Dorgon
Dorgon (
Chinese: 多爾袞 duō ěr g"n;
Manchu:
) (
November 17 1612–
December 31 1650), also known as
Hošoi Mergen Cin Wang ('碩睿親王), was a
Manchu prince in the early
Qing dynasty. He laid the groundwork for the Manchu rule of
China.
Dorgon was the fourteenth son of the Manchu leader
Nurhaci and
Abahai;
Dodo and
Ajige were his full brothers, and
Hong Taiji his half-brother. Dorgon became one of the most powerful of the princes. During
Hong Taiji's reign he took part in many military campaigns, including conquests of the
Mongols and of
Korea.
After Hong Taiji's death, Dorgon supported the dead emperor's ninth son, his nephew
Fulin, in order to avoid division. He was subsequently appointed Fulin's
Regent. When the
Ming Dynasty was destroyed by
Li Zicheng, Dorgon invaded
China proper with the help of
Wu Sangui, and defeated Li.He took
Beijing in
1644, and set Fulin, who became known as the
Shunzhi Emperor, on the throne. As the regent and effective dictator, Dorgon could have taken the throne, but he always remained loyal to his nephew.
He was rumoured to have married
Xiaozhuangwen Grand Empress Dowager, and he was later given the title the
Emperor Consort in official records, the only case of its kind in Qing Dynasty history.
After he suddenