View source for Hong Taiji

{{Short description|Emperor of the Qing dynasty from 1636 to 1643}}
{{For|the title used by the Mongols|Khong Tayiji}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{family name hatnote|Hong Taiji|[[Aisin-Gioro]]|lang=Manchu}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Hong Taiji<br/>{{langn|zh|皇太極}}
| image        = 清人画皇太极朝服像轴.png
| image_size   = 200px
| caption      = Portrait in the [[Hong Kong Palace Museum]]
| succession1  = [[Khan (title)|Khan]] of the [[Later Jin (1616–1636)|Jin dynasty]]
| reign1       = 20 October 1626 – 1636
| predecessor1 = [[Nurhaci]]
| successor1   = 
| succession   = [[List of emperors of the Qing dynasty|Emperor of the Qing dynasty]]
| reign        = 1636 – 21 September 1643
| predecessor  = 
| successor    = [[Shunzhi Emperor]]
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1592|11|28|df=y}}
| birth_place  = Fe Ala, [[Manchuria under Ming rule|Manchuria]], [[Ming dynasty|Ming]]<br> (Today in [[Yongling, Xinbin Manchu|Yongling]], [[Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County|Xinbin]], [[Liaoning]], [[China]])
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1643|9|21|1592|11|28|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Mukden Palace]], [[Qing dynasty|Qing]]<br> (today in [[Shenyang]], [[Liaoning]], [[China]])
| burial_place = [[Zhao Mausoleum (Qing dynasty)|Zhao Mausoleum]]
| spouse       = {{plainlist|
* {{Marriage|[[Consort Yuan (Hong Taiji)|Consort Yuan]]||1612|end=d}}
* [[Consort Ji (Hong Taiji)|Consort Ji]]
* {{Marriage|[[Empress Xiaoduanwen]]|1614}}
* {{Marriage|[[Empress Xiaozhuangwen]]|1625}}
* {{Marriage|[[Harjol|Primary Consort Minhui]]|1634|1641|end=d}}
}}
| spouse-type  = Consort(s)
| issue        = {{plainlist|
* [[Hooge, Prince Su|Hooge]], [[Prince Su|Prince Suwu of the First Rank]]
* [[Princess Wenzhuang|Princess Wenzhuang of the First Rank]]
* [[Yebušu|Yebušu, Duke of the Second Rank]]
* [[Šose]], [[Prince Zhuang|Prince Chengzeyu of the First Rank]]
* [[Shunzhi Emperor]]
}}
| issue-link   = #Family
| issue-pipe   = more...
| full name    = {{plainlist|
* Aisin-Gioro Hong Taiji ({{lang|zh-Hant|愛新覺羅·皇太極}})
* [[Manchu language|Manchu]]: Hong taiji ({{ManchuSibeUnicode|ᡥᠣᠩ<br>ᡨᠠᡳᠵᡳ|style=height:1.8em;word-wrap:not normal}})
}}
| era name     = * Tiancong ({{lang|zh-Hant|天聰}})
| era dates    = 16 February 1627 – 6 February 1636<br>[[Manchu language|Manchu]]: Abkai sure ({{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᠠᠪᡴᠠᡳ ᠰᡠᠷᡝ|style=height:2em;word-wrap:not normal}})<br>[[Mongolian language|Mongolian]]: Тэнгэрийн сэцэн ({{MongolUnicode|ᠲᠩᠷᠢ ᠶᠢᠨ ᠰᠡᠴᠡᠨ<!-- http://trans.mglip.com/ -->|style=height:2.1em;word-wrap:not normal}})
* Chongde ({{lang|zh-Hant|崇德}}): 7 February 1636 – 7 February 1644<br>[[Manchu language|Manchu]]: Wesihun erdemungge ({{ManchuSibeUnicode|lang=mnc|ᠸᡝᠰᠢᡥᡠᠨ<br>ᠡᠷᡩᡝᠮᡠᠩᡬᡝ|style=height:2em;word-wrap:not normal}})<br>[[Mongolian language|Mongolian]]: Дээд эрдэмт ({{MongolUnicode|ᠳᠡᠭᠡᠳᠦ ᠡᠷᠳᠡᠮᠳᠡᠢ<!-- http://trans.mglip.com/ -->|style=height:2.1em;word-wrap:not normal}})
| regnal name  = {{plainlist|
* Emperor Kuanwen Rensheng ({{lang|zh-Hant|寬溫仁聖皇帝}})
* Bogda Chechen Khan ({{lang|zh-Hant|博格達徹辰汗}})
}}
| posthumous name = {{plainlist|
* {{du|Emperor}} Yingtian Xingguo Hongde Zhangwu Kuanwen Rensheng Ruixiao Jingmin Zhaoding Longdao Xiangong {{du|Wen}} ({{lang|zh-Hant|應天興國弘德彰武寬溫仁聖睿孝敬敏昭定隆道顯功{{du|文皇帝}}}})
* [[Manchu language|Manchu]]: Abka de Acabume, Gurun be Mukdembuhe, Doro be Amban Obuha, Horon be Algimbuha, Gosin Onco, Hūwaliyasun Enduringge, Hiyoošungga Erdemungge, Ten be Badarambuha, Gung be Iletulehe, {{du|Genggiyen Šu Hūwangdi}} ({{MongolUnicode|lang=mnc|ᠠᠪᡴᠠ ᡩᡝ ᠠᠴᠠᠪᡠᠮᡝ᠈ <br>ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ ᠪᡝ ᠮᡠᡴᡩᡝᠮᠪᡠᡥᡝ᠈ <br>ᡩᠣᡵᠣ ᠪᡝ ᠠᠮᠪᠠᠨ ᠣᠪᡠᡥᠠ᠈ <br>ᡥᠣᡵᠣᠨ ᠪᡝ ᠠᠯᡤᡳᠮᠪᡠᡥᠠ᠈ <br>ᡤᠣᠰᡳᠨ ᠣᠨᠴᠣ᠈ <br>ᡥᡡᠸᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠰᡠᠨ ᡝᠨᡩᡠᡵᡳᠩᡤᡝ᠈ <br>ᡥᡳᠶᠣᠣᡧᡠᠩᡤᠠ ᡝᡵᡩᡝᠮᡠᠩᡤᡝ᠈ <br>ᡨᠨ ᠪᡝ ᠪᠠᡩᠠᡵᠠᠮᠪᡠᡥᠠ᠈ <br>ᡤᡠᠩ ᠪᡝ ᡳᠯᡝᡨᡠᠯᡝᡥᡝ᠈ <br>{{du|ᡤᡝᠩᡤᡳᠶᡝᠨ ᡧᡠ ᡥᡡᠸᠠᠩᡩᡳ}}}})
}}
| temple name  = {{plainlist|
* Taizong ({{lang|zh|太宗}})
* [[Manchu language|Manchu]]: Taidzung ({{ManchuSibeUnicode|ᡨᠠᡳᡯ᠊ᡠ᠊ᠩ}})
}}
| house        = [[House of Aisin-Gioro|Aisin-Gioro]]
| dynasty      = {{plainlist|
* [[Later Jin (1616–1636)|Jin]] (by birth)
* [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] (by establishment)
}}
| father       = [[Nurhaci]]
| mother       = [[Empress Xiaocigao (Qing dynasty)|Empress Xiaocigao]]
| module       = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes
| t = 天聰汗
| s = 天聪汗
| p = Tiāncōng Hán
| w = T'ien<sup>1</sup>-ts'ung<sup>1</sup> Han<sup>2</sup>
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|t|ian|1|.|c|ong|1|-|h|an|2}}
| bpmf = ㄊㄧㄢ ㄘㄨㄥ ㄏㄢˊ
}}
}}
{{Contains special characters|Manchu}}
'''Hong Taiji''' (28 November 1592 – 21 September 1643), also rendered as '''Huang Taiji''' and sometimes referred to as '''Abahai''' in Western literature, also known by his [[temple name]] '''Emperor Taizong of Qing''', was the second khan of the [[Later Jin (1616–1636)|(Later) Jin dynasty]] and the founding [[Emperor of China|emperor]] of the [[Qing dynasty]]. He was responsible for consolidating the empire that his father [[Nurhaci]] had founded and laid the groundwork for the conquest of the [[Ming dynasty]], although he died before this was accomplished. He conquered [[Inner Mongolia]] and the remainder of [[Manchuria]] and [[Qing invasion of Joseon|invaded Korea]], which became a Qing [[tributary system of China|tributary state]]. He was also responsible for changing the name of the [[Jurchen people|Jurchens]] to "[[Manchu]]" in 1635, and changing the name of his dynasty from "Great Jin" to "Great Qing" in 1636.

== Names and titles ==
It is unclear whether "'''Hong Taiji'''" was a title or a personal name. Written ''Hong taiji'' in [[Manchu language|Manchu]], it was borrowed from the Mongolian title ''[[Khong Tayiji]]''.{{sfnm|1a1=Rawski|1y=1998|1p=50 ("probably a rendition of the Mongol noble title, Khongtaiji")|2a1=Pang|2a2=Stary|2y=1998|2p=13 ("of Mongolian origin")|3a1=Elliott|3y=2001|3p=397, note 71 (''Khong tayiji'' was "quite common among the Mongols, from whom the Jurchens borrowed it")}} That Mongolian term was itself derived from the Chinese ''huang taizi'' ({{lang|zh|皇太子}}, "crown prince", "imperial prince"), but in Mongolian it meant, among other things, something like "respected son".{{sfnm|1a1=Elliott|1y=2001|1p=397, note 71 (''Khong tayiji'' as "meaning loosely 'Respected Son'")|2a1=Miyawaki|2y=1999|2p=330 (derivation from ''huang taizi'' and other meaning as "viceroy")}} Alternatively, historian [[Pamela Kyle Crossley|Pamela Crossley]] argues that "Hung Taiji" was a title "of Mongolian inspiration" derived from ''hung'', a word that appeared in other Mongolian titles at the time.{{sfn|Crossley|1999|p=165, note 82}} Early seventeenth-century Chinese and [[Joseon|Korean]] sources rendered his name as "Hong Taiji" ({{lang|zh-Hant|洪台極}}).{{sfn|Crossley|1999|pp=164–65}} The modern Chinese rendering "'''Huang Taiji'''" ({{lang|zh-Hant|皇太極}}), which uses the character ''huang'' ("imperial"), misleadingly implies that Hong Taiji once held the title of "imperial prince" or heir apparent, even though his father and predecessor [[Nurhaci]] never designated a successor.{{sfnm|1a1=Pang|1a2=Stary|1y=1998|1p=13 (""Nurhaci never assigned him to such position")|2a1=Crossley|2y=1999|2p=165 ("this ['imperial prince', 'heir apparent'] is certainly not what his name meant")|3a1=Elliott|3y=2001|3p=397, note 71 ("Huang Taiji" gives the "mistaken impression that he was a crown prince")}}

"Hong Taiji" was very rarely used in Manchu sources, because they observed a taboo on the personal names of emperors. In redacted documents, Hong Taiji was simply called the "'''Fourth ''[[Royal and noble ranks of the Qing dynasty#Pre-standard non-imperial titles|Beile]]'''''" or "fourth prince" (''duici beile''), indicating that he was the fourth ranked among the eight ''beile'' Nurhaci had designated from among his sons.{{sfn|Crossley|1999|p=164}} Although he was the 8th prince and 4th beile amongst the Four Senior Beiles (Daisan, Amin, Manggūltai, Hong Taiji) who rotated leading administrative power on behalf of Nurhaci after the original crown prince Cuyen was deposed. At this time and after the deposition of Cuyen, Hong Taiji was awarded control of Cuyen's [[Plain White Banner]] troops by Nurhaci for his military contributions to the empire. Dudu, son of Cuyen, would control the newly split Bordered White Banner and later transferred to Ajige (Nurhaci's 12th son). After Lady Abahai was rumored to be forced to be buried with Nurhaci after his death, Hong Taiji promised to personally raise her three surviving sons Ajige, Dorgon, Dodo and in essence also controlled both White Banners for maintaining good brotherly relations. However, an archival document rediscovered in 1996 and recounting events from 1621 calls him "Hong Taiji" in a discussion concerning the possible naming of Nurhaci's heir apparent, a title that the document refers to as ''taise''.{{sfn|Pang|Stary|1998|p=13}} Tatiana Pang and Giovanni Stary, two specialists of early Manchu history, consider this document as "further evidence" that Hong Taiji was his real name, "not being at all connected with the Chinese title ''huang taizi''".{{sfn|Pang|Stary|1998|p=13}} Historian [[Mark Elliott (historian)|Mark Elliott]] views this as persuasive evidence that Hong Taiji was not a title, but a personal name.{{sfn|Elliott|2001|p=397, note 71 ("that Hong (not Hung) Taiji was indeed his given name, and not a title, is persuasively established on the basis of new documentary evidence in Tatiana A. Pang and Giovanni Stary...")}}

Western scholars used to refer to Hong Taiji as "'''Abahai'''", but this appellation is now considered mistaken.{{sfnm|1a1=Stary|1y=1984|2a1=Crossley|2y=1999|2p=165|3a1=Elliott|3y=2001|3p=396, note 71}} Hong Taiji was never mentioned under this name in Manchu and Chinese sources; it was a mistake first made by Russian clergyman {{Ill|Vladimir Gorsky (sinologist)|lt=Vladimir Gorsky|ru|Горский, Владимир Васильевич}} and later repeated by sinologists starting in the early twentieth century.{{sfn|Stary|1984|pp=298–99}} Giovanni Stary states that this name may have originated by confusing "Abkai" with ''Abkai sure'', which was Hong Taiji's [[Chinese era name|era name]] in the [[Manchu language]].{{sfn|Stary|1984|p=299}} Though "Abahai" is indeed "unattested in Manchu sources", it might also have derived from the Mongol word ''Abaġai'', an honorary name given to the younger sons of hereditary monarchs.{{sfn|Grupper|1984|p=69}} According to another view, Hong Taiji was mistakenly referred to as Abahai as a result of a confusion with the name of Nurhaci's main consort [[Lady Abahai]].

