Jirgalang or Jirhalang (

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...

: ; 19 November 1599 – June 11, 1655) was a

noble, regent, and political and military leader of the early

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. Born in the

Aisin Gioro The House of Aisin-Gioro is a Manchu clan that ruled the Later Jin dynasty (1616–1636), the Qing dynasty (1636–1912), and Manchukuo (1932–1945) in the history of China. Under the Ming dynasty, members of the Aisin Gioro clan served as chie ...

clan, he was the sixth son of

Šurhaci Šurhaci (; ; 1564 – 25 September 1611), 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, the predecessor of the Qing dynasty. Under the Ming dynasty governme ...

, a younger brother of

Nurhaci Nurhaci (14 May 1559 – 30 September 1626), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizu of Qing, was the founding khan of the Jurchen people, Jurchen-led Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin dynasty. As the leader of the House of Aisin-Gi ...

, the founder of the Qing dynasty. From 1638 to 1643, he took part in many military campaigns that helped destroy the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

. After the death of Huangtaiji (Nurhaci's successor) in September 1643, Jirgalang became one of the young

Shunzhi Emperor The Shunzhi Emperor (15 March 1638 – 5 February 1661), also known by his temple name Emperor Shizu of Qing, personal name Fulin, was the second Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China pro ...

's two co-regents, but he soon yielded most political power to co-regent

Dorgon Dorgon (17 November 1612 – 31 December 1650) was a Manchu prince and regent of the early Qing dynasty. Born in the House of Aisin-Gioro as the 14th son of Nurhaci (the founder of the Later Jin dynasty, which was the predecessor of the Qi ...

in October 1644. Dorgon eventually purged him of his regent title in 1647. After Dorgon died in 1650, Jirgalang led an effort to clean the government of Dorgon's supporters. Jirgalang was one of ten " princes of the first rank" (和碩親王) whose descendants were made "iron-cap" princes (鐵帽子王), who had the right to transmit their princely titles to their direct male descendants perpetually.

Career before 1643

In 1627, Jirgalang took part in the first Manchu campaign against Korea under the command of his older brother Amin.Kennedy (1943a): 397. In 1630, when Amin was stripped of his titles for having failed to fight an army of the

, Huangtaiji gave Jirgalang control of the Bordered Blue Banner, which had been under Amin's command.Kennedy (1943a): 397. As one of "four senior beile" (the other three were Daišan, Manggūltai, and Huangtaiji himself), Jirgalang participated in many military campaigns against the Ming and the Chahar Mongols.Kennedy (1943a): 397. In 1636 he was granted the title " Prince Zheng of the First Rank", with rights of perpetual inheritance.Kennedy (1943a): 397. In 1642, Jirgalang led the siege of Jinzhou, an important Ming city in Liaodong that surrendered to Qing forces in April of that year after more than one year of resistance.

Co-regency (1643-1647) and disgrace (1647-1650)

While Dorgon was staying in Mukden, in November or December 1643 Jirgalang was sent to attack

Shanhai Pass The Shanhai Pass () is a major fortified gateway at the eastern end of the Great Wall of China and one of its most crucial fortifications, as the pass commands the narrowest choke point in the strategic Liaoxi Corridor, an elongated coasta ...

, a fortified Ming position that guarded access to the plain around

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

.Li Zhiting (2003): 368. In January or February 1644, Jirgalang requested that his name be placed after Dorgon's in all official communications.Li Zhiting (2003): 368. On February 17, 1644, Jirgalang, who was a capable military leader but looked uninterested in managing state affairs, willingly yielded control of all official matters to Dorgon. He was not present when Qing forces entered Beijing in early June 1644. In 1647 he was removed from his post of regent and replaced by Dorgon's brother

Dodo The dodo (''Raphus cucullatus'') is an extinction, extinct flightless bird that was endemism, endemic to the island of Mauritius, which is east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The dodo's closest relative was the also-extinct and flightles ...

. Despite his removal, Jirgalang continued to serve as a military leader. In March 1648, Dorgon ordered the arrest of Jirgalang on various charges and had Jirgalang degraded from a ''qinwang'' (first-rank prince) to a ''junwang'' (second-rank prince). Later in the same year, however, Jirgalang was sent to southern China to fight troops loyal to the

Southern Ming The Southern Ming (), also known in historiography as the Later Ming (), officially the Great Ming (), was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and a series of rump states of the Ming dynasty that came into existence following the ...

