Huang Taiji

Huang Taiji (1592 – September 21 1643; reigned 1626 – 1643) (Chinese: 皇太極; pinyin: Huáng Tàijí; transliteration from Manchu: Hong Taiji or Hung Taiji) was the first Emperor of the Qing Dynasty in China.

Huang Taiji was responsible for consolidating the empire that his father, Nurhaci, had founded. He laid the groundwork for the conquering of the Ming dynasty in China, although he died before this was accomplished. He was responsible for changing the name of his people from Jurchen to Manchu in 1635 as well as that of the dynasty from Late Jin to Qing in 1636.

Name and Titles

In Chinese, Huang Taiji is also known as Hóng Tàijí (洪太極) or Huáng Táijí (黃台吉). Huang Taiji is written as 15px in the Manchu language. Huang Taiji is also sometimes referred erroneously to as Abahai in Western literature. He was First Khan of the Later Jin and then Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, after he changed its name. His reign names were Tiāncōng (Chinese: 天聰, Manchu: Abkai sure) 1627-1636; and Chóngdé (Chinese:崇德, Manchu: Wesihun erdemungge) 1636-1643. His temple name was Tàizōng 太宗.

His posthumous name evolved to become longer and longer:

• 1643: Yingtian-xingguo-hongde-zhangwu-kuanwen-rensheng-ruixiao Wen Emperor (應天興國弘德彰武寬溫仁聖睿孝文皇帝)
• 1662: Yingtian-xingguo-hongde-zhangwu-kuanwen-rensheng-ruixiao-longdao-xiangong Wen Emperor (應天興國弘德彰武寬溫仁聖睿孝隆道顯功文皇帝)
  • "Prosperous Way and Manifestation of Might" was added
• 1723: Yingtian-xingguo-hongde-zhangwu-kuanwen-rensheng-ruixiao-jingming-longdao-xiangong Wen Emperor (應天興國弘德彰武寬溫仁聖睿孝敬敏隆道顯功文皇帝)
  • "Reverence and Diligent" was added
• 1735: Yingtian-xingguo-hongde-zhangwu-kuanwen-rensheng-ruixiao-jingming-zhaoding-longdao-xiangong Wen Emperor (應天興國弘德彰武寬溫仁聖睿孝敬敏昭定隆道顯功文皇帝)
  • "Illustrious stability" was added

Consolidation of Power

Huang Taiji was the eighth son of Nurhaci, born November 28, 1592. Huang Taiji succeeded Nurhaci as the second ruler of the Later Jin dynasty in 1626. Although it was always thought of as gossip, he was said to be involved in the suicide of Prince Dorgon's mother, Lady Abahai in order to block the succession of his younger brother. This is speculated because at the time of Nurhaci's death, there were 4 Lords/Baei Le with Huang Taji as the lowest rank, but also the most fit one. Originally, at the end of Nurhaci's reign, Huang Taji got hold of the 2 White Banners, but after Abahai's death, he switched his 2 banners with Dorgun and Dudo's 2 Yellow banners (Nurhaci gave his 2 Yellow Banners to the 2). In the end, Huang Taji had control over the 2 strongest/highest class banners- the Plain/Bordered Yellow Banner and the most influence. From there, he slowly got rid of his competitor's powers. Later, he would also recieve the Plain Blue Banner from one of Surhaci's son, which was the 3rd strongest banner as it was controlled by Nurhaci's brother. Those 3 banners would officially become the Upper Three Banners during the early part of the Qing Dynasty.

His Reign

During his reign, he started using officials of the Han ethnic. Originally during Nurhaci's reign, Han people were heavily discriminated as Nurhaci despised Han people. Huang Taji seeing that he needed the help of Han people, started incorporating Han people into the country and government. He realized that the Han people would still be the majority and the Manchus would still be the minority, which means to control the Han people, they would need to live together or else the Qing Dynasty would be a repeat of the Yuan Dynasty.

Though the Han officials at this time were still discriminated, Huang Taji started the process of combining the Han and Manchu ethnic. This process would later become more advanced after the works of Kangxi and Yongzheng and fully completed at Qianlong's reign. Huang Taji was also the one that first gave the idea of never increasing the tax that would later be applied into Kangxi's reign.

Expansion

He continued the expansion of the state in the region later known as Manchuria, pushing deeper into Mongolia and raiding Korea and Ming China. His personal military abilities were widely praised and he effectively developed the military-civil administration known as the Eight Banners or Banner system. This system was well-suited to accept the different peoples, primarily Chinese and Mongols, who joined the Manchu state either following negotiated agreements or military defeat.

In 1636, Huang Taiji invaded the Joseon Dynasty(see the Second Manchu invasion of Korea), because the Joseon Dynasty did not accept that Huang Taiji had become an emperor. Due to the fact that the Joseon Dynasty surrendered to the Qing Dynasty in 1637, Huang Taiji succeeded in making the Joseon Dynasty cut off the relations with the Ming Dynasty, and the Joseon Dynasty became Qing's protectorate. Also during this period, Huang Taji also took over Inner Mongolia (leaving Outer Mongolia for Kangxi to conquer) with 3 main wars, each of them victories.

At the same time, Huang Taji upgraded the weapons of the Empire. He realized the advantage of the Red Cannons and later also bought the Red Cannons into the army. Though the Ming Dynasty still had more Cannons, Huang Taji now possessed the cannons of equal might and Asia's strongest calvary.