Hong Taiji was the second [[Khan (title)|Khan]] of the [[Later Jin (1616–1636)|Later Jin]] and then Emperor of the [[Qing dynasty]], after he changed its name. His title as Great Khan was ''Bogd Sécén Khaan'' (Manchu: Gosin Onco Hūwaliyasun Enduringge Han), and he was referred to as [[Bogda Khan]] by his Mongol subjects. His [[reign name]]s, which were used in his lifetime to record dates, were '''Tiancong''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|天聰}}, "heavenly wisdom"; Manchu: {{lang|mnc|Abka-i sure}}) from 1627 to 1636, and '''Chongde''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|崇德}}, "lofty virtue"; Manchu: {{lang|mnc|Wesihun erdemungge}}, Mongolian: {{lang|mn|Degedü Erdemtü}}) from 1636 to 1643.

Hong Taiji's [[temple name]], by which he was worshipped at the [[Imperial Ancestral Temple]], was '''Taizong''' ({{lang|zh|太宗}}), the name that was conventionally given to the second emperor of a dynasty.{{sfn|Wilkinson|2012|pp=270 and 806}} His [[posthumous name]], which was chosen to reflect his style of rule, was "'''Wen Huangdi'''" ({{lang|zh-Hant|文皇帝}}, Manchu: {{lang|mnc|šu hūwangdi}}), which means "the culturing emperor" or "the emperor of letters".{{sfn|Crossley|1999|pp=137 and 165}}{{NoteTag|Hong Taiji's complete posthumous name was much longer:
* 1643: Yingtian xingguo hongde zhangwu kuanwen rensheng ruixiao Wen Emperor ({{lang|zh-Hant|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 ({{lang|zh-Hant|應天興國弘德彰武寬溫仁聖睿孝隆道顯功文皇帝}})
** Longdao xiangong {{lang|zh-Hant|隆道顯功}} ("prosperous way and manifestation of might") was added
* 1723: Yingtian xingguo hongde zhangwu kuanwen rensheng ruixiao jingmin longdao xiangong Wen Emperor ({{lang|zh-Hant|應天興國弘德彰武寬溫仁聖睿孝敬敏隆道顯功文皇帝}})
** Jingmin {{lang|zh-Hant|敬敏}} ("reverent and diligent") was added
* 1735: Yingtian xingguo hongde zhangwu kuanwen rensheng ruixiao jingmin zhaoding longdao xiangong Wen Emperor ({{lang|zh-Hant|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}})
** Zhaoding {{lang|zh-Hant|昭定}} ("illustrious stability") was added}}

==Consolidation of power==
[[File:Hong Taiji.jpg|thumb|Hong Taiji in regular clothing]]

Hong Taiji was the eighth son of [[Nurhaci]],<ref>[[Arthur W. Hummel, Sr.]] 1943 [[Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period]] p.1. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Eminent_Chinese_of_the_Ch%27ing_Period/Abahai</ref> whom he succeeded as the second ruler of the [[Qing dynasty|Later Jin]] dynasty in 1626. He might have had [[Mongols|Mongolian]] ancestry and half blood from the Yehe Nara clan as the son of [[Empress Xiaocigao (Qing dynasty)|Empress Xiaocigao]], and he might have been genetically related to the Mongolic [[Daur people]] as a member of the [[House of Aisin-Gioro|Aisin-Gioro clan]].<ref>{{citation |last=Crossley |first=Pamela Kyle |title=Empire at the margins: culture, ethnicity, and frontier in early modern China |volume=28 |page=65 |year=2006 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mwv9NE-YOi0C |series=Studies on China |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=0-520-23015-9 |last2=Siu |first2=Helen F. |last3=Sutton |first3=Donald S.}}</ref><ref name="c139">{{citation |last=Crossley |first=Pamela Kyle |title=A Translucent Mirror: History and Identity in Qing Imperial Ideology |pages=155–56 |year=2002 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wn4iv_RJv8oC |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=0-520-23424-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wei |first1=Ryan Lan-Hai |last2=Yan |first2=Shi |last3=Yu |first3=Ge |last4=Huang |first4=Yun-Zhi |date=November 2016 |title=Genetic trail for the early migrations of Aisin Gioro, the imperial house of the Qing dynasty |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310477623 |journal=Journal of Human Genetics |publisher=The Japan Society of Human Genetics |volume=62 |issue=3 |pages=407–411 |doi=10.1038/jhg.2016.142 |issn=1434-5161 |pmid=27853133 |s2cid=7685248}}</ref>

Although it has always been regarded as gossip, he was said to have been involved in the suicide of [[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 Four  Senior Beiles with Hong Taiji holding the lowest rank, but also being the most fit one to rule. It was between Hong Taiji and Daisan mainly, although Manggūltai tried to thrown his name into the mix, Dorgon quickly shut him up by claiming other Jurchens and Mongolians would not support a Khan who supposedly killed his own mother. Whether it was a Lady Abahai suicide or forced death to be buried with Nurhaci after his death, the other beiles and princes would not support the rumored succession and claims of Dorgon to the throne as he and his two brothers were just teenagers without military merit. Hong Taiji was said to be fluent in Manchu, Mongolian, and the Han languages and writings. As the 4th Senior Beile with a history of military merit that matches Daisan, Hong Taiji was nice and respectful to other beiles, princes, and their children and family. Being a better strategist and politician than Daisan, Hong Taiji gained the final endorsement from Daisan and the other beiles and princes who supported Daisan turned their consolidated support towards Hong Taiji and urged him to take the throne. Hong Taiji swore he will continue love and respect all his brothers and cousins and their family. Hong Taiji also would take the throne as long as Daisan, Amin, and Manggūltai continue to share administrative power with him until he earns the power to rule alone (although this wasn't specified, it was somewhat implied). During his coronation, Hong Taiji even bowed to his 2nd brother, eldest cousin, and 5th brother as a show of honor and respect that he is elected honorably so nobody will question his succession.  

Originally, at the end of Nurhaci's reign, Hong Taiji controlled the two White [[Eight Banners|Banners]], but after Lady Abahai's death, he switched his two banners with Dorgon and [[Dodo, Prince Yu|Dodo]]'s two Yellow banners that was directed passed down from Nurhaci. In the end, Hong Taiji had control over the two highest and strongest banners — the [[Plain Yellow Banner|Plain Yellow Banner]] and [[Bordered Yellow Banner|Bordered Yellow Banners]] — and the most influence as an elected Khan and second ruler of the Later Jin Dynasty. From there, he slowly got rid of his other three senior beiles and competitors' powers. Later, he would also receive the [[Plain Blue Banner]] from his fifth brother [[Manggūltai]], which was the third strongest banner at that time for the treasonous crime of withdrawing his sword and threatening Hong Taiji. Those three banners would officially become the Upper Three Banners during the early years of the Qing dynasty. Unofficially known was the Three Upper Banners or Imperial Banners directly controlled by the Khan and later Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. The Plain Blue Banner was eventually switched with Dorgon's Plain White Banner when he was Royal Imperial Uncle Prince Regent for [[Shunzhi Emperor|Fulin]].

==Ethnic policies==
During his reign, Hong Taiji started recruitment of [[Han Chinese]] officials. After a 1623 revolt, Nurhaci came to mistrust his ''Nikan'' ({{Lang-mnc|m={{ManchuSibeUnicode|ᠨᡳᡴᠠᠨ}}}}, "Han people") followers so Hong Taiji began their assimilation into the country and government.

A mass marriage of Han Chinese officers and officials to Manchu women numbering 1,000 couples was arranged by Prince Yoto and Hong Taiji in 1632 to promote harmony between the two ethnic groups.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=QXHbhsfaJAYC&dq=To+win+the+support+and+cooperation+of+Ming+generals+in+Liaodong%2C+Nurhaci+gave+them+Aisin+Gioro+women+as+wives.+In+1618%2C+before+he+attacked+Fushun+city%2C+he+promised+the+Ming+general+defending+the+city+a+woman+from+the+Aisin+Gioro+clan&pg=PA148 ed. Walthall 2008], p. 148.</ref>

The Mongol Yamen ({{lang|mnc|{{MongolUnicode|ᠮᠣᠩᡤᠣ<br />ᠵᡠᡵᡤᠠᠨ}}}} {{lang|zh|蒙古衙門}}, ''monggo jurgan'') was established in 1636 for indirect government of Inner Mongolia after the Mongols were conquered by Hong Taiji. It was renamed to [[Lifanyuan]] in 1638. Initially, the ministerial affairs were settled, while vice-ministers were set up as vice-ministers.<ref name="Crossley2000">{{cite book|author=Pamela Kyle Crossley|title=A Translucent Mirror: History and Identity in Qing Imperial Ideology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wn4iv_RJv8oC&q=Tusiyetu+khan&pg=PA214|date=15 February 2000|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-92884-8|pages=214–}}</ref>

==Expansion==
He continued the expansion of the Later Jin dynasty in [[Manchuria]], pushing deeper into the [[Mongolian Plateau]] and raiding the [[Joseon|Joseon dynasty]] and the [[Ming dynasty]]. 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 [[Han Chinese|Han]] and [[Mongol]]s, who joined the Later Jin state either following negotiated agreements or military defeat.

Although Hong Taiji patronized [[Tibetan Buddhism]] in public, in private he disdained the Buddhist belief of the Mongols and thought it was destructive of Mongol identity.<!--<ref>{{harvnb|Wakeman|1985|p=203}}</ref>--> He is quoted to have said that, "The Mongolian princes are abandoning the Mongolian language; their names are all in imitation of the [[lama]]s."<ref>{{harvnb|Wakeman|1985|p=203}}</ref> The Manchus themselves such as Hong Taiji did not personally believe in Tibetan Buddhism and few wanted to convert. Hong Taiji described some Tibetan Buddhist lamas as "incorrigibles" and "liars",<ref>{{cite book|title=The Cambridge History of China: Pt. 1; The Ch'ing Empire to 1800|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hi2THl2FUZ4C&pg=PA64|year=1978|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-24334-6|pages=64–}}</ref> but still patronized Buddhism in order to harness the Tibetans' and Mongols' belief in the religion.<ref name="Cambridge">{{cite book|title=The Cambridge History of China: Pt. 1; The Ch'ing Empire to 1800|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hi2THl2FUZ4C&pg=PA65|year=1978|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-24334-6|pages=65–}}</ref>

Hong Taiji started his conquest by subduing the potent Ming ally in Korea. February 1627 his forces crossed the [[Yalu River]] which had frozen.<ref name=EMH>{{harvnb|Dupuy|Dupuy|1986|p=592}}</ref> In 1628, he attempted to invade the Ming dynasty, but was defeated by [[Yuan Chonghuan]] and his use of artillery.<ref name=EMH/> During the next five years, Hong Taiji spent resources in training his artillery to offset the strength of the Ming artillery. 
 
Hong Taiji upgraded the weapons of the Empire. He realized the advantage of the [[Hongyipao|Red Cannons]] and later also bought the Red Cannons into the army. Though the Ming dynasty still had more cannons, Hong Taiji now possessed the cannons of equal might and Asia's strongest cavalry. Also during this time, he sent several probing raids into northern China which were defeated. First attack went through the Jehol Pass, then in 1632 and 1634 he sent raids into [[Shanxi]].<ref name=EMH/>

In 1636, Hong Taiji [[Qing invasion of Joseon|invaded]] Joseon Korea, as the latter did not accept that Hong Taiji had become emperor and refused to assist in operations against the Ming.<ref name=EMH/> With the Joseon dynasty surrendered in 1637, Hong Taiji succeeded in making them cut off relations with the Ming dynasty and force them to submit as [[tributary state]] of the [[Qing dynasty]]. Also during this period, Hong Taiji took over Inner Mongolia, which protected northern border of China, in three major wars, each of them victorious.<ref>Veit, Veronika (1986): Die mongolischen Völkerschaften: 396-400. In: Weiers, Michael (ed.) (1986): ''Die Mongolen. Beiträge zu ihrer Geschichte und Kultur''. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft: 379-411. Another source on the period would be Di Cosmo, Nicola, and Dalizhabu Bao (2003): ''Manchu-Mongol relations on the eve of the Qing conquest: a documentary history''. Leiden: Brill.</ref> From 1636 until 1644, he sent 4 major expeditions into the [[Amur River|Amur]] region.<ref name=EMH/> In 1640 he completed the conquest of the [[Evenks]], when he defeated and captured their leader [[Bombogor (Evenk chief)|Bombogor]]. By 1644, the entire region was under his control.<ref name=EMH/>

Huang Taji's plan at first was to make a deal with the Ming dynasty. If the Ming was willing to give support and money that would be beneficial to the Qing's economy, the Qing 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 Ming court officials were reminded of the deal that preceded the [[Song dynasty]]'s [[Jin–Song Wars|wars with the Jin Empire]], the Ming refused the exchange. Huang Taiji rejected the comparison, saying that, "Neither is your Ming ruler a descendant of the Song nor are we heir to the Jin. That was another time."{{sfn|Wakeman|1985|p=205}} Hong Taiji had not wanted to conquer the Ming. The Ming's refusal ultimately led him to take the offensive. The people who first encouraged him to invade the Ming dynasty were his ethnic Han advisors Fan Wencheng, Ma Guozhu, and Ning Wanwo.{{sfn|Wakeman|1985|p=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_8nXLwSG2O8AC/page/n215 204]}} Hong Taiji recognized that the Manchus needed Han defectors in order to assist in the conquest of the Ming, and thus explained to other Manchus why he also needed to be lenient to recent defectors like Ming general Hong Chengchou, who surrendered to the Qing in 1642.<ref name="Cambridge" />

==Government==
When Hong Taiji came into power, the military was composed of entirely Mongol and Manchu companies. By 1636, Hong Taiji created the first of many Chinese companies. Before the conquest of the Ming dynasty, the number of companies organized by him and his successor was 278 Manchus, 120 Mongols, and 165 Han.<ref name=Con>{{harvnb|Schirokauer|1978|pp=326–327}}</ref> By the time of Hong Taiji's death there were more ethnic Han than Manchus and he had realized the need for there to be control exerted whilst getting approval from the Han majority. Not only did he incorporate the Han into the military, but also into the government. The [[Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers|Council of Deliberative Officials]] was formed as the highest level of policy-making and was composed entirely of Manchu. However, Hong Taiji adopted from the Ming such institutions as the [[Six Ministries]], the [[Censorate]] and others.<ref name=Con/> Each of these lower ministries was headed by a Manchu prince, but had four presidents: two were Manchu, one was Mongol, and one was Han. This basic framework remained, even though the details fluctuated over time, for some time.<ref name=Con/>