. In early 1649, Jirgalang, accompanied by Han Chinese soldiers under Han Chinese banner general Prince Kong Youde loyal to the Qing, ordered a six-day massacre of the inhabitants of the city of Xiangtan in present-day

Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...

due to fierce resistance by Li Chixin's army who were former Chuang ( Li Zicheng's) partisans. Southern Ming loyalist He Tengjiao was also killed at Xiangtan by Kong Youde. He returned to Beijing in 1650 after having the capture of He Tengjiao against the forces of the Yongli Emperor, the last ruler of the Southern Ming regime. The Southern Ming launched a massive counterattack in Hunan after He Tengjiao's death, erasing most of Kong Youde's gains, with Southern Ming general Hu Yiqing recapturing Quanzhou in Guangxi and Zhao Yinxuan and Hu Yiqing recapturing Wugang and arresting the Qing general Yang Yingyuan at Wugang, and recapturing Xinning, Chengbu and other counties. Wang Jincai recaptured Jingzhou, causing Qing general Yan Fengyu and other Qing officers to drown while retreating and Hu Yiqing recaptured Dong'an, lengshuitang and Yongzhou and Cao Zhijian took Hengyang and Ma Jinzhong took Baoqing.

The "Jirgalang faction" (1651-1655)

The group led by Jirgalang that historian Robert Oxnam has called the "Jirgalang faction" was composed of Manchu princes and nobles who had opposed

and who returned to power after the latter died on December 31, 1650. Concerned that Dorgon's brother Ajige may try to succeed Dorgon, Jirgalang and his group arrested Ajige in early 1651. Jirgalang remained a powerful figure at the Qing imperial court until his death in 1655. The four future regents of the

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ...

, Oboi, Ebilun, Sonin, and Suksaha, were among his supporters.

Death and posterity

Soon after Jirgalang died of illness on June 11, 1655,Kennedy (1943a): 398. his second son Jidu (; 1633–1660) inherited his princely title, but the name of the princehood was changed from "Zheng" (鄭) to "Jian" (簡). The title "

Prince Zheng Prince Zheng of the First Rank (Manchu: ; ''hošoi ujen cin wang''), or simply Prince Zheng, was the title of a princely peerage used in China during the Manchu-led Qing dynasty (1644–1912). It was also one of the 12 "iron-cap" princely peerag ...

" was re-established in 1778 when the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...

praised Jirgalang for his role in the Qing defeat of Ming and granted Jirgalang a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Jirgalang's second son Jidu and Jidu's second son Labu (; d. 1681) participated in military campaigns in the second half of the

's reign and the early reign of the

, notably against

Koxinga Zheng Chenggong (; 27 August 1624 – 23 June 1662), born Zheng Sen () and better known internationally by his honorific title Koxinga (, from Taiwanese: ''kok sèⁿ iâ''), was a Southern Ming general who resisted the Qing conquest of Chin ...

and

Wu Sangui Wu Sangui (; 8 June 1612 – 2 October 1678), courtesy name Changbai () or Changbo (), was a Chinese military leader who played a key role in the fall of the Ming dynasty and the founding of the Qing dynasty. In Chinese folklore, Wu Sangui is r ...

.Kennedy (1943c): 397; Kennedy (1943d): 439. Jirgalang's 13th generation descendants Duanhua (Prince Zheng) and Sushun (Duanhua's younger brother) were politically active during the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor (r. 1851-1861). They were appointed as two of eight regents for the infant Tongzhi Emperor (r. 1862-1874), but were quickly overthrown in 1861 in the Xinyou Coup that brought

Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908) was a Manchu noblewoman of the Yehe Nara clan who effectively but periodically controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing dynasty as empress dowager and regent for almost 50 ...

and the young emperor's uncle Prince Gong to power.

Family

Father:

* Paternal Grandfather: Taksi, Emperor Xuan * Paternal grandmother: Hitara Emeci, Empress Xuan (喜塔拉。额穆齐, 宣皇后) Mother: Ula Nara Hunai, secondary consort ( 侧福晋乌拉那拉·虎奈) * Maternal grandfather: ----Consorts and issue: * Primary consort, of the Niohuru clan (嫡福晋钮祜禄氏), daughter of Eidu * Primary consort, of the Yehe-Nara clan (继福晋叶赫那拉氏), daughter of prince De'erheli (德尔赫礼台吉), granddaughter of Yehe beile Gintaisi (金台石, pinyin:jintaishi), elder sister of Sutai. * Secondary consort, of the Gu'erhasu clan (侧福晋钴尔哈苏氏)，daughter of ''tabunang'' Zhuoliketu (卓礼克图塔布囊) ** Jidu (济度;1633-1660), second son, Prince Jianchun of the First Rank (简纯亲王) * Secondary consort, of the Jarud

Borjigin A Borjigin is a member of the Mongol sub-clan that started with Bodonchar Munkhag of the Kiyat clan. Yesugei's descendants were thus said to be Kiyat-Borjigin. The senior Borjigids provided ruling princes for Mongolia and Inner Mongolia u ...

clan (扎鲁特博尔济吉特氏), daughter of beile Bage (巴格贝勒) ** Fu'erdun (富尔敦;1633-1651), first son, heir apparent Quehou (悫厚世子) ** Ledu (勒度;1636-1655), third son, * Secondary consort, Yehenara Sutai (叶赫那拉·苏泰), daughter of De'erheli (德尔赫礼台吉) * Mistress, of the Gūwalgiya clan (庶福晋瓜尔佳氏), daughter of Chalalai (察喇赖) ** ''Xitujun (''锡图军; 1642-1651), sixth son * Mistress, of the Sardu clan (庶福晋萨尔都氏), daughter of Master Commander of Cavalry Dahu (云骑尉达祜) ** Gumei (固美), Bulwark General (辅国将军), seventh son * Mistress, of the Gūwalgiya clan(庶福晋瓜尔佳氏), daughter of Zhata (扎塔) ** Ba'erkan (巴尔堪), Prince Jianwu of the First Rank (简武亲王), fourth son * Mistress, of the An clan (庶福晋安氏), daughter of Tielani (贴喇尼) ** Kunlan (裈兰), fifth son, served as first rank military official (都统) * Mistress, of the Yun clan (庶福晋云氏), daughter of Dekesuoni (德克素尼) ** Wuxi (武锡;1653-1707), Bulwark General (辅国将军) * Mistress, of the Daigiya clan (庶福晋戴佳氏), daughter of Master Commander of Cavalry Nandahai (云骑尉品级南达海) * Mistress, of the Niohuru clan (庶福晋钮祜禄氏), daughter of Bai'erge (伯尔格) ** Liuxi (留锡;1648-1703), eighth son * Wife, of the Hešeri clan(妾赫舍里氏), daughter of Daidali (戴达礼) ** Hailun (海伦, 1655-1683), tenth son * Wife, of the Ma clan (妾马氏), daughter of Wulai (武赖) * Wife, of Dai clan (妾戴氏), daughter of Xiaoqijiao songkun (骁骑校松坤) * Wife, of the Jin clan (妾晋氏), daughter of Shanlong (山隆) * Wife, of the Mengguosu clan (妾蒙郭苏氏), daughter of Maimishan (迈密山) ** First daughter *** married E'erkedaiqing (额尔克戴青) of the

clan

In popular culture

*Portrayed by Im Byung-ki in the 1981 KBS1 TV Series '' Daemyeong''. *Portrayed by Liu Haikuan in the 2017 TV Series '' Rule the World''.

Notes

References

* * * * *Li Zhiting 李治亭 (editor in chief). (2003). ''Qingchao tongshi: Shunzhi juan'' 清朝通史: 順治卷 General History of the Qing dynasty: Shunzhi volume" Beijing: Zijincheng chubanshe. * Oxnam, Robert B. (1975)
''Ruling from Horseback''
': Manchu Politics in the Oboi Regency, 1661-1669''. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. * Wakeman, Frederic (1985). ''The Great Enterprise: The Manchu Reconstruction of Imperial Order in Seventeenth-Century China''. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. {{Yizheng wang 1599 births 1655 deaths Deliberative Princes and Ministers Qing dynasty imperial princes Qing dynasty regents Manchu Bordered Blue Bannermen Prince Zheng Imperial Clan of Qing dynasty 17th-century regents