengliang. The following year, Nurhaci began to unify the Jurchen bands around his area.
In 1584, when he was 25, he attacked Nikan Wailan at Tulun (today a village in Xinbin too) to avenge the deaths of his father and grandfather, who are said to have left him nothing but thirteen suits of armor. Nikan Wailan fled away to Erhun, which got attacked by Nurhaci again in 1587. Nikan Wailan this time fled to Li Chengliang's territory. Later, as a way to build relationship, Li gave Nikan Wailan to Nurhaci, who beheaded Nikan Wailan immediately. With Li's support, Nurhaci gradually grew his strength in the following years.
In 1593, the nine allied tribes of Yehe
, Hada, Ula, Hoifa, Khorchin, Sibe, Guwalca, Jušeri, and Neyen attacked Nurhaci but all were completely defeated at the Battle of Gure.
From 1599 to 1618, Nurhaci engaged on a campaign on conquering the four Hulun
tribes. In 1599, he attacked the Hada, finally conquering the Hada in 1603. Then in 1607, with the death of its beile Baindari
, Hoifa was conquered, followed by an expedition against Ula and its beile Bujantai
in 1613 and finally defeating Yehe and its beile Gintaisi
at the Battle of Sarhu
in 1619.
In 1599, he had two of his translators, Erdeni Bagshi and Dahai Jarguchi, create the Manchu alphabet
by adapting the Mongolian script
.
In 1606, he was granted the title of Kundulun Khan by the Mongols.
In 1616, Nurhaci declared himself Khan
(King) and founded the Jin Dynasty (aisin gurun), often called the Later Jin. He constructed a palace at Mukden (present-day Shenyang
) in Liaoning
province. (The earlier Jin Dynasty of the twelfth century had also been formed by the Jurchen.) Jīn was renamed Qīng by his son Hong Taiji after his death in 1626, but Nurhaci is usually referred to as the founder of the Qing dynasty.
Only after he became khan did he finally unify the Ula (clan of his consort Lady Abahai
, mentioned below) and the Yehe (clan of his consort Monggo, along with the last Empress Dowager Cíxǐ
, and many more consorts of Qing Emperors in between).
In 1618, Nurhaci commissioned a document entitled the Seven Grievances in which he enumerated seven grievances against the Ming and began to rebel against the domination of the Ming Dynasty. A majority of the grievances dealt with conflicts against Yehe, and Ming favouritism of Yehe.
Nurhaci led many successful engagements against the Ming Dynasty, the Koreans, the Mongols
, and other Jurchen clans, greatly enlarging the territory under his control. Finally in 1626 Nurhaci suffered the first serious military defeat of his life at the hands of the Ming general Yuán Chónghuàn
. Nurhaci was wounded by Yuan's Portuguese cannon (紅衣大炮) in the Battle of Ningyuan
. Unable to recover either physically or mentally, he died 2 days later at a little town called De-A Man (靉福陵隆恩門) on 30 September, at the age of 68. His tomb is located east of Shenyang
.
Among the most lasting contributions Nurhaci left his descendants was the establishment of the so-called Eight Banners
, which would eventually form the backbone of the military that dominated the Qing empire. The status of Banners did not change much over the course of Nurhaci's lifetime, nor in subsequent reigns, remaining mostly under the control of the royal family. The two elite Yellow Banners were consistently under Nurhaci's control. The two Blue Banners were controlled by Nurhaci's brother Šurhaci until he died, at which point the Blue Banners were given to Šurhaci's two sons-Chiurhala and Amin. Nurhaci's eldest son-Cuyen- controlled the White Banner for most of his father's reign - until he rebelled. Then the Bordered White Banner was given to Nurhaci's grandson and the Plain White was given to his eighth son and heir, Hong Taiji
. However, by the end of Nurhaci's reign, Hong Taiji controlled both White Banners. Finally, the Red Banner was run by Nurhaci's second son Daishan. Later in Nurhaci's reign, the Bordered Red Banner was handed down to his son. Daishan and his son would continue holding the two Red Banners well into the end of Hong Taiji's reign.
As noted, Nurhaci was succeeded by his eighth son, Hong Taiji. It is said Hong Taiji took the throne by coercing his father's third consort Lady Abahai
to commit suicide, in order to block the succession of his younger brother Dorgon
. The reason such intrigue was necessary is that Nurhaci had left the two elite Yellow Banners to Dorgun and Dodo, who were the sons of Lady Abahai. Hong Taiji exchanged control of his two White Banners for that of the two Yellow Banners, shifting their influence and power from his young brothers onto himself. At the same time, by forcing Lady Abahai to follow her husband into death, he assured that there would be no one to support the 15-year-old Dorgon or 14-year-old Dodo.