==Renaming the dynasty==
[[File:Жуубичиг.png|thumb|right|Edict by Hong Taiji in the Mongolian language, issued to many Mongol lords who were in the military of the Ming dynasty]]
In 1635, Hong Taiji changed the name of his people from Jurchen ([[Manchu language|Manchu]]: [[Image:Jušen.svg|15px]] ''jušen'') to Manchu, or [[Image:Manjui gisun.svg|15px]] ''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 (1115–1234)|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 ethnic Han who viewed the [[Song dynasty]], rival state to the Jin, as the legitimate rulers of China at that time. Hong 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 the Han people, then it was not too much to change it. At the same time, Hong Taiji conquered territory north of Shanhai pass and defeated [[Ligdan Khan]] in Inner Mongolia. He captured one of the Yuan dynasty's [[Imperial Seal of the Mongols|imperial jade seals]] (Chinese: {{lang|zh-Hant|{{linktext|制|誥|之|寶}}}})<ref>{{cite news|url=https://sengna.com/2017/05/21/mahakala/|title=In Japanese:その後の「制誥之寶」とマハーカーラ像|publisher=宣和堂遺事 宣和堂の節操のない日記|access-date=2015-12-17}}</ref> and a golden Buddha called "Mahakala".<ref>清太宗實錄 "Qing Taizong shilu" Part 20</ref> In April 1636, the [[Mongolian nobility]] of Inner Mongolia, Manchu nobility and [[Mandarin (bureaucrat)|Han bureaucrats]] held a [[Kurultai]] in Shenyang where they voted to support Hong Taiji to be the emperor of what would later become the Qing empire.<ref>Marriage and inequality in Chinese society By Rubie Sharon Watson, Patricia Buckley Ebrey, p.177</ref><ref>Tumen jalafun jecen akū: Manchu studies in honour of Giovanni Stary By Giovanni Stary, Alessandra Pozzi, Juha Antero Janhunen, Michael Weiers</ref> Russian archive contains translations of the 1636 year Hong Taiji decree with the provision that after the fall of the Qing dynasty Mongols will return to their previous laws, i.e. independence.<ref>[https://www.academia.edu/40719741/%D0%9A%D1%83%D0%B7%D1%8C%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BD_%D0%A1.%D0%9B._%D0%91%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%BD_%D0%9E._2019_%D0%9E%D0%B1_%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B5_%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B0_%D0%A5%D1%83%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%B4%D0%B6%D0%B8_%D0%90%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%85%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BE_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B8_%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8_%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2_%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B5_%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%A6%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B8_Kuzmin_S.L._Batsaikhan_O._2019._On_the_decree_of_the_Hong_taiji_Abahai_emperor_on_the_restoration_of_independence_of_the_Mongols_after_the_fall_of_Qing_ Kuzmin S.L. and Batsaikhan O. On the decree of the Hong taiji (Abahai) emperor on the restoration of independence of the Mongols after the fall of the Qing Dynasty. – Vostok (Oriens), 2019, no 5, pp. 200-217.].</ref> Whatever his precise motivation behind doing so might've been, Hong Taiji proclaimed the establishment of the Qing dynasty and also changed his era name to Chóngdé in 1636.<ref name=EMH/> The reasons for the choice of ''Qing'' as the name of this new dynasty are likewise unclear, although it has been speculated that ''Jin'' and ''Qing'' are pronounced similarly in [[Manchu language|Manchu]]. However, according to the ''[[Five elements (Chinese philosophy)|wuxing]]'' theory, traditional ideas held that fire, which was associated with the character for ''Ming'', would be overcome by water, which is the element associated with the character for ''Qing'', and that this might have influenced the choice. Another possible reason may be that Hong Taiji changed the name of the dynasty from (Later) Jin to Qing in order to avoid destructive fraternal struggles and skirmishes between brothers and half brothers for the throne, as according to Taoist philosophy, the dynastic name Jin carries the meaning of metal and fire in its constituents, thereby supposedly "igniting the tempers" of the brothers of the Manchurian dynasty into open conflict and war. Hong Taiji therefore adopted the new name of Qing ({{lang|zh|清}}), which includes the Chinese character for water on its left hand side. The name, which means "clear and transparent", with its water symbol, was hoped to put out the feud between the brothers.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

Hong Taiji claimed that the progenitor of his clan, the [[Aisin Gioro]], was the legendary figure [[Bukūri Yongšon]]<ref name="Crossley2000b">{{cite book|author=Pamela Kyle Crossley|title=A Translucent Mirror: History and Identity in Qing Imperial Ideology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wn4iv_RJv8oC&pg=PA198|date=15 February 2000|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-92884-8|pages=198–}}</ref> ({{lang|zh-Hant|布庫里雍順}}), who was supposedly conceived from a virgin birth. According to legend, three heavenly maidens, namely Enggulen ({{lang|zh-Hant|恩古倫}}), Jenggulen ({{lang|zh-Hant|正古倫}}) and Fekulen ({{lang|zh-Hant|佛庫倫}}), were bathing at a lake called Bulhūri Omo near the [[Changbai Mountains]]. A magpie dropped a piece of red fruit near Fekulen, who ate it. She then became pregnant with Bukūri Yongšon. However, another older version of the story by the Hurha (Hurka) tribe member Muksike recorded in 1635 contradicts Hong Taiji's version, claiming that it was in [[Heilongjiang]] province close to the [[Amur river]] where Bulhuri lake was supposedly located and that it was there that the "heavenly maidens" took their bath. This was recorded in the  [[Jiu Manzhou Dang]] and his much shorter and simpler in addition to being older. This is thus believed to be the original version and Hong Taiji changed it to Changbai. It shows that the Aisin Gioro clan originated in the Amur area and the Heje ([[Hezhen]]) and other Amur valley Jurchen tribes had an oral version of the same tale. It also fits with Jurchen history as some ancestors of the Manchus came down from the north into the Amur valley before the 14th-15th centuries and only later moved further south.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Huang |first1=Pei |title=New Light on The Origins of The Manchus |journal=Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies |date=1990 |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=245, 239–282 |doi=10.2307/2719229 |jstor=2719229 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2719229 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807074339/https://www.jstor.org/stable/2719229 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |access-date=November 5, 2020 |url-status=bot: unknown |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==The banners status==
Before Hong Taiji was emperor, he controlled the two White banners. Upon Nurhaci's death, Hong Taiji immediately switched his two White Banners with Nurhaci's two Yellow Banners, which should have been passed on to [[Dorgon]] and his two brothers [[Ajige]] and [[Dodo, Prince Yu|Dodo]]. As emperor, he was the holder of three banners out of eight. He controlled the Upper Three Banners or the Elite banners which at the time were the Plain/Bordered Yellow Banners and Plain Blue Banner, which was consolidated from [[Manggūltai]]. Later the Plain Blue Banner was switched by Dorgon to the Plain White Banner as the third Elite Banner. At the end of his reign, Hong Taiji gave the two Yellow Banners to his eldest son [[Hooge, Prince Su|Hooge]]. [[Daišan|Daisan]], who was the second son of Nurhaci, and his son [[Yoto (prince)|Yoto]] controlled the two Red Banners. Dorgon and his two brothers controlled the two White Banners and Šurhaci's son [[Jirgalang]] controlled the remaining Bordered Blue Banner.

