Ejen

''Ejen'' (Manchu: ; Chinese: 額真 or 主) is a Manchu word literally meaning "lord" or "master". It was used during the Qing dynasty of China to refer to leaders or officials of the Eight Banners or the Emperors of the Qing dynasty as the supreme leaders of the Eight Banners system.

History

The term can be traced back to the Later Jin dynasty before 1636. At this time, ''ejen'' was a borrowed word from Mongolian, meaning "lord" or "master". During the Later Jin dynasty the objects referred to by the term ''ejen'' in Manchu were originally diverse. For example, after the establishment of the Eight Banners system in the early 17th century, the term was used in the official names of the Eight Banners, such as ''Gūsa ejen'', ''Meiren-i ejen'', ''Jalan ejen'', and ''Niru ejen''. At this time Jurchens (later became known as the Manchus) commonly used Khan to refer to the sovereign, and ''ejen'' was rarely used in this sense. Even when it was used with this meaning, it appeared in general expressions such as ''gurun i/de ejen'' ("lord of/in the country"), and it was also used to the refer to the Mongol khans and the Emperor of the Ming dynasty. But by 1634, the term ''ejen'' in the official names of the Eight Banners mentioned above, except for the highest-level ''Gūsa ejen'', was changed to ''janggin'' (meaning "general"), such as ''Meiren-i janggin'', ''Jalan janggin'', and ''Niru janggin''. After the Ming-Qing transition, ''ejen'' began to become a title for the emperor of the Qing dynasty who was the supreme leader of the Eight Banners system, along with titles like the Son of Heaven and Huangdi. The word was often used by Bannermen officials to refer to the emperor of the Qing dynasty during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, and by this time it was rarely used as a common noun to refer to the "master" of various groups. Since the relationship between Bannermen officials and the Emperors was comparable to that between "master and servant" in a household, Bannermen officials often used the term '' Booi Aha'' or ''Nucai'' (meaning "servant") for self-address at court when addressing the Emperor.

Ranks

* ''Gūsa-i ejen'' (), meaning "master of a banner", later Sinicised to become ''dutong'' (), meaning "colonel";
** Evolved into ''zongbing'' (), meaning "chief commander";
** Then into ''amba janggin'' (; ), meaning "grand general";
** Then into ''jinkini hafan'' (), meaning "prime officer";
** Which was finally Sinicised to become ''zi'' (), meaning "viscount".
* ''Meiren-i ejen'' (), meaning "vice master", Sinicised to become ''fu dutong'' (), meaning "vice colonel";
** Evolved into ''fujiang'' (), meaning "vice general";
** Then into ''meiren-i janggin'' (; ), meaning "vice general";
** Then into ''ashan-i hafan'' (), meaning "vice officer";
** Which was finally Sinicised to become ''nan'' (), meaning "baron".
* ''Jalan-i ejen'' (), meaning "master of a sub-banner", Sinicised to become ''canling'' (), meaning "staff captain";
** Evolved into ''canjiang'' (), meaning "staff general", or ''youji'' (), meaning "vanguard" or "skirmish leader";
** Then into ''jalan-i janggin'' (; ), meaning "general of a sub-banner";
** Then into ''adaha hafan'' (), meaning "chariot officer";
** Which was finally Sinicised to become ''qingche duwei'' (), meaning "master commandant of light chariot".
* ''Niru-i ejen'' (), meaning "master of an arrow" (an "arrow" was a basic unit of a banner army), later Sinicised to become ''zuoling'' (), meaning "assistant captain";
** Evolved into ''beiyu'' (), meaning "rearguard";
** Then into ''niru-i janggin'' (; ), meaning "general of an arrow";
** Then into ''baitalabura hafan'' (), meaning "adjutant officer";
** Which was finally Sinicised to become ''ji duwei'' (), meaning "master commandant of cavalry".

See also

* List of emperors of the Qing dynasty
* Chinese honorifics
* Khan (title)
* Booi Aha
* Nucai

References

{{Qing dynasty topics

Eight Banners
Titles of national or ethnic leadership
Emperors of the Qing dynasty