Four of Nurhaci's consorts held the rank of Side Chamber Consort (側妃; Ze Fei):
Five of Nurhaci's consorts held the rank of Ordinary Consort (庶妃; Shu Fei):
The original Manchu language records from Nurhaci's reign also survive. A revised transcription of these records (with the dots and circles added to the script) was commissioned by the Qianlong emperor. This has been translated into Japanese, under the title Manbun roto, and Chinese, under the title Manwen Laodang
(Chinese:满文老襠). A project is currently under way at Harvard to translate them into English, as The Old Manchu Chronicles.
.
Aisin Gioro
Aisin Gioro was the family name of the Manchu emperors of the Qing Dynasty. The House of Aisin Gioro ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which established a republican government in its place. The word aisin means gold in the Manchu language, and "gioro" is the name of the place in...
clan, and reigned from 1616 to his death in September 1626.
Nurhaci reorganized and united various Jurchen tribes (the later "Manchu"), consolidated the Eight Banners
Eight Banners
The Eight Banners were administrative divisions into which all Manchu families were placed. They provided the basic framework for the Manchu military organization...
military system, and eventually launched an assault on Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
's Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
. His conquest of China's northeastern Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
province laid the groundwork for the conquest of the rest of China by his descendants, who would go on to found 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....
in 1644. He is also generally credited with the creation of a written script for the Manchu language
Manchu language
Manchu is a Tungusic endangered language spoken in Northeast China; it used to be the language of the Manchu, though now most Manchus speak Mandarin Chinese and there are fewer than 70 native speakers of Manchu out of a total of nearly 10 million ethnic Manchus...
.
Name and titles
Nurhaci is written as in the Manchu languageManchu language
Manchu is a Tungusic endangered language spoken in Northeast China; it used to be the language of the Manchu, though now most Manchus speak Mandarin Chinese and there are fewer than 70 native speakers of Manchu out of a total of nearly 10 million ethnic Manchus...
. Regarded as the founding father of the Qing Dynasty, he is given the customary temple name
Temple name
Temple names are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Korean , and Vietnamese royalty. They should not be confused with era names. Compared to posthumous names, the use of temple names is more exclusive...
of Taizu, which is traditionally assigned to founders of dynasties. His name is also alternatively spelled Nurgaci, Nurhachi, or Nu-er-ha-chi (the last of these simply the transcription of the Chinese characters used to write his name).
Nurhaci was the last chieftain of the Jianzhou
Jianzhou Jurchens
The Jianzhou Jurchens were a grouping of the Jurchens as identified by the Chinese of the Ming Dynasty. They were the southernmost group of the Jurchen people The Jianzhou Jurchens (Chinese:建州女真) were a grouping of the Jurchens as identified by the Chinese of the Ming Dynasty. They were the...
Jurchens and First Khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
of Later Jin
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....
Dynasty. His title in Manchu as Khan was Geren gurun-be ujire genggiyen Han (“Brilliant Khan Who Benefits All Nations”). His Chinese reign name was Tianming ' onMouseout='HidePop("76719")' href="/topics/Manchu_language">Manchu
Manchu language
Manchu is a Tungusic endangered language spoken in Northeast China; it used to be the language of the Manchu, though now most Manchus speak Mandarin Chinese and there are fewer than 70 native speakers of Manchu out of a total of nearly 10 million ethnic Manchus...
: ᠠᠪᡴᠠᡳ ᡶᡠᠯᡳᠩᡤᠠ Abkai fulingga), in Mongolian
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
Tengri-yin Süldetü. He was given a posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
in 1736 (see infobox), the shortened form of which was "Emperor Gao" .
Life
Nurhaci was born in 1559. Being a member of the Gioro clan of the Suksuhu River tribe, Nurhaci also claimed descent from Möngke TemürMöngke Temür
Möngke Temür or Dudu Mentemu was the Jurchen chieftain of the Odoli tribe, one fo the three tribes of the lower Sungari river valley in Manchuria...
, a Mongol-Jurchen headman who lived some two centuries earlier. According to Chinese sources, the young man grew up as a soldier in the household of Ming Dynasty General Li Chengliang
Li Chengliang
Li Chengliang was a Chinese general of Korean descent in the reign of the Wanli Emperor during the Ming Dynasty who was in charge of maintaining peace and relations with the Jurchen tribes. He was from Tielin and was from a military family....
in Fushun, where he learned Chinese. He named his clan Aisin Gioro
Aisin Gioro
Aisin Gioro was the family name of the Manchu emperors of the Qing Dynasty. The House of Aisin Gioro ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which established a republican government in its place. The word aisin means gold in the Manchu language, and "gioro" is the name of the place in...
around 1612, when he formally ascended the throne as Khan of Later Jin.