== Death and succession ==
Hong Taiji died on 21 September 1643 just as the Qing was preparing to attack [[Shanhai Pass]], the last Ming fortification guarding access to the north China plains.<ref>{{harvnb|Oxnam|1975|p=38}}; {{harvnb|Wakeman|1985|p=297}}; {{harvnb|Gong|2010|p=51}}</ref>{{NoteTag|Most sources give the date of Hong Taiji's death on September 21 (Chongde 崇德 8.8.9); however others give the date as September 9.<ref>{{harvnb|Dennerline|2002|p=74}}</ref>}} Because he died without having named an heir, the Qing state now faced a succession crisis.{{sfn|Roth Li|2002|p=71}} The [[Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers]] debated on whether to grant the throne to Hong Taiji's half-brother [[Dorgon]]{{spaced ndash}} a proven military leader{{spaced ndash}} or to Hong Taiji's eldest son [[Hooge, Prince Su|Hooge]]. As a compromise, Hong Taiji's five-year-old ninth son Fulin was chosen, while Dorgon{{spaced ndash}} alongside Nurhaci's nephew [[Jirgalang]]{{spaced ndash}} was given the title of "prince regent".{{sfn|Dennerline|2002|p=78}} Fulin was officially crowned [[emperor of the Qing dynasty]] on 8 October 1643 and it was decided that he would reign under the era name "[[Shunzhi]]."{{sfn|Fang|1943|p=255}} A few months later, Qing armies led by Dorgon seized [[Beijing]], and the young [[Shunzhi Emperor]] became the first Qing emperor to rule from that new capital.{{sfn|Wakeman|1985|pp=313–315 and 858}} 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 Hong Taiji. His body was buried in [[Zhao Mausoleum (Qing dynasty)|Zhaoling]], located in northern [[Shenyang]].

==Legacy==

[[File:Hong Taiji 2018-07-08 145413.jpg|thumb|Statue of Hong Taiji in Beiling Park
]]
As the emperor, he is commonly recognized as having abilities similar to the best emperors such as [[Yongle Emperor|Yongle]], [[Emperor Taizong of Tang]] due to his effective rule, use of talent, and warring skills. According to historian [[Jin Yong]], Hong Taiji had the broad and wise views of [[Qin Shi Huang]], [[Emperor Gaozu of Han]], [[Emperor Guangwu of Han]], [[Emperor Wen of Sui]], [[Emperor Taizong of Tang]], [[Emperor Taizu of Song]], [[Kublai Khan]], the [[Hongwu Emperor]], and the [[Yongle Emperor]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}} His political abilities were paralleled only by [[Genghis Khan]], [[Emperor Taizong of Tang]], and [[Emperor Guangwu of Han]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}} In this sense, Hong Taiji is considered by some historians as the true first emperor for the Qing dynasty.{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}} Some historians suspect Hong Taiji was overall underrated and overlooked as a great emperor because he was a Manchu.{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}}

== Family ==

'''Empress'''

*'''[[Empress Xiaoduanwen]]''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|孝端文皇后}}) of the [[Khorchin Mongols|Khorchin]] [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|博爾濟吉特氏}}; 31 May 1599 – 28 May 1649), personal name '''Jerjer''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|哲哲}})
** '''Makata''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|馬喀塔}}), [[Princess Wenzhuang|Princess '''Wenzhuang''' of the First Rank]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|固倫溫莊公主}}; 10 September 1625 – April/May 1663), second daughter
*** Married [[Ejei Khan|Ejei]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|額哲}}; ? – 1641) of the [[Chahars|Chahar]] [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] on 16 February 1636
*** Married Abunai ({{lang|zh-Hant|阿布奈}}; 1635–1675) of the [[Chahars|Chahar]] [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] in 1645 and had issue (two sons)
** '''Dazhe''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|达哲}}), Princess '''Jingduan''' of the First Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|固倫靖端公主}}; 2 August 1628 – June/July 1686), third daughter
*** Married Kitad ({{lang|zh-Hant|奇塔特}}; ? – 1653) of the [[Khorchin Mongols|Khorchin]] [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] in 1639
** Princess '''Yong'an Duanzhen''' of the First Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|固倫永安端貞公主}}; 7 October 1634 – February/March 1692), eighth daughter
*** Married Bayasihulang ({{lang|zh-Hant|巴雅斯護朗}}) of the [[Khorchin Mongols|Khorchin]] [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] in 1645
* '''[[Empress Xiaozhuangwen]]''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|孝莊文皇后}}) of the [[Khorchin Mongols|Khorchin]] [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|博爾濟吉特氏}}; 28 March 1613 – 27 January 1688), personal name '''Bumbutai''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|布木布泰}})
** '''Yatu''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|雅圖}}), Princess '''Yongmu''' of the First Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|固倫雍穆公主}}; 31 January 1629 – February/March 1678), fourth daughter
*** Married Birtakhar ({{lang|zh-Hant|弼爾塔哈爾}}; ? – 1667) of the [[Khorchin Mongols|Khorchin]] [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] in 1641
** '''Atu''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|阿圖}}), Princess '''Shuhui''' of the First Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|固倫淑慧公主}}; 2 March 1632 – 28 February 1700), fifth daughter
*** Married Suo'erha ({{lang|zh-Hant|索爾哈}}) of the [[Khalkha Mongols|Khalkha]] [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] in 1643
*** Married Sabdan ({{lang|zh-Hant|色布騰}}; ? – 1667) of the Barin [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] in 1648
** Princess '''Shuzhe Duanxian''' of the First Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|固倫淑哲端獻公主}}; 16 December 1633 – February/March 1648), seventh daughter
*** Married Lamasi ({{lang|zh-Hant|喇瑪思}}) of the Jarud [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] in 1645
** '''Fulin''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|福臨}}), the '''[[Shunzhi Emperor]]''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|順治帝}}; 15 March 1638 – 5 February 1661), ninth son

''' Primary Consort'''

* [[Harjol|'''Primary Consort Minhui''']] ({{lang|zh-Hant|敏惠元妃}}) of the [[Khorchin Mongols|Khorchin]] [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|博爾濟吉特氏}}; 1609 – 22 October 1641), personal name '''Harjol''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|海蘭珠}})
** ''Eighth son'' (27 August 1637 – 13 March 1638)
* [[Consort Yuan (Hong Taiji)|'''Consort Yuan''']] ({{lang|zh-Hant|元妃}}) of the [[Niohuru|Niohuru clan]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|鈕祜祿氏}}; 1593–1612)
** '''Lobohoi''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|洛博會}}; 1611–1617), third son
* [[Consort Ji (Hong Taiji)|'''Consort Ji''']] ({{lang|zh-Hant|繼妃}}) of the [[Nara clan#Ula Nara|Ula-Nara clan]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|烏拉那拉氏}}) 
** [[Hooge, Prince Su|'''Hooge''']] ({{lang|zh-Hant|豪格}}), [[Prince Su|Prince '''Suwu''' of the First Rank]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|肅武親王}}; 16 April 1609 – 4 May 1648), first son
** '''Loge''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|洛格}}; 1611 – November/December 1621), second son
** Princess '''Aohan''' of the First Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|敖漢固倫公主}}; 3 April 1621 – February/March 1654), first daughter
*** Married Bandi ({{lang|zh-Hant|班第}}; ? – 1647) of the Mongol [[Aohans|Aohan]] [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] on 25 May 1633

