Quick Answer: Who Was Hong Taiji?
Hong Taiji (皇太极, Huáng Tàijí, 1592–1643) succeeded his father Nurhaci (努尔哈赤, Nǔ’ěrhāchì) as khan of the Later Jin (后金, Hòu Jīn) in 1626.[1]
- New designation: In 1635, Hong Taiji directed his followers to use Manchu (满洲, Mǎnzhōu) in place of Jurchen.[4]
- New dynasty: In 1636, he took the title of emperor and proclaimed the Great Qing (大清, Dà Qīng).[4]
- Successor: His young son took the throne after his death in 1643. Qing forces entered Beijing the following year.[5]
Hong Taiji built the early Qing from a court based in Shenyang (沈阳, Shěnyáng), years before its rulers moved to Beijing.
Hong Taiji inherited a military state in which powerful relatives controlled their own units. The institutions he built gave more authority to the center while retaining a role for the princes.[2]
From Banner Princes to Central Offices
The Eight Banners (八旗, Bāqí) organized troops and the households attached to them. At first, Hong Taiji shared decisions with other senior princes known as beile (贝勒, bèilè).[1]
A Literary Office established in 1629 kept court documents and recorded state affairs in Manchu.[2]
In 1631 he established Six Boards (六部, Liùbù), drawing on Chinese administrative models. Relatives still led the boards, which now put areas such as revenue and war under more direct central supervision.[3]
In 1632 Hong Taiji stopped sitting beside three senior princes at court and reserved the south-facing seat for himself.[1]
Manchu in 1635, Great Qing in 1636
The Manchu name gave the court a way to identify a community drawn from several Jurchen groups. The state’s imperial name came later.[4]
In 1635 the Chahar Mongols (察哈尔, Cháhā’ěr) submitted, and the court organized eight Mongol banners.[5]
In 1636 Hong Taiji proclaimed the Qing at Shenyang. He took the title of emperor and used the reign name Chongde (崇德, Chóngdé).[4]
The Banners and Wars on Two Fronts
Hong Taiji invaded Joseon at the end of 1636. King Injo surrendered in 1637 and his court entered a tributary relationship with the Qing. Under the new terms, Joseon was to end formal ties with the Ming (明, Míng) court and send royal princes to Shenyang as hostages.[7]
An original letter from Hong Taiji to Injo survives from the negotiations. Later Manchu and Chinese official records preserve versions with changes.[9]
The court recruited Han Chinese soldiers to strengthen its artillery. After victories at the Ming strongholds of Songshan (松山, Sōngshān) and Jinzhou (锦州, Jǐnzhōu), it reorganized the Han forces into eight banners in 1642. These units joined the existing Manchu and Mongol banner forces.[5][6]
The Succession and the Move to Beijing
Hong Taiji died in 1643. His son Fulin (福临, Fúlín), known by the reign name Shunzhi (顺治, Shùnzhì), succeeded him under the regency of Dorgon (多尔衮, Duō’ěrgǔn) and Jirgalang (济尔哈朗, Jì’ěrhālǎng).[1] In 1644, after rebels took Beijing and the reigning Ming emperor died, Qing troops entered the capital. The Forbidden City became the seat of the new court.[5][8]
FAQs About Hong Taiji
Was Nurhaci or Hong Taiji the founder of the Qing?
Nurhaci founded the Later Jin in 1616. He is remembered as a dynastic ancestor. Hong Taiji made it the Great Qing and took the imperial title in 1636.[1]
What do Chongde and Taizong mean here?
Chongde was a reign name used to date events. Taizong (太宗, Tàizōng) was a temple name conferred after Hong Taiji’s death.[1]
Where was Hong Taiji’s court based?
His court was in Shenyang, also known as Mukden. The palace there retains buildings arranged to reflect the banner system.[8]
Sources
[1] The Palace Museum. Hong Taiji, Imperial Lineage
[2] Macabe Keliher. The Problem of Imperial Relatives in Early Modern Empires and the Making of Qing China
[3] National Institute of Korean History. Hong Taiji and the Development of the Qing State
[4] Lin Sun. Writing an Empire, An Analysis of the Manchu Origin Myth and the Dynamics of Manchu Identity
[5] Gertraude Roth Li. State Building before 1644, The Cambridge History of China
[6] Byung-Jin Chong. The Administration of the Eight Banners Han Army During Hong Taiji’s Reign
[7] Seonmin Kim. Ginseng and Borderland, chapter 1 and note 132
[8] UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang
[9] 구범진. Hong Taiji’s Imperial Letter during the 1637 Manchu Invasion of Chosŏn