In 1582 his father Taksi
Taksi
Taksi was a Jurchen chieftain and father of Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty, and the fourth son of Giocangga. A member of the Gioro clan, he was killed in an attack on Gure by a rival Jurchen chieftain Nikan Wailan in 1582. His temple name was Xiǎnzǔ...
and grandfather Giocangga
Giocangga
Giocangga was the grandfather of Nurhaci, the man who was to unify the Jurchen peoples and begin building what later became the Manchu state. Both he and his son Taksi went to the aid of Nurhaci's uncle Atai whose city was being besieged by a rival Jurchen chieftain Nikan Wailan, who promised...
were killed in an attack on Gure (today a village in Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County
Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County
Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County , or simply Xinbin County , is one of the three counties under the administration of Fushun City, in the east of Liaoning Province, Northeast China...
) by a rival Jurchen chieftain Nikan Wailan ("Nikan Wailan" means "Secretary of Chinese people" in Jurchen language, thus his existence is suspected by some historians.) while being led by Li Chengliang. The following year, Nurhaci began to unify the Jurchen bands around his area.
In 1584, when he was 25, he attacked Nikan Wailan at Tulun (today a village in Xinbin too) to avenge the deaths of his father and grandfather, who are said to have left him nothing but thirteen suits of armor. Nikan Wailan fled away to Erhun, which got attacked by Nurhaci again in 1587. Nikan Wailan this time fled to Li Chengliang's territory. Later, as a way to build relationship, Li gave Nikan Wailan to Nurhaci, who beheaded Nikan Wailan immediately. With Li's support, Nurhaci gradually grew his strength in the following years.
In 1593, the nine allied tribes of Yehe
Nara (clan)
Nara is a major Manchu clan. The Hūlun Four States -- Hada , Ula , Hoifa and Yehe -- were ruled by this clan...
, Hada, Ula, Hoifa, Khorchin, Sibe, Guwalca, Jušeri, and Neyen attacked Nurhaci but all were completely defeated at the Battle of Gure.
From 1599 to 1618, Nurhaci engaged on a campaign on conquering the four Hulun
Hulun
Hūlun was a powerful alliance of Jurchen tribes in the late 16th century, based primarily in what is today Jilin province of China.The Hūlun alliance was formed by Wan Hūlun was a powerful alliance of Jurchen tribes in the late 16th century, based primarily in what is today Jilin province of...
tribes. In 1599, he attacked the Hada, finally conquering the Hada in 1603. Then in 1607, with the death of its beile Baindari
Baindari
Baindari was a Jurchen beile of the Hoifa tribal confederation.He was a member of the Nara clan although his ancestors were originally members of the Ikderi clan and belonged originally to the Nimaca tribe on the banks of the Amur river. Migrating southward, they put themselves under the...
, Hoifa was conquered, followed by an expedition against Ula and its beile Bujantai
Bujantai
Bujantai was a Jurchen beile of the Ula tribal confederation.Bujantai was descended from Nacibulu , the ancestor of the Nara lineages of Ula and Hada....
in 1613 and finally defeating Yehe and its beile Gintaisi
Gintaisi
Gintaisi , was a Jurchen beile of the Yehe tribal confederation....
at the Battle of Sarhu
Battle of Sarhu
The Battle of Sarhū refers to the series of conflicts between the Manchus and Ming Dynasty of China in the winter of year 1619, which ended in the overwhelming victory for the former....
in 1619.
In 1599, he had two of his translators, Erdeni Bagshi and Dahai Jarguchi, create the Manchu alphabet
Manchu alphabet
The Manchu alphabet was used for recording the now near-extinct Manchu language; a similar script is used today by the Xibe people, who speak a language descended from Manchu...
by adapting the Mongolian script
Mongolian script
The classical Mongolian script , also known as Uyghurjin, was the first writing system created specifically for the Mongolian language, and was the most successful until the introduction of Cyrillic in 1946...
.
In 1606, he was granted the title of Kundulun Khan by the Mongols.
In 1616, Nurhaci declared himself Khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
(King) and founded the Jin Dynasty (aisin gurun), often called the Later Jin. He constructed a palace at Mukden (present-day Shenyang
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
) in Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
province. (The earlier Jin Dynasty of the twelfth century had also been formed by the Jurchen.) Jīn was renamed Qīng by his son Hong Taiji after his death in 1626, but Nurhaci is usually referred to as the founder of the Qing dynasty.
