Dodo ( mnc, ᡩᠣᡩᠣ, z=Dodo; 2 April 1614 – 29 April 1649), formally known as Prince Yu, 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 ...

prince and military general 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 ...

Family background

Dodo was 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 as the 15th son 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 Later Jin dynasty. His mother was Nurhaci's primary spouse Lady Abahai, who also bore Dodo's full brothers Ajige and

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 ...

Career

Hong Taiji's reign

In 1620, Dodo was conferred the title of an ''ejen''. He became a ''beile'' at the age of 13 and was put in charge of the Plain White Banner, and started administrating affairs in the

Ministry of Rites The Ministry or Board of Rites was one of the Six Ministries of government in late imperial China. It was part of the imperial Chinese government from the Tang (7th century) until the 1911 Xinhai Revolution. Along with religious rituals and c ...

and Ministry of War. In 1628, Dodo followed

Hong Taiji Hong Taiji (28 November 1592 – 21 September 1643), also rendered as Huang Taiji and sometimes referred to as Abahai in Western literature, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizong of Qing, was the second khan of the Later Jin ...

on the conquest of Chahar,

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

, and was granted the title of ''eerkechuhuer'' (額爾克楚虎爾) for his achievements. The following year, he followed Hong Taiji again on the conquest of 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 ...

, crossing the

Great Wall The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand Li (unit), ''li'' long wall") is a series of fortifications in China. They were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection agains ...

and closing in on the Ming 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 ...

. In 1631, Dodo was involved in besieging the Ming army at Dalinghe. He lost his footing and fell from his horse during a battle and almost died at

Jinzhou Jinzhou (, zh, s= , t=錦州 , p=Jǐnzhōu), formerly Chinchow, is a coastal prefecture-level city in central-west Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the Liaoxi Corridor, which connects most of the la ...

. The following year he participated in a campaign against

Ligdan Khan Khutugtu Khan (; ), born Ligdan (; ), (1588–1634) was a khagan of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1604 to 1634. During his reign, he vigorously attempted to reunify the divided Mongol Empire, achieving moderate levels of success. Howev ...

of Chahar. In 1635 he was appointed commander-in-chief for the first time at the Battle of Dalinghe. In 1636, Dodo was promoted to ''qinwang'' under the title " Prince Yu of the First Rank". He followed Hong Taiji on the campaign against the

Joseon dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

of Korea and defeated the enemy at Mount Nanhan. Two years later, he was demoted two grades to ''beile'' for bringing prostitutes with him in his army. In 1641, Dodo participated in the

Battle of Songjin The Battle of Song-Jin () was fought in 1641 and 1642 at Songshan and Jinzhou, hence the name "Song-Jin". Hong Chengchou's 100,000 elite troops, sent to break the siege of Jinzhou, were crushed by the Eight banner armies of the Qing Dynasty a ...

and led the Qing army in besieging

in the first part of the battle. He led an ambush to wipe out the remnants of the enemy at Mount Song in the final battle and joined Hooge's forces in besieging Mount Song and captured the Ming general

Hong Chengchou Hong Chengchou (; 1593–1665), courtesy name Yanyan and art name Hengjiu, was a Chinese official who served under the Ming and Qing dynasties. He was born in present-day Liangshan Village, Yingdu Town, Fujian Province, China. After obtaining ...

. He was promoted one grade to ''junwang'' for his achievement.

Shunzhi Emperor's reign

In 1644, Dodo entered Ming territory after the Ming general

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 ...

opened

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 ...

for the Qing armies. They defeated rebel forces under

Li Zicheng Li Zicheng (22 September 1606 – 1645), born Li Hongji, also known by his nickname, the Thunder King, was a Chinese Late Ming peasant rebellions, peasant rebel leader who helped overthrow the Ming dynasty in April 1644 and ruled over northe ...

at Shanhai Pass and occupied the Ming capital

, after which Dodo was reinstated as a ''qinwang'' and appointed "Great General Who Pacifies the Nation" (定國大將軍). Together with Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, Dodo led an army of 200,000, comprising both Manchu and

Han Chinese The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...

soldiers, to attack the remnants of Li Zicheng's rebel army, defeating and driving the enemy from

Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...

Shaanxi Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...

. In the first month of 1645, Dodo conquered

Tong Pass Tongguan or Tong Pass, was a former mountain pass and fortress located south of the confluence of the Wei and Yellow Rivers, in today's Tongguan County, Weinan, Shaanxi, China. It was an important chokepoint, protecting Xi'an and the surroundi ...

and

Xi'an Xi'an is the list of capitals in China, capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populou ...

, and in the second month he attacked the

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

(remnants of the fallen Ming dynasty). In the fourth month, Dodo captured the city of

Yangzhou Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou, Jiangsu, ...

and executed its defending official

Shi Kefa Shi Kefa (4 February 1601 – 20 May 1645), courtesy names Xianzhi and Daolin, was a government official and calligrapher who lived in the late Ming dynasty. He was born in Xiangfu (祥符; present-day Kaifeng, Henan) and claimed ancestry from D ...

, after which he ordered the Yangzhou massacre. By the following month, Dodo's army had crossed the

Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...

and occupied the Southern Ming capital

Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...

and captured the Southern Ming ruler, the

Hongguang Emperor The Hongguang Emperor (1607–1646), personal name Zhu Yousong, childhood nickname Fuba, was the first emperor of the Chinese Southern Ming dynasty. He reigned briefly in southern China from 1644 to 1645. His era name, "Hongguang", means "great ...

. In the sixth month, Dodo conquered

Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

and returned to

, after which he received the title "Prince Deyu of the First Rank" (和碩德豫親王). Dodo berated and attacked the Southern Ming Hongguang Emperor (Prince of Fu,

Zhu Yousong The Hongguang Emperor (1607–1646), personal name Zhu Yousong, childhood nickname Fuba, was the first emperor of the Chinese Southern Ming dynasty. He reigned briefly in southern China from 1644 to 1645. His era name, "Hongguang", means "great ...

) over his battle strategy in 1645, telling him that the Southern Ming would have defeated the Qing if only the southern Ming assaulted the Qing military before they forded the Yellow river instead of tarrying. The Prince of Fu could find no words to respond when he tried to defend himself. In 1646, Dodo was appointed "Great General Who Spreads Might" (揚威大將軍) and emerged victorious from suppressing a rebellion by the Sonid Mongols. A year later, he was conferred the title "Uncle Who Assists in Governance and Prince Deyu of the First Rank" (輔政叔和碩德豫親王).

Death

Dodo died of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

in 1649 at the

age of ''Age Of'' is the eighth studio album by American electronic producer Oneohtrix Point Never, released on June 1, 2018, on Warp Records. Recorded over two years, it is the first Oneohtrix Point Never album to prominently feature Daniel Lopatin's o ...

36. Dodo was said to have a very close relationship with his brother

. Dorgon was attacking Jiang Xiang (姜瓖) in

Shanxi Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...

when he heard that Dodo was severely ill, so he immediately turned and rushed back to Beijing, but when he arrived at

Juyong Pass Juyong Pass () is a mountain pass located in the Changping District of Beijing Municipality, over from central Beijing. The Great Wall of China passes through, and the Cloud Platform was built here in the year 1342. Mountain pass Geography ...

, he received news that Dodo had died. Dorgon was so grieved that he changed into plain robes and cried as he raced back to Beijing.

Posthumous demotion and restoration

In 1652, the

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 ...

posthumously demoted Dodo to the status of a ''junwang'' for his affiliation with

, whom the emperor perceived to have had the intention of usurping the throne. In 1671, during the reign 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 ...

, Dodo was granted a posthumous name "Tong" (通), so his title became "Prince Yutong of the Second Rank" (多羅豫通郡王). In the first lunar month of 1778, 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 ...

posthumously restored Dodo to the status of a ''qinwang'' and created a place for Dodo in the Qing ancestral temple. Seven months later, a shrine was built for Dodo in the

Mukden Palace Mukden Palace (), or Shenyang Imperial Palace (), was the former palace of the Later Jin dynasty and the early Qing dynasty. It was built in 1625, and the first three Qing emperors lived there from 1625 to 1644. Since the collapse of imperial ...

Family

Primary Consort * First primary consort, of the Khorchin Borjigit clan (嫡福晉博爾濟吉特氏) ** First daughter *** Married Zhemen (輒門) of the Barin in January/February 1645 ** Princess of the Third Rank (郡主; 1634–1649), third daughter *** Married Haoshan (豪善) in 1646 * Second primary consort, of the Khorchin Borjigit clan (繼福晉博爾濟吉特氏), personal name Dazhe (達哲) ** Duoni, Prince Yuxuanhe of the First Rank (豫宣和親王多尼; 15 November 1636 – 2 February 1661), second son ** Duo'erbo, Prince Rui of the First Rank (睿親王多爾博; 19 February 1643 – 7 February 1673), fifth son * Third primary consort, of the

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

clan (嫡福晉那拉氏) Secondary Consort * Secondary consort, of 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 (側福晉佟佳氏) ** Cani, Duke Kexi of the Second Rank (輔國恪僖公察尼; 17 April 1641 – 15 October 1688), fourth son ** Dongge, Prince Xin of the Second Rank (信郡王董額; 9 February 1647 – 3 August 1706), seventh son ** Princess of the Fourth Rank (縣主), eighth daughter *** Married Eqi'er (鄂齊爾) of the Khorchin Borjigit clan in 1663 Concubine * Mistress, of the

clan (那拉氏) ** Zhulan (珠蘭; 1 December 1635 – 13 April 1665), first son * Mistress, of the

Gūwalgiya Gūwalgiya was one of the most powerful Manchu clans. It is often listed by historians as the first of the eight prominent Manchu clans of the Qing dynasty. After the demise of the dynasty, some of its descendants sinicized their clan name to th ...

clan (瓜爾佳氏) ** Bakedu (巴克度; 3 June 1640 – 14 April 1668), third son * Mistress, of the

clan (瓜爾佳氏) ** Zhakedu (扎克度; 24 May 1644 – 21 February 1689), sixth son * Mistress, of the

clan (佟佳氏) ** Fiyanggū, Duke of the Second Rank (輔國公費揚古; 20 March 1649 – 9 September 1723), eighth son * Unknown ** A daughter who married Shi Huashan (石華善; d. 1695)

Ancestry

Notes

References

* * * * {{Yizheng wang 1614 births 1649 deaths Manchu Plain White Bannermen Deliberative Princes and Ministers Nurhaci's sons Deaths from smallpox