'''Secondary Consort'''

* '''[[Noble Consort Yijing]]''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|懿靖貴妃}}) of the [[Abaga Mongols|Abaga]] [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|博爾濟吉特氏}}; ? – 1674), personal name '''Namjung''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|娜木鐘}}) 
** Princess '''Duanshun''' of the First Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|固倫端順公主}}; 30 April 1636 – July/August 1650), 11th daughter
*** Married Garma Sodnam ({{lang|zh-Hant|噶爾瑪索諾木}}; ? – 1663) of the Mongol [[Abaga Mongols|Abaga]] [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] in December 1647/January 1648
** '''Bomubogor''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|博穆博果爾}}), [[Prince Xiang|Prince '''Xiangzhao''' of the First Rank]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|襄昭親王}}; 20 January 1642 – 22 August 1656), 11th son
* '''[[Consort Kanghuishu]]''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|康惠淑妃}}) of the [[Abaga Mongols|Abaga]] [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|博爾濟吉特氏}}; 1606 – June/July 1667), personal name '''Batmadzoo''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|巴特瑪璪}})
* '''Secondary consort''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|側福晉}}) of the [[Yehe Nara clan|Yehe-Nara clan]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|葉赫那拉氏}}), personal name '''[[Wuyunzhu]]''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|烏雲珠}})
** '''[[Šose]]''', [[Prince Zhuang|Prince '''Chengzeyu''' of the First Rank]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|承澤裕親王}} {{lang|zh-Hant|碩塞}}; 17 January 1629 – 12 January 1655), fifth son
* '''Secondary consort''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|側福晉}}) of the Jarud [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|博爾濟吉特氏}})
** Princess of the First Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|固倫公主}}; 15 December 1633 – April/May 1649), sixth daughter
*** Married Kuazha ({{lang|zh-Hant|誇札}}; ? – 1649) of the Manchu [[Irgen Gioro|Irgen-Gioro clan]] in December 1644 or January 1645
** ''Ninth daughter'' (5 November 1635 – April/May 1652)
*** Married Hashang ({{lang|zh-Hant|哈尚}}; ? – 1651) of the Mongol [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] in October/November 1648

'''Concubine'''

* '''Mistress''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|格格}}) of the [[Yanzha|Yanzha clan]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|顏扎氏}})
** '''[[Yebušu]]''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|葉布舒}}), Duke of the Second Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|輔國公}}; 25 November 1627 – 23 October 1690), fourth son
* '''Mistress''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|格格}}) of the [[Nara clan]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|那拉氏}})
** Lady of the Second Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|縣君}}; 30 November 1635 – August/September 1661), 10th daughter
*** Married Huisai ({{lang|zh-Hant|輝塞}}; ? – 1651) of the Manchu [[Gūwalgiya|Gūwalgiya clan]] in September/October 1651
** '''Gose''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|高塞}}), Duke '''Quehou''' of the First Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|愨厚鎮國公}}; 12 March 1637 – 5 September 1670), sixth son
** ''13th daughter'' (16 August 1638 – May/June 1657)
*** Married Laha ({{lang|zh-Hant|拉哈}}) of the Manchu [[Gūwalgiya|Gūwalgiya clan]] in March/April 1652
* '''Mistress''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|格格}}) of the Sayin Noyan clan ({{lang|zh-Hant|賽音諾顏氏}})
** Lady of the Third Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|鄉君}}; 9 April 1637 – November/December 1678), 12th daughter
*** Married Bandi ({{lang|zh-Hant|班迪}}; ? – 1700) of the Mongol [[Borjigin|Borjigin clan]] in September/October 1651
* '''Mistress''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|格格}}) of the [[Irgen Gioro|Irgen-Gioro clan]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|伊爾根覺羅氏}})
** '''Cangšu''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|常舒}}), Duke of the Second Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|輔國公}}; 13 May 1637 – 13 February 1700), seventh son
* '''Mistress''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|格格}}) of the Keyikelei clan ({{lang|zh-Hant|克伊克勒氏}})
** '''Toose''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|韜塞}}), Duke of the Second Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|輔國公}}; 12 March 1639 – 23 March 1695), tenth son
* '''Mistress''' ({{lang|zh-Hant|格格}}) of the Cilei clan ({{lang|zh-Hant|奇壘氏}}; ? – 1645)
** Princess '''Kechun''' of the Second Rank ({{lang|zh-Hant|和碩恪純公主}}; 7 January 1642 – December 1704 or January 1705), 14th daughter
*** Married [[Wu Yingxiong]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|吳應熊}}; 1634 – 18 May 1674) on 9 October 1653, and had issue (three sons, one daughter)

==Popular culture==
*Portrayed by Kim Yoon-hyung in the 1981 [[Korean Broadcasting System#Terrestrial television|KBS1]] TV Series ''[[Daemyeong]]''.
* Portrayed by [[Tang Guoqiang]] in the 2003 TV series ''[[The Affaire in the Swing Age]].''
* Portrayed by Liu Dekai in the 2003 TV series ''[[Xiaozhuang Mishi]]''.
* Portrayed by [[Nie Yuan]] in the 2015 TV series ''The Legend of Xiaozhuang''. 
* Portrayed by [[Jiang Wen]] in the 2006 TV series ''[[Da Qing Fengyun]]''.
* Portrayed by [[Hawick Lau]] in the 2012 TV series ''In Love With Power''.
* Portrayed by Nam Kyung-eub in the 2013 [[JTBC]] TV series ''[[Blooded Palace: The War of Flowers]]''.
* Portrayed by Byun Joo-hyun in the 2014 [[TvN (South Korean TV channel)|tvN]] TV series ''[[The Three Musketeers (South Korean TV series)|The Three Musketeers]]''.
* Portrayed by Jung Sung-woon in the 2015 [[Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation|MBC]] TV series ''[[Splendid Politics|Hwajung]]''. 
* Portrayed by [[Raymond Lam]] in the 2017 TV series ''[[Rule the World (TV series)|Rule the World]].''
* Portrayed by Kim Beob-rae in the 2017 film ''[[The Fortress (2017 film)|The Fortress]]''.
* Portrayed by Kim Jun-won in the 2023 MBC TV series ''[[My Dearest]]''.

