The Khorchin (, ''Horchin''; ''Qorčin''; ) are a subgroup of the
Mongols
Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China ( Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family o ...
that speak the
Khorchin dialect of
Mongolian and predominantly live in northeastern
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of China. Its border includes two-thirds of the length of China's China–Mongolia border, border with the country of Mongolia. ...
of China.
History
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 ...
gave
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 ...
princes (descended from
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...
's brothers) command of the Taining Guard, one of the Three Guards established in 1389. In 1446-48 most of the guards fled in the wake of
Esen Tayisi's invasions. However, the Fuyu Guard, another of the Three Guards, remained along the
Nen and
Onon rivers. Said to have been the descendants of
Khasar
Khasar (; , ), was one of the three full brothers of the legendary Genghis Khan. According to the ''Jami' al-Tawarikh'', his given name was ''Jochi'' and he got the nickname ''Khasar'' after his distinguished bravery. He was also called Khabht K ...
, a brother of Genghis Khan, they became the direct ancestors of the Khorchin Mongols.
Adai Khan of the Khorchin challenged the power of the
Four Oirats and the Ming court in the succession struggle of
Northern Yuan dynasty
The Northern Yuan was a dynastic state ruled by the Mongol Borjigin clan based in the Mongolian Plateau. It existed as a rump state after the collapse of the Yuan dynasty in 1368 and lasted until its conquest by the Jurchen people, Jurchen-led ...
. However, he was killed by them in
Ejene in 1438 and his tribe was forced to flee southward. The Khorchin appeared again in Mongolian chronicles with the rise of Unebolad
wang
Wang may refer to:
Names
* Wang (surname)
Wang () is the pinyin romanization of Chinese, romanization of the common Chinese surname (''Wáng''). It has a mixture of various origin with uncertain lineage of family history, however it is c ...
in the late 15th century. The Khorchins allied with
Dayan Khan and defeated the
Uriyangkhai at the battle of Dalan Terqin in 1510.
In 1624,
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 ...
received the submission of Khorchins who roamed east of
Khingan mountains and west of the
Sungari. They were the first Mongol tribe that submitted to
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 ...
. The Khorchins were responsible for production of
fermented mare's milk for
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 ...
emperors. The later emperors of the Manchu Qing dynasty rewarded the Khorchin nobles highly for this early loyalty. Notable
Empresses of the Qing dynasty, such as
Empress Xiaozhuangwen (1613–88) and
Empress Xiaohuizhang (1641–1717), were the Khorchin-Borjigins. The Khorchins were further divided into two wings (north and south), each with
three Banners.
[Occasional Papers by Mongolia Society, p.76]
Due to the anti-Mongol rebellion among
ethnic Han Jindandao followers in 1891, many thousands of
Kharchin Mongols
The Kharchin (Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , ; zh, c=喀喇沁部), or Kharachin, is a subgroup of the Mongols residing mainly (and originally) in North-western Liaoning and Chifeng, Inner Mongolia. There are Khalkha-Kharchin Mongols in Dor ...
fled to the Khorchin. After 1900 both Chinese education and Chinese influence spread among them. When the
Japanese Empire occupied parts of
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of China. Its border includes two-thirds of the length of China's China–Mongolia border, border with the country of Mongolia. ...
and all of
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical region in northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day northeast China and parts of the modern-day Russian Far East south of the Uda (Khabarovsk Krai), Uda River and the Tukuringra-Dzhagdy Ranges. The exact ...
in 1931, the Khorchins leaders became the puppets of the Japanese Empire. After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
rural class struggle and the civil war of 1946–48 were very bloody and divisive. Since then they have been a powerful
faction within
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of China. Its border includes two-thirds of the length of China's China–Mongolia border, border with the country of Mongolia. ...
's
Chinese Communist Party
The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
apparatus.
Popular culture
Korchin is a playable nation in the
grand strategy game Europa Universalis IV.
Khorchin is a playable nation in the grand strategy game ''Age of History 2'', where its capital is
Baicheng.
References
* Great Mongolia 800
Notes
Sources
See also
*
Khorchin (redirect page)
{{Authority control
Mongols
Mongol peoples
Southern Mongols
Ethnic groups in Mongolia