Longkodo (; died 1728) was a

Manchu 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) an ...

court official who lived in the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

. He was from the Tunggiya clan, which was under the

Bordered Yellow Banner The Bordered Yellow Banner () was one of the Eight Banners of Manchu military and society during the Later Jin and Qing dynasty of China. The Bordered Yellow Banner was one of three "upper" banner armies under the direct command of the emperor ...

. 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 Tong may refer to: Chinese *Tang Dynasty, a dynasty in Chinese history when transliterated from Cantonese *Tong (organization), a type of social organization found in Chinese immigrant communities *''tong'', pronunciation of several Chinese char ...

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: ''jakūn gūsa'', ) were administrative and military divisions under the Later Jin and Qing dynasties of China into which all Manchu households were placed. In war, the Eight Banners functioned as armies, but the ...

, and maternal grandfather of the Kangxi Emperor through his mother Empress Xiaokangzhang. 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, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...

, and its vicinity. In 1720, Longkodo was named the minister in charge of

Lifan Yuan The Lifan Yuan (; ; Mongolian: Гадаад Монголын төрийг засах явдлын яам, ''γadaγadu mongγul un törü-yi jasaqu yabudal-un yamun'') was an agency in the government of the Qing dynasty of China which administered ...

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, born Yinzhen, was the fourth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the third Qing emperor to rule over China proper. He reigned from ...

, 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 politicians Qing dynasty tidus Year of birth unknown Manchu Bordered Yellow Bannermen

Biography

See also

References