Only after he became khan did he finally unify the Ula (clan of his consort Lady Abahai
Lady Abahai
Lady Abahai was the primary consort of Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty. She bore Nurhaci three sons - Ajige, Dorgon, and Dodo. She was erroneously identified with Nurhaci's son and successor, Hong Taiji, in earlier sources....
, mentioned below) and the Yehe (clan of his consort Monggo, along with the last Empress Dowager Cíxǐ
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
, and many more consorts of Qing Emperors in between).
In 1618, Nurhaci commissioned a document entitled the Seven Grievances in which he enumerated seven grievances against the Ming and began to rebel against the domination of the Ming Dynasty. A majority of the grievances dealt with conflicts against Yehe, and Ming favouritism of Yehe.
Nurhaci led many successful engagements against the Ming Dynasty, the Koreans, the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
, and other Jurchen clans, greatly enlarging the territory under his control. Finally in 1626 Nurhaci suffered the first serious military defeat of his life at the hands of the Ming general Yuán Chónghuàn
Yuan Chonghuan
Yuan Chonghuan was a famed patriot and military commander of the Ming Dynasty who battled the Manchus in Liaoning. A commander of Cantonese origin, Yuan Chonghuan was known to have excelled in artillery warfare and successfully incorporated Western tactics with those of the East...
. Nurhaci was wounded by Yuan's Portuguese cannon (紅衣大炮) in the Battle of Ningyuan
Battle of Ningyuan
The Battle of Ningyuan was a battle between the Ming Dynasty and the Manchurian Later Jin in 1626. The Ming won this battle. This battle marked the temporary resurgence of the Imperial Ming army after a long series of defeats....
. Unable to recover either physically or mentally, he died 2 days later at a little town called De-A Man (靉福陵隆恩門) on 30 September, at the age of 68. His tomb is located east of Shenyang
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
.
Among the most lasting contributions Nurhaci left his descendants was the establishment of the so-called Eight Banners
Eight Banners
The Eight Banners were administrative divisions into which all Manchu families were placed. They provided the basic framework for the Manchu military organization...
, which would eventually form the backbone of the military that dominated the Qing empire. The status of Banners did not change much over the course of Nurhaci's lifetime, nor in subsequent reigns, remaining mostly under the control of the royal family. The two elite Yellow Banners were consistently under Nurhaci's control. The two Blue Banners were controlled by Nurhaci's brother Šurhaci until he died, at which point the Blue Banners were given to Šurhaci's two sons-Chiurhala and Amin. Nurhaci's eldest son-Cuyen- controlled the White Banner for most of his father's reign - until he rebelled. Then the Bordered White Banner was given to Nurhaci's grandson and the Plain White was given to his eighth son and heir, Hong Taiji
Hong Taiji
Hong Taiji , also transliterated as Huang Taiji based on the Chinese language transcription of his name, was the first Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.Hong Taiji was the first Emperor of the Qing dynasty after acceding to the title in 1636...
. However, by the end of Nurhaci's reign, Hong Taiji controlled both White Banners. Finally, the Red Banner was run by Nurhaci's second son Daishan. Later in Nurhaci's reign, the Bordered Red Banner was handed down to his son. Daishan and his son would continue holding the two Red Banners well into the end of Hong Taiji's reign.
As noted, Nurhaci was succeeded by his eighth son, Hong Taiji. It is said Hong Taiji took the throne by coercing his father's third consort Lady Abahai
Lady Abahai
Lady Abahai was the primary consort of Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty. She bore Nurhaci three sons - Ajige, Dorgon, and Dodo. She was erroneously identified with Nurhaci's son and successor, Hong Taiji, in earlier sources....
to commit suicide, in order to block the succession of his younger brother Dorgon
Dorgon
Dorgon , also known as Hošoi Mergen Cin Wang, the Prince Rui , was one of the most influential Manchu princes in the early Qing Dynasty. He laid the groundwork for the Manchu rule of China.-Early life:Dorgon was born in Yenden, Manchuria , China...
. The reason such intrigue was necessary is that Nurhaci had left the two elite Yellow Banners to Dorgun and Dodo, who were the sons of Lady Abahai. Hong Taiji exchanged control of his two White Banners for that of the two Yellow Banners, shifting their influence and power from his young brothers onto himself. At the same time, by forcing Lady Abahai to follow her husband into death, he assured that there would be no one to support the 15-year-old Dorgon or 14-year-old Dodo.
Ancestors
- Great-Great-Grandfather
- Möngke TemürMöngke TemürMöngke Temür or Dudu Mentemu was the Jurchen chieftain of the Odoli tribe, one fo the three tribes of the lower Sungari river valley in Manchuria...
