Dorgon

Dorgon (17 November 1612 – 31 December 1650) was a Manchu prince and regent during the early years of the Qing dynasty. He was born into the important House of Aisin-Gioro as the 14th son of Nurhaci, the founder of the Later Jin dynasty, which later became the Qing dynasty. Dorgon began his career fighting in many battles against the Mongols, the Koreans, and the Ming dynasty when his brother Hong Taiji was ruler.

After Hong Taiji died in 1643, Dorgon helped make sure the young Shunzhi Emperor, who was Hong Taiji’s ninth son, became the new ruler. Dorgon served as Prince-Regent from 1643 to 1650, guiding the young emperor. During this time, Qing forces took control of Beijing and worked to defeat the remaining forces of the Ming dynasty. Dorgon also introduced a new rule for Han Chinese men, requiring them to cut the front of their heads and wear their hair in special braided styles called queues, similar to the Manchus.

Dorgon died in 1650 while on a hunting trip. Even though he was never emperor himself, he was honored after his death. However, a year later, the Shunzhi Emperor accused him of wrongdoings and took away his honors. Much later, in 1778, the Qianlong Emperor restored Dorgon’s honors, recognizing his earlier service.

Early career

Dorgon was born into the Manchu Aisin-Gioro clan, the 14th son of Nurhaci, the ruler of the Later Jin dynasty, which later became the Qing dynasty. His mother was Nurhaci’s main wife, Lady Abahai. Among Nurhaci’s sons, Dorgon became one of the most important leaders. He played a key role in helping the Qing take over Beijing, the capital of the fallen Ming dynasty. Dorgon fought in battles against groups known as the Chahar Mongols in 1628 and 1635.

After the death of Hong Taiji, Dorgon competed with Hong Taiji’s oldest son, Hooge, for control of the government. They settled on a compromise: Hong Taiji’s ninth son, Fulin, became the new ruler, known as the Shunzhi Emperor. Because the Shunzhi Emperor was only six years old, Dorgon and his cousin Jirgalang were named co-regents to help rule.

During Hong Taiji’s time, Dorgon took part in many military campaigns, including attacks on areas controlled by Mongolia and Korea. In February 1644, Jirgalang chose to let Dorgon handle all official matters. After learning about a plan by Hooge to challenge Dorgon’s leadership in May 1644, Hooge lost his title, and some of his supporters were removed. By June 1644, Dorgon had firm control over the Qing government and its military.

Conquest of the Ming

Main articles: Qing conquest of the Ming and Southern Ming

When Dorgon and his advisors were planning how to attack the Ming Empire, rebellions were happening in Beijing. On April 24, 1644, rebel forces led by Li Zicheng broke into the Ming capital. The last Ming emperor, the Chongzhen Emperor, died on a hill behind the Forbidden City. Dorgon’s advisors suggested using this moment to claim leadership for the Qing. The main challenge was a former Ming general named Wu Sangui, who guarded a key pass in the Great Wall.

Wu Sangui asked Dorgon for help against the rebels. Dorgon asked Wu to join the Qing instead, and Wu agreed. With Wu’s soldiers and Dorgon’s cavalry, the Qing defeated Li Zicheng at the Battle of Shanhai Pass on May 27. Li Zicheng’s forces left Beijing after a few days of looting.

Dorgon welcomed the Shunzhi Emperor to Beijing on October 19, 1644. On October 30, the young emperor performed a special ceremony. A formal ceremony to celebrate the emperor’s rule happened on November 8. During this event, Dorgon’s title was raised to show his important role.

Dorgon gave a Manchu woman as a wife to a former Ming official named Feng Quan. Feng chose to adopt the Manchu queue hairstyle before it was required for everyone else and learned the Manchu language.

Settling in the capital

Six weeks after rebels left Beijing, local leaders greeted Dorgon. He announced that officials could stay in their jobs if people in the area surrendered. However, all men were required to shave part of their heads and wear their hair in queues. This rule was later changed after protests.

Dorgon ordered that part of Beijing be set aside for Banner troops, including some Han Chinese soldiers. This caused tension between different groups. Land outside the city was also divided, leading to difficulties for many people.

In 1645, Dorgon received a higher title. Rumors said he may have had a special relationship with the Shunzhi Emperor’s mother, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, but this is debated by historians.

Under Dorgon’s leadership, the Qing took control of most of China, pushing back groups that still supported the Ming. After dealing with rebellions near Beijing, Dorgon’s forces moved south. They captured important cities and faced resistance, including a strong defense at Yangzhou, which was taken after a siege. The city’s population suffered greatly as a result.

Dorgon ordered that all Han Chinese men cut their hair in a specific way to show loyalty to the Qing. Those who refused faced serious consequences. This rule caused anger and resistance. Some cities resisted for months before being taken, and their populations suffered greatly.

After Nanjing fell, two more Ming supporters set up new governments in Fujian and Zhejiang. However, they did not work together well. Qing forces captured and killed one leader in Fujian in 1646. The other leader fled to Taiwan.

In late 1646, new Ming leaders appeared in Guangzhou. They fought among themselves until Qing forces captured and killed one in 1647. The other fled to Nanning. In 1648, a former Ming general turned against the Qing, helping the remaining Ming leader regain control of parts of southern China. However, Qing forces eventually recaptured these areas. In November 1650, Qing troops captured Guangzhou and its population suffered greatly.

In 1646, Dorgon restored exams to choose government officials, held every three years. In 1648, a rule allowed some Han Chinese men to marry Manchu women with permission.

The exams under Shunzhi’s rule aimed to bring Manchus and Han Chinese together. The number of graduates was high until lower limits were set in 1660.

Death

Dorgon passed away on 31 December 1650 during a hunting trip in Kharahotun (now Chengde, Hebei). Despite having imperial doctors with him, injuries he sustained led to his death. After he died, he was given the title "Emperor Yi" and the temple name "Chengzong," even though he had never been emperor. This was unusual in Chinese history, as only certain family members of emperors usually received such titles after death.

Some people believed Dorgon may have been killed by political rivals, though the official story was that he was hurt while riding a horse and could not recover. His death happened when Emperor Shunzhi was about 13 years old, which was seen as a good time for the young emperor to stop needing a regent like Dorgon to help rule.

Posthumous demotion and restoration

After Dorgon died in 1650, his political enemies accused him of many wrongdoings. They claimed he had taken things meant only for the emperor and tried to take control of the throne. These accusations were hard to prove because later emperors ordered all records about Dorgon to be destroyed.

As a result, the emperor at the time removed Dorgon’s titles and even had his body dug up and punished publicly. This was done to make sure no one in Dorgon’s family could ever become emperor.

Many years later, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, Dorgon was cleared of these charges. The emperor gave Dorgon a new title showing that he had been loyal, undoing the earlier punishment. However, the records about what happened to Dorgon’s family were also destroyed, making the full story unclear.

Evaluation

Dorgon worked hard to bring peace after leading troops into Beijing in 1644. He made sure order was restored and stopped unfair actions by officials. He also planned to bring back the civil service system to find talented people across the land.

Though many saw Dorgon as a devoted leader, some criticized his policies. These policies aimed to strengthen Qing rule but caused trouble. One policy required Chinese men to cut their hair in a certain way and wear Manchu-style clothes. Others involved taking land for military use and forcing people into service, which led to conflict and hardship for many.

According to Japanese travelers, Dorgon was tall, slim, and had a sharp, handsome appearance with dark skin and a neat beard.

Family

Primary Consort

Dorgon had several main wives from different families, including the Khorchin Borjigit, Tunggiya, and Zha'ermang Borjigit clans.

Secondary Consort

He also had a secondary wife from the Yi clan of Jeonju. Together, they had a daughter named Donggo, born in 1638.

Ancestry

In popular culture

Dorgon has been shown in several TV shows and movies. In 1981, he was played by Yoo Jong-keun in the KBS1 TV series Daemyeong. In 2011, Park Ki-woong portrayed him in the film War of the Arrows. Though he does not appear in the 2024 tvN TV series Captivating the King, he is often mentioned as Prince Rui. In 2017, Qu Chuxiao played Dorgon in the Chinese TV series Rule the World. He was also portrayed by Geng Le in the Chinese TV series The Legend of Xiao Zhuang.