Huang Taji's plan at first was to make a deal with the Ming Dynasty. If the Ming Dynasty was willing to give support and money that would be beneficial to the Qing's economy, the Qing Dynasty in exchange would not only be willing to not attack the borders, but also admit itself as a country one level lower than the Ming Dynasty; however, since all the Ming Court were reminded of the Jin Empire during the Song Dynasty, the court heavily refused the exchange. This ultimately forced Huang Taji to take the offensive.

The Change from Jin to Qing

In 1635, Huang Taiji changed the name of his people from Jurchen to Manchu, or Manju in the Manchu language. The original meaning of Manju is not known and so the reasons for its adoption remain opaque. There are many theories as to the reason for the choice of name but two of the most commonly cited are its sounding similar to the Manchu word for "brave" and a possible connection with the Bodhisattva Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, of whom Nurhaci claimed to be an incarnation.

The dynastic name Later Jin was a direct reference to the Jin dynasty founded by the Jurchen people, who ruled northern China from 1115 to 1234. As such, the name was likely to be viewed as closely tied to the Jurchens and would perhaps evoke hostility from Chinese who viewed the Song dynasty, rival state to the Jin, as the legitimate rulers of China at that time. Huang Taiji's ambition was to conquer China proper and overthrow the Ming dynasty, and to do that required not only a powerful military force but also an effective bureaucratic administration. For this, he used the obvious model, that of the Ming government, and recruited Ming officials to his cause. If the name of Later Jin would prove an impediment to his goal among many Chinese, then it was not too much to change it. Whatever the precise motivation, Huang Taiji proclaimed the establishment of the Qing dynasty in 1636. The reasons for the choice of Qing as the new name are likewise unclear, although it has been speculated that the sound - Jin and Qing are pronounced similarly in Manchu - or wuxing theory - traditional ideas held that fire, associated with the character for Ming, was overcome by water, associated with the character for Qing - may have influenced the choice. Another possible reason may be that Huang Taiji changed the name of the dynasty from (Later)Jin to Qing in 1636 because of internecine fraternal struggle and skirmish between brothers and half brothers for the throne. According to Taoist philosophy, the name Jin has the meaning of metal and fire in its constituent, thereby igniting the tempers of the brothers of the Manchu Royal household into open conflicts and wars. Huangtaiji therefore adopted the new name of Qing 清, the Chinese character of which has the water symbol [ 3 strokes ] on its left hand side. The name, which means clear and transparent, with its water symbol was hoped to put out the feud among the brothers of the Manchu Royal household.

The Banners Status

As the emperor, he is the holder of 3 banners out of 8. He controlled the Upper 3 Banners or the Elite banners of the time which at the time were the Plain/Bordered Yellow Banner and Plain Blue Banner. Later the Plain Blue Banner was switched by Dorgun to Plain White Banner as the 3rd Elite Banner. At the end of his reign, Huang Taji gave the 2 Yellow Banners to his eldest son. Daisan who was the 2nd son of Nurhaci controlled the 2 Red Banners. Dorgun and his 2 brothers controlled the 2 White Banners and Surachi's son controlled the Blue Banners again.

Death

Huang Taiji died on September 21st, possibly at the hands of one of his officials, just a few months before his army would seize control of Beijing. He therefore did not live to see his ambition of conquering Ming China come about, although his son, the Shunzhi Emperor, succeeded him and became the first of the Qing dynasty emperors to govern China. That the Qing state succeeded not only in conquering China but also in establishing a capable administration was due in large measure to the foresight and policies of Huang Taiji. His body was buried in Zhaoling, located in northern Shenyang.

Legacy

As the emperor, he is commonly recognized as having abilities similar to the best emperors such as Yongle, Tang Taizong because of his effective rule, effective use of talent, and effective warring skills. According to half historian and half writer Jin Yong, Huang Taji had the wide views of Qin Shi Huang, Han Gaozu, Han Gwuangwudi, Sui Wendi, Tang Taizong, Song Taizu, Kublai Khan, Ming Taizu, and Ming Chengzu. His ability to use people was only paralleled by Genghis Khan and Tang Taizong. In this sense, Huang Taji is like the true beginning emperor for the Qing Dynasty.

Family

• Father: Nurhaci, founder of the Later Jin dynasty (Qing)
• Mother: Empress Monggu, from the Yehenala clan
• Prominent Consorts:

1. Empress Jere, post-humously known as Empress Xiao Duan Wen
2. Concubine Zhuang, who later became the Xiao Zhuang Grand Imperial Dowager Empress (Manchu: Hiyoošungga Ambalinggū Genggiyenšu Hūwanghu), the daughter of a Mongol prince of the Borjigit clan (the descendants of Chinggis Khan's brother Jöchi Khasar)
3. Princess Hai Lan Zhu

• Children:
  • sons:

1. Hooge
2. Loge
3. Gebohui
4. Yebušu
5. Sose
6. Gaose
7. Chang Shu
8. Huang Baci
9. Fulin
10. Bombogor

• • Many daughters

See also

• Samjeondo Monument

House of Aisin-Gioro Born: November 28 1592; Died: September 21 1643
Regnal Titles
Preceded by: Nurhaci	Emperor of Qing dynasty 1626-1643	Succeeded by: Shunzhi Emperor
Preceded by: Ejei Khan	Great Khan of the Mongols 1634-1643	Succeeded by: Mongolia absorbed into Qing Dynasty

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