(1370–1433), personal name Mengtemu (孟特穆), posthumously honored as Emperor Yuan (原皇帝, Da Hūwangdi) with the temple name of Zhaozu (肇祖, Deribuhe Mafa)
- Möngke Temür
- Great-Great-Grandmother or step-great-great-grandmother
- Mengtemu'sMöngke TemürMöngke Temür or Dudu Mentemu was the Jurchen chieftain of the Odoli tribe, one fo the three tribes of the lower Sungari river valley in Manchuria...
wife, posthumously honored as Empress Yuan (原皇后)
- Mengtemu's
- Great-Grandfather
- FumanFumanFuman Temple name : Xingzu...
, posthumously honored as Emperor Zhi (直皇帝, Tondo Hūwangdi) with the temple name of Xingzu (興祖, Yendibuhe Mafa)
- Fuman
- Great-grandmother or step-great-grandmother
- Lady Hitara (喜塔拉氏), Fuman'sFumanFuman Temple name : Xingzu...
wife, daughter of Captain Doulijin (都督 都理金), posthumously honored as Empress Zhi (直皇后)
- Lady Hitara (喜塔拉氏), Fuman's
- Grandfather
- GiocanggaGiocanggaGiocangga was the grandfather of Nurhaci, the man who was to unify the Jurchen peoples and begin building what later became the Manchu state. Both he and his son Taksi went to the aid of Nurhaci's uncle Atai whose city was being besieged by a rival Jurchen chieftain Nikan Wailan, who promised...
(died 1583), posthumously honored as Emperor Yi (翼皇帝, Gosingga Hūwangdi) with the temple name of Jingzu (景祖, Mukdembuhe Mafa)
- Giocangga
- Grandmother or step-grandmother
- Giocangga'sGiocanggaGiocangga was the grandfather of Nurhaci, the man who was to unify the Jurchen peoples and begin building what later became the Manchu state. Both he and his son Taksi went to the aid of Nurhaci's uncle Atai whose city was being besieged by a rival Jurchen chieftain Nikan Wailan, who promised...
wife, posthumously honored as Empress Yi (翼皇后)
- Giocangga's
- Father
- TaksiTaksiTaksi was a Jurchen chieftain and father of Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty, and the fourth son of Giocangga. A member of the Gioro clan, he was killed in an attack on Gure by a rival Jurchen chieftain Nikan Wailan in 1582. His temple name was Xiǎnzǔ...
(died 1583), posthumously honored as Emperor Xuan (宣皇帝, Hafumbuha Hūwangdi) with the temple name of Xianzu (顯祖, Iletuleha Mafa)
- Taksi
- Mother
- Lady Hitara (喜塔拉氏) (died 1569), Taksi'sTaksiTaksi was a Jurchen chieftain and father of Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty, and the fourth son of Giocangga. A member of the Gioro clan, he was killed in an attack on Gure by a rival Jurchen chieftain Nikan Wailan in 1582. His temple name was Xiǎnzǔ...
wife, daughter of Captain Agu (都督 阿古), granddaughter of Captain Cancha (都督 參察), great-granddaughter of Captain Doulijin (都督 都里吉), posthumously honored as Empress Xuan (宣皇后)
- Lady Hitara (喜塔拉氏) (died 1569), Taksi's
Siblings
- Brothers (same mother)
- ŠurhaciŠurhaciŠurhaci ; ) , was a Jurchen leader, a member of the Aisin Gioro clan, he was a younger brother of Nurhaci, the founder of the Later Jin Dynasty, of what would become the Qing Dynasty...
(舒爾哈齊) (1564–1611) - Yarhaci (雅爾哈齊)
- Šurhaci
- Sister (same mother)
- Lady Aisin Gioro (愛新覺羅氏), married Gehashan Hasihu (噶哈善哈斯虎)
- Half-Brothers
- Bayara (巴雅齊)
- Murhaci (穆爾哈齊) (1582–1624)
Consorts
Nurhaci had a total of 16 consorts:- Lady Tunggiya (佟佳氏), given name Hahana Jacing (哈哈納扎青), daughter of Tabonbayan (塔木巴晏). She married Nurhaci in 1577 as his first wife and initial consortConsortConsort may refer to:Titles:* Queen consort, wife of a reigning king* Prince consort, husband of a reigning queen* King consort, rarely used alternative title for husband of a reigning queen...
. After the founding of the Qing DynastyQing DynastyThe 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....
, she was posthumously honored as First Consort (元妃; Yuan Fei). Lady Tunggiya bore Nurhaci three children:- Princess Dongguo
- Cuyen, Crown PrinceCuyenCuyen was a Manchu prince. He was born of the Aisin Gioro clan as the eldest son of Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty. His mother was Hahana-jacing of the Tunggiya clan, who was Nurhaci's primary spouse. Cuyen was Nurhaci's initial heir apparent but predeceased his father. He died in 1618 and...