==See also==
* [[Chinese emperors family tree (late)]]
* [[Qing conquest of the Ming]]
* Daily life in the Forbidden City, Wan Yi, Wang Shuqing, Lu Yanzhen. {{ISBN|0-670-81164-5}}.
* Qing imperial genealogy ({{lang|zh-Hant|清皇室四譜}}).
* Qing dynasty Taizong's veritable records ({{lang|zh-Hant|清太宗實錄}})
* Royal archives of the Qing dynasty ({{lang|zh|清宮档案}}).
* [[Samjeondo Monument]]

== Notes ==
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Works cited ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation |last=Crossley |first=Pamela Kyle |author-link = Pamela Kyle Crossley |title = A Translucent Mirror: History and Identity in Qing Imperial Ideology |year=1999 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley and Los Angeles |isbn=0-520-21566-4 }}
* {{cite book |last=Dennerline|first=Jerry|chapter=The Shun-chih Reign|editor-first=Willard J.|editor-last=Peterson |title=Cambridge History of China, Vol. 9, Part 1: The Ch'ing Dynasty to 1800 |location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Pressv|year=2002 |pages=73–119 |chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=hi2THl2FUZ4C&pg=PA73 |isbn=0-521-24334-3 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Dupuy |first1=R. Ernest|last2=Dupuy|first2=Trevor N.|title=The Encyclopedia of Military History from 3500 B.C. to the Present |edition=2nd Revised |year=1986|publisher=Harper & Row, Publishers|location=New York, NY |isbn=0-06-181235-8 }}
* {{cite ECCP |title=Fu-lin |pages=255–59}}
* {{citation |last=Elliott|first=Mark C.|author-link=Mark Elliott (historian)|title=The Manchu Way: The Eight Banners and Ethnic Identity in Late Imperial China|place=Stanford|publisher=Stanford University Press|year=2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_qtgoTIAiKUC |isbn=0-8047-4684-2 }}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Gong |editor-first=Baoli 宫宝利 
 |title = Shunzhi shidian ''顺治事典 ["Events of the Shunzhi reign"]'' |publisher=Zijincheng chubanshe 紫禁城出版社 ["Forbidden City Press"]|location=Beijing |year=2010 |isbn=978-7-5134-0018-3 |language=zh }}
* {{cite journal |last=Grupper|first=Samuel M.|title=Manchu Patronage and Tibetan Buddhism During the First Half of the Ch'ing Dynasty|journal=The Journal of the Tibet Society|issue=4|year=1984|pages=47–75|url=http://www.thlib.org/static/reprints/jts/JTS_04_02.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235559/http://www.thlib.org/static/reprints/jts/JTS_04_02.pdf|archive-date=March 3, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all }}
* {{cite book|last=Miyawaki|first=Junko|year=1999|chapter=The Legitimacy of Khanship among the Oyirad (Kalmyk) Tribes in Relation to the Chinggisid Principle|editor1=Reuven Amitai-Preiss |editor2=David O. Morgan |editor2-link=David Morgan (historian) |title=The Mongol Empire and its Legacy|location=Leiden|publisher=Brill|pages=319–31|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3NZpbDOSAcQC&pg=PA319|isbn=90-04-11946-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Oxnam|first=Robert B.|author-link=Robert Oxnam|year=1975|title=Ruling from Horseback: Manchu Politics in the Oboi Regency, 1661–1669|place=Chicago and London|publisher=University of Chicago Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O-ERAAAACAAJ|isbn=0-226-64244-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Pang|first=Tatiana A.|author2=Giovanni Stary|year=1998|title=New Light on Manchu Historiography and Literature: The Discovery of Three Documents in Old Manchu Script|location=Wiesbaden|publisher=Harrassowitz Verlag|isbn=3-447-04056-4|ref={{harvid|Pang|Stary|1998}}}}
* {{cite book|last=Rawski|first=Evelyn S.|editor-last1=Watson|editor-first1=Rubie S.|editor2-last=Ebrey|editor2-first=Patricia Buckley|chapter=Ch'ing Imperial Marriage and Problems of Rulership|pages=170–203|title=Marriage and Inequality in Chinese Society|year=1991|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley|isbn=0-520-06930-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Rawski|first=Evelyn S.|author-mask=3|year=1998|title=The Last Emperors: A Social History of Qing Imperial Institutions|place=Berkeley|publisher=University of California Press|url=https://archive.org/details/lastemperorssoc00raws|url-access=registration|isbn=0-520-22837-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Roth Li|first=Gertrude|chapter=State Building before 1644|editor=Willard J. Peterson|title=Cambridge History of China, Vol. 9, Part 1: The Ch'ing Dynasty to 1800|location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2002|pages=9–72|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hi2THl2FUZ4C&pg=PA9|isbn=0-521-24334-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Schirokauer|first=Conrad|title=A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations|publisher=Harcourt Brace Jovanovich|location=New York, NY|year=1978|isbn=0-15-505570-4}}
* {{cite journal|last=Stary|first=Giovanni|title=The Manchu Emperor "Abahai": Analysis of an Historiographic Mistake|journal=Central Asiatic Journal|volume=28|issue=3–4|year=1984|pages=296–299|jstor=41927447|others={{subscription required}}}}
* {{cite book|last=Wakeman|first=Frederic Jr. |author-link=Frederic Wakeman|year=1985|title=The Great Enterprise: The Manchu Reconstruction of Imperial Order in Seventeenth-Century China|location=Berkeley and Los Angeles|publisher=University of California Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8nXLwSG2O8AC|isbn=0-520-04804-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Wilkinson|first=Endymion|title=Chinese History: A New Manual|year=2012|publisher=Harvard University Asia Center|location=Cambridge, MA|isbn=978-0-674-06715-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Zhao|first=Erxun 趙爾巽|title=Qingshi gao ''清史稿''|trans-title=[[Draft History of Qing]]|year=1927|others=Citing from 1976–77 edition by Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, in 48 volumes with continuous pagination |ref ={{harvid|Zhao et al.|1927}} |display-authors = etal }}
{{refend}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |last=di Cosmo |first=Nicola|year=2004|chapter=Did Guns Matter? Firearms and the Qing Formation|pages=121–166 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_yJmQgAACAAJ |title = The Qing Formation in World-Historical Time |editor=Lynn A. Struve |location=Cambridge (MA) and London |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=0-674-01399-9 }}
* {{cite book |last=Elliott|first=Mark|author-link=Mark Elliott (historian)|year=2005|chapter=Whose Empire Shall It Be? Manchu Figurations of Historical Process in the Early Seventeenth Century: East Asia from Ming to Qing|pages=31–72|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ElxuAAAAMAAJ|title=Time, Temporality, and Imperial Transition|editor=Lynn A. Struve|location=Honolulu|publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|isbn=0-8248-2827-5}}
* {{cite ECCP|title=Abahai}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[Aisin-Gioro|House of Aisin-Gioro]]|28 November|1592|21 September|1643}}
{{S-reg}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Nurhaci]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Khan (title)|Khan]] of [[Later Jin (1616–1636)|Later Jin]]|years=1626–1636}}
{{s-non|reason=[[Qing dynasty]] was established in 1636. <br/>Himself became the [[List of emperors of the Qing dynasty|Emperor of the Qing dynasty]].}}
|-
{{S-new|reason=[[Qing dynasty]] was established in 1636}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[List of emperors of the Qing dynasty|Emperor of the Qing dynasty]]|years=1636–1643}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Shunzhi Emperor]]}}
{{end}}

{{Clear}}
{{Qing emperors}}
{{Yizheng wang}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hong, Taiji}}
[[Category:1592 births]]
[[Category:1643 deaths]]
[[Category:17th-century Chinese monarchs]]
[[Category:17th-century Mongol khans]]
[[Category:Emperors of the Qing dynasty]]
[[Category:Nurhaci's sons]]
[[Category:Founders of Imperial Chinese dynasties]]
[[Category:Deliberative princes and ministers]]
[[Category:Hong Taiji| ]]