The Haixi Jurchens () were a grouping of the

Jurchens Jurchen (Manchu language, Manchu: ''Jušen'', ; zh, 女真, ''Nǚzhēn'', ) is a term used to collectively describe a number of East Asian people, East Asian Tungusic languages, Tungusic-speaking peoples, descended from the Donghu people. They ...

as identified by the Chinese of the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

. They inhabited an area that consists of parts of modern-day

Jilin Jilin (; alternately romanized as Kirin or Chilin) is one of the three provinces of Northeast China. Its capital and largest city is Changchun. Jilin borders North Korea (Rasŏn, North Hamgyong, Ryanggang and Chagang) and Russia (Prim ...

Heilongjiang Heilongjiang () formerly romanized as Heilungkiang, is a province in northeast China. The standard one-character abbreviation for the province is (). It was formerly romanized as "Heilungkiang". It is the northernmost and easternmost province ...

Liaoning Liaoning () is a coastal province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. With its capital at Shenyang, it is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and is the northernmost ...

and

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...

in China.

Etymology

Haixi Jurchens is a name used by Han Chinese dynasties to denote this specific group of Tungusic people. In the records of other Jurchens, they are called "Hūlun gurun" which means The country or land of Hulun. The four powerful clans that dominated this tribe are called "Four Huluns" which consists of Ula, Hoifa, Hada, and Yehe. The Haixi Jurchens was one of the three nomadic Jurchen tribes that was living on the northern border of Ming dynasty China. The other two Jurchens are

Jianzhou Jurchens The Jianzhou Jurchens () were one of the three major groups of Jurchens as identified by the Ming dynasty. Although the geographic location of the Jianzhou Jurchens changed throughout history, during the 14th century they were located south of t ...

and

Wild Jurchens The Wild Jurchens () or Haidong Jurchens () were a group of the Jurchens as identified by the Ming Dynasty. They were the northernmost group of the Jurchen people (the other being the Jianzhou Jurchens and Haixi Jurchens). In the 14th century, th ...

respectively. Although the contemporary use of the word "Manchu" include the Haixi and Wild Jurchens, these two tribes are not originally called Manchus since the word "Manchu" or "Manju" was the indigenous name of the Jianzhou Jurchens only.

History

The Haixi Jurchens appeared on the northern border of Ming China in the 1520s.Draft History of Qing，Book 223 Wangji Wailan, chieftain of the Hada clan obtained a peerage title from the Ming dynasty and became a vassal under the Chinese polity. Wanji Wailan's nephew Wan expanded the territories under his control and proclaimed himself a Khan. He established his seat in

Hetu Ala Hetu Ala ( zh, 赫圖阿拉城; Manchu:) was the first capital of the Later Jin (1616–1636) state, the predecessor of the Qing dynasty of China. It was the capital from 1616 to 1622. It was renamed to Xingjing ( zh, 興京) in 1634. The site of H ...

and was also referred as the "Ningguta Beile”. The Haixi Jurchens sided with Ming dynasty throughout the rule of Wan. When Wanggao, chieftain of the Jianzhou Jurchens started a rebellion against the Ming China, the Haixi Jurchens actively participated in the repression of Wanggao's rebellion. After Wanggao was captured and executed, China rewarded the Haixi Jurchens greatly. At the early stages of the rise of Qing empire, the Haixi Jurchens played an important and antagonistic role. The Jianzhou Jurchens which later become the ruler of Qing China had bitter relationships with the Haixi Jurchens. Eventually, the Hada clan were defeated by the Jianzhou Jurchens in the year of 1601 marking the end of its independence. Another notable clan Yehe resisted the Jianzhou Jurchens longer with failed attempts of seeking alliance with Ming dynasty (Since both Haixi and Ming are decisively defeated by Jianzhou and were not able to even up the odds). In 1619, Jianzhou Chieftain

Nurhaci Nurhaci (14 May 1559 – 30 September 1626), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizu of Qing (), was a Jurchen chieftain who rose to prominence in the late 16th century in Manchuria. A member of the House of Aisin-Gioro, he reigned ...

besieged the seat of Haixi Chieftain

Gintaisi Gintaisi (Manchu: ; died September 29, 1619), known as Jintaishi () or Jintaiji () in Chinese, was a Jurchen beile (chieftain) of the Yehe tribal confederation. He was the younger brother of Narimbulu, and became one of the two beile of the Yeh ...

. Gintaisi died during the siege while leaving a famous curse "Even if there is only one daughter left in my clan, I will overthrow the

Manchus The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and Q ...

!".《崇陵傳信錄》：「天命朝，大兵定葉赫，頗行威戮，男丁罕免者。部長布揚古臨沒憤言曰：『吾子孫雖存一女子，亦必覆滿洲！』以此祖制宮闈不選葉赫氏。」 The curse was arguably fulfilled by his direct descendant,

Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; mnc, Tsysi taiheo; formerly Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Empress Dowager T'zu-hsi; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908), of the Manchu people, Manchu Nara (clan)#Yehe Nara, Yehe Nara clan, was a Chinese nob ...

, who usurped power from the house of

Aisin-gioro The House of Aisin-Gioro was a Manchu people, Manchu clan that ruled the Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin dynasty (1616–1636), the Qing dynasty (1636–1912), and Manchukuo (1932–1945) in the history of China. Under the Ming dynasty, member ...

and became the de facto ruler of China. The curse was also fulfilled by

Empress Dowager Longyu Jingfen (; 28 January 1868 – 22 February 1913), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Yehe Nara clan, was the wife and empress consort of Zaitian, the Guangxu Emperor. She was Empress consort of Qing from 1889 until her husband's death in ...

, a descendant of Gintaisi, and the one who eventually signed Puyi's abdication from the throne, thus ending the Qing dynasty.

Notable people

Cuigiya Lianyuan Lianyuan (; , 1838–11 August 1900) was a Manchu Chinese statesman in the late Qing dynasty of China. His courtesy name was Xianheng (仙蘅). Lianyuan came from the Cuigiya clan of Haixi Jurchens. He also belonged to the Bordered Red Banner ( ...

Nalan Mingzhu Mingju ( Manchu:, Mölendroff: ''mingju''; , November 19, 1635 – June 3, 1708), of the Manchu Nara clan, was an official of the Qing Dynasty during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor. He was thrown in prison for corruption. Second cousin to th ...

Nalan Xingde Nalan Xingde (; January 19, 1655 – July 1, 1685), Manchu name Nara Singde, courtesy name Rongruo (), was a Qing dynasty Chinese poet, famous for his ci poetry. He was born Nalan Chengde (納蘭成德), but had to change his name when the Kan ...

References

{{reflist

External links

THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF CHINA: The Qing Empire To 1800
Manchuria Jurchens

Etymology

History

Notable people

See also

References

External links