- Daišan, Prince LiDaišanDaišan was an influential Manchu statesman and an imperial prince of the Qing Dynasty.-Family Background:He the second son of Nurhaci, the founder of the Qing Dynasty...
- Lady Fuca (富察氏), given name Gundai (袞代). She was Nurhaci's second consort. After the founding of the Qing DynastyQing DynastyThe 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....
, she was posthumously honored as Successor Consort (繼妃; Ji Fei). Lady Fuca bore Nurhaci three children:- Manggūltai
- Mangguji, Princess Hada
- Degelei, Beile
- Lady Yehenara (葉赫那拉氏) (given name Monggo Jer-Jer (孟古哲哲)) (1575–1603), daughter of Prince Yangginu of the Yehenara (葉赫部貝勒楊吉砮). She married Nurhaci in October 1588 at the age of 13. On 16 May 1636, she was posthumously honored as Empress Xiaocigao (孝慈高皇后). Lady Yehenara bore Nurhaci one child:
- Hong TaijiHong TaijiHong Taiji , also transliterated as Huang Taiji based on the Chinese language transcription of his name, was the first Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.Hong Taiji was the first Emperor of the Qing dynasty after acceding to the title in 1636...
- Hong Taiji
- Lady Ulanara (烏喇那拉氏) (given name AbahaiLady AbahaiLady Abahai was the primary consort of Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty. She bore Nurhaci three sons - Ajige, Dorgon, and Dodo. She was erroneously identified with Nurhaci's son and successor, Hong Taiji, in earlier sources....
(阿巴亥)) (1590–1626), daughter of Prince Mantai of the Ulanara (烏拉貝勒滿泰) (died 1596). She married Nurhaci in 1602 at the age of 12. In 1603 she was created Grand Consort (大妃). She was posthumously honored as Empress XiaoliewuLady AbahaiLady Abahai was the primary consort of Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty. She bore Nurhaci three sons - Ajige, Dorgon, and Dodo. She was erroneously identified with Nurhaci's son and successor, Hong Taiji, in earlier sources....
(孝烈武皇后). Lady Ulanara bore Nurhaci three children:- Ajige, Prince YingAjigeAjige was a prince and general of the Qing Dynasty. He was born of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan as the 12th son of Nurhaci, khan of the Later Jin Dynasty ....
- Dorgon, Prince RuiDorgonDorgon , also known as Hošoi Mergen Cin Wang, the Prince Rui , was one of the most influential Manchu princes in the early Qing Dynasty. He laid the groundwork for the Manchu rule of China.-Early life:Dorgon was born in Yenden, Manchuria , China...
- Dodo, Prince YuDodo (prince)Dodo was a Manchu prince and military general of the early Qing Dynasty. His title was "Prince Yu of the First Rank" .-Family background:...
- Ajige, Prince Ying
- Lady Borjigit (博爾濟吉特氏), posthumously honored as Dowager Consort Shou Kang (壽康太妃).
Four of Nurhaci's consorts held the rank of Side Chamber Consort (側妃; Ze Fei):
- Lady Irgen GioroIrgen GioroIrgen Gioro is a notable Manchu family name which has the largest population of the Gioro clan.-Introduction:As a big clan among Manchu people, Irgen Gioro distributes widely into many small families. The ones whose ancestors came from Yehe and Muši are the most illustrious Irgen Gioro families...
(伊爾根覺羅氏), bore Nurhaci two children:- Princess Nunje
- AbataiAbataiAbatai was a Manchu noble and general. Although an inconsistent and dissolute malcontent, he nevertheless showed considerable ability as a military leader and administrator.-Biography:...
- Lady Yehenara (葉赫那拉氏), younger sister of Empress Xiaocigao. She bore Nurhaci one child:
- Nurhaci's eighth daughter
- two unnamed consorts
Five of Nurhaci's consorts held the rank of Ordinary Consort (庶妃; Shu Fei):
- Lady Joogiya (兆佳氏), bore Nurhaci one child:
- Abai, Duke of Zhen
- Lady Niuhuru (鈕祜祿氏), bore Nurhaci two children:
- Tangguldai, Duke of Fu
- Tabai, Duke of Fu
- Lady Giyamuhut Gioro (嘉穆瑚覺羅氏) (given name Zhen'ge (真哥)), bore Nurhaci five children:
- Babutai, Duke of Zhen
- Mukushen
- Babuhai
- Nurhaci's fifth daughter
- Nurhaci's sixth daughter
- Lady Silin Gioro (西林覺羅), bore Nurhaci one child:
- Laimbu, Duke of FuLaimbuLaimbu was one of the most influential princes during the early Qing Dynasty in China....
