Longkodo (; died 1728) was a

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 ...

court official who lived in the

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 ...

. He was from the

Tunggiya Tunggiya (Manchu: , Chinese: 佟佳) is the name of a Manchu clan. Notable figures Males *Yangzhen (養真/养真; d. 1621), grandfather of Empress Xiaokangzhang **Tulai (圖賴/图赖; 1606–1658), a first rank military official (都統/都� ...

clan, which was under the

Bordered Yellow Banner The Bordered Yellow Banner () was one of the Eight Banners of Manchu people, Manchu military and society during the Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin and Qing dynasty of China. The Bordered Yellow Banner was one of three "upper" banner armies u ...

. His period of fame lasted from the late Kangxi era to the early Yongzheng era, perhaps most famous for delivering the Kangxi Emperor's disputed will.

Biography

Longkodo was the third son of Tong Guowei and the younger brother of the Kangxi Emperor's third Empress Consort, Empress Xiaoyiren. Another sister, held the rank of ''Guifei'' ("Noble Consort") in the Kangxi Emperor's harem (third highest rank). Longkodo's father Tong Guowei was in turn the son of Tong Tulai, a noble who belonged to the Han

Eight Banners The Eight Banners (in Manchu language, Manchu: ''jakūn gūsa'', , ) were administrative and military divisions under the Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasties of China into which all Manchu people, Manchu househol ...

, and maternal grandfather of the Kangxi Emperor through his mother

Empress Xiaokangzhang Empress Xiaokangzhang (1638 – 20 March 1663), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Tunggiya clan, was the concubine of the Shunzhi Emperor and mother of the Kangxi Emperor during the Qing dynasty. She was honoured as Empress Dowager Cihe dur ...

. Longkodo was therefore both the Kangxi Emperor's maternal cousin, as well as his brother-in-law. In 1688, Longkodo entered the imperial court of the Kangxi Emperor, serving on the Imperial Guard. He then became deputy commander of the Plain Blue Banner in Mongolia. In 1705, Longkodo was found negligent for abuses committed by his subordinates, and dismissed from his positions. He resurfaced again in 1711, becoming the commander of the capital gendarmerie, better known as the ''Jiumen Tidu'' (九门提督), which acted as both a police and military force overseeing the imperial capital,

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 ...

, and its vicinity. In 1720, Longkodo was named the minister in charge of Lifan Yuan by the ailing Kangxi Emperor, overseeing affairs of ethnic-minority border regions. At the time of the Kangxi Emperor's death in 1722, Longkodo was the only high-level official present at Changchunyuan, where the ailing emperor died. His military power made him an obvious scapegoat in conspiracy theories, and was deeply suspected by the

Yongzheng Emperor The Yongzheng Emperor (13 December 1678 – 8 October 1735), also known by his temple name Emperor Shizong of Qing, personal name Yinzhen, was the fourth List of emperors of the Qing dynasty, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the third Qing em ...

, who succeeded the Kangxi Emperor. The biggest mystery surrounding Longkodo is the exclusive attention the Kangxi Emperor gave him before his death. His military support ensured a non-violent transfer of power between the Kangxi and Yongzheng emperors. After the Yongzheng Emperor ascended the throne, Longkodo was given a position on the four-person imperial council, and was the President (''Shangshu'') of the Board of Governance. Longkodo was later disgraced, charged with a list of 41 crimes, and then forced into house arrest by the Yongzheng Emperor at Changchunyuan. He died after spending about a year in solitary confinement.

References

*{{cite ECCP, title=Lungkodo 1728 deaths Manchu politicians Qing dynasty tidus Year of birth unknown Manchu Bordered Yellow Bannermen Prisoners who died in Chinese detention

Biography

See also

References