- Laimbu, Duke of Fu
- Lady Irgen GioroIrgen GioroIrgen Gioro is a notable Manchu family name which has the largest population of the Gioro clan.-Introduction:As a big clan among Manchu people, Irgen Gioro distributes widely into many small families. The ones whose ancestors came from Yehe and Muši are the most illustrious Irgen Gioro families...
(伊爾根覺羅氏), bore Nurhaci one child:- Nurhaci's seventh daughter
Sons
- Eldest son: CuyenCuyenCuyen was a Manchu prince. He was born of the Aisin Gioro clan as the eldest son of Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty. His mother was Hahana-jacing of the Tunggiya clan, who was Nurhaci's primary spouse. Cuyen was Nurhaci's initial heir apparent but predeceased his father. He died in 1618 and...
(褚英) (1580–1618), Nurhaci's initial Crown Prince, posthumously honored as Crown Prince Guang'e (廣略太子) - 2nd: DaišanDaišanDaišan was an influential Manchu statesman and an imperial prince of the Qing Dynasty.-Family Background:He the second son of Nurhaci, the founder of the Qing Dynasty...
(代善) (19 August 1583 - 25 November 1648), created Prince Li of the First Rank (禮親王), granted the posthumous name Lie (烈) - 3rd: Abai (8 September 1585 - 14 March 1648), created General of Zhen (鎮國將軍), posthumously honored as Duke of Zhen (鎮國公) with the posthumous namePosthumous nameA posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
Qinmin (勤敏), had 7 sons - 4th: Tangguldai (湯古代) (24 December 1585 - 3 November 1640), created General of Zhen (鎮國將軍), posthumously honored by the Shunzhi EmperorShunzhi EmperorThe Shunzhi Emperor was the third emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China, which he did from 1644 to 1661. "Shunzhi" was the name of his reign period...
as Duke of Fu (輔國公) with the posthumous namePosthumous nameA posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
Kejie (克潔), had 2 sons - 5th: Manggūltai (莽古爾泰) (1587 - 11 January 1633)
- 6th: Tabai (塔拜) (2 April 1589 - 6 September 1639), created General of Fu (輔國將軍), posthumously honored as Duke of Fu (輔國公) with the posthumous namePosthumous nameA posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
Quehou (慤厚), had eight sons - 7th: AbataiAbataiAbatai was a Manchu noble and general. Although an inconsistent and dissolute malcontent, he nevertheless showed considerable ability as a military leader and administrator.-Biography:...
(阿巴泰) (27 July 1589 - 10 May 1646) - 8th: Hong TaijiHong TaijiHong Taiji , also transliterated as Huang Taiji based on the Chinese language transcription of his name, was the first Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.Hong Taiji was the first Emperor of the Qing dynasty after acceding to the title in 1636...
(皇太極) (28 November 1592 - 21 September 1643), succeeded Nurhaci as Emperor of the Qing Dynasty - 9th: Babutai (巴布泰) (13 December 1592 - 27 February 1655), created Duke of Zhen (鎮國公), granted the posthumous name Kexi (恪僖), had 3 sons
- 10th: Degelei (德格類) (16 December 1592 - 11 November 1635), held the rank of BeileQing Dynasty nobilityThe Qing Dynasty of China developed a complicated peerage system for ranking nobility. All titles were to be inherited by a noble's eldest son, but always one grade lower. There were instances, however, where an emperor approved of a title being hereditary . This was regarded as an honour by the...
, had 3 sons - 11th: Babuhai (巴布海) (15 January 1597 - 1643)
- 12th: AjigeAjigeAjige was a prince and general of the Qing Dynasty. He was born of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan as the 12th son of Nurhaci, khan of the Later Jin Dynasty ....
(阿濟格) (28 August 1605 - 28 November 1651) - 13th: LaimbuLaimbuLaimbu was one of the most influential princes during the early Qing Dynasty in China....
(賴慕布) (26 January 1612 - 23 June 1646), posthumously honored as Duke of Fu (輔國公) with the posthumous namePosthumous nameA posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
Jiezhi (介直) - 14th: DorgonDorgonDorgon , also known as Hošoi Mergen Cin Wang, the Prince Rui , was one of the most influential Manchu princes in the early Qing Dynasty. He laid the groundwork for the Manchu rule of China.-Early life:Dorgon was born in Yenden, Manchuria , China...
(多爾袞) (17 November 1612 - 31 December 1650), created Prince Rui of the First Rank (睿親王), granted the posthumous namePosthumous nameA posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
Zhong (忠), posthumously honored as an Emperor of the Qing Dynasty with the temple name of Chengzong (成宗) by the Shunzhi EmperorShunzhi EmperorThe Shunzhi Emperor was the third emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China, which he did from 1644 to 1661. "Shunzhi" was the name of his reign period... - 15th: DodoDodo (prince)Dodo was a Manchu prince and military general of the early Qing Dynasty. His title was "Prince Yu of the First Rank" .-Family background:...
(多鐸) (2 April 1614 - 29 April 1649), created Prince Yu of the First Rank (豫親王) with the posthumous name Tong (通) - 16th: Fiyanggu (費揚果) (November 1620 - ?), had four sons
Daughters
- Eldest daughter: Princess Donggo (東果格格) (1578 - August/early September 1652), married in 1588 Hohori (何和禮) (1561–1624), held the rank of State Princess (固倫公主)
- 2nd: Princess Nunje (嫩哲格格) (1587 - late August/early September 1646), married Darkhan (達爾漢), held the rank of Princess of the Second Rank (和碩公主)
- 3rd: Mangguji (莽古濟) (1590–1635), married firstly in 1601 Hadanara Worgudai (哈達部納喇.吳爾古代) (son of Menggebulu (孟格布祿)) and had two daughters, married secondly in 1627 Borjigit Suonuo Muduling (博爾濟吉特.瑣諾木杜凌), held the title of Princess Hada (哈達公主)
- 4th: Mukushen (穆庫什) (1595 - ?); married in 1608 Prince BujantaiBujantaiBujantai was a Jurchen beile of the Ula tribal confederation.Bujantai was descended from Nacibulu , the ancestor of the Nara lineages of Ula and Hada....
of the Ulanara (烏拉國主布佔泰), last prince of the Ula - 5th: Princess ? (1597–1613); married in 1608 Niohuru Daqi (鈕祜祿.達啟), son of Niohuru Eyidou (鈕祜祿.額亦都)
- 6th: Princess ? (1600 - October/early November 1646), married in 1613 Yehenara Suna (葉赫那拉.蘇納) (father of SuksahaSuksahaSuksaha was a one of the Four Regents during the early reign of the Chinese Kangxi Emperor in the Qing Dynasty.Like his father Suna, he was from the Nara clan, but the family fought under the White Banner of the Manchu Eight Banners instead. During the Manchurian conquest of China, he was rewarded...
) - 7th: Princess ? (April 1604 - August 1685), married in November or early December 1619 Nara Ezhayi (納喇.鄂札伊) (died May/early June 1641)
- 8th: Princess ? (1612 - March/April 1646), married in February or early March 1625 Borjigit Gorbushi (博尔济吉特.固尔布什), held the rank of Princess of the Second Rank (和碩公主)
Ancestry
Primary sources
Information concerning Nurhaci can be found in later, propagandistic works such as the Manchu Veritable Records (in Chinese Mǎnzhōu Shílù 滿洲實錄, in Manchu the Yargiyan kooli.) Good contemporary sources are also available. For instance, much material concerning Nurhaci's rise is preserved within Korean sources such as the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (Joseon Wangjo Sillok朝鮮王朝實錄), especially the Seonjo Sillok and the Gwanghaegun Ilgi. Indeed, the record of Sin Chung-il's trip to Jianzhou is preserved in the Seonjo Sillok.The original Manchu language records from Nurhaci's reign also survive. A revised transcription of these records (with the dots and circles added to the script) was commissioned by the Qianlong emperor. This has been translated into Japanese, under the title Manbun roto, and Chinese, under the title Manwen Laodang
Manwen Laodang
Manwen Laodang is a set of Manchu official documents of the Qing Dynasty, compiled during the late Qianlong period based on Jiu Manzhou Dang....
(Chinese:满文老襠). A project is currently under way at Harvard to translate them into English, as The Old Manchu Chronicles.
Popular culture
The remains of Nurhaci are used as a plot device in the beginning of the 1984 movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of DoomIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second film in the Indiana Jones franchise and prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark . After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone...
.
See also
- Fuling TombFuling TombThe Fuling Tomb also known as the East Tomb is the mausoleum of Nurhaci, the founding emperor of the Qing Dynasty and his wife, Empress Xiaocigao. It served as the main site for ritual ceremonies conducted by the imperial family during the entire Qing Dynasty...
- Li ChengliangLi ChengliangLi Chengliang was a Chinese general of Korean descent in the reign of the Wanli Emperor during the Ming Dynasty who was in charge of maintaining peace and relations with the Jurchen tribes. He was from Tielin and was from a military family....
- Military general of the Ming DynastyMing DynastyThe Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
in charge of the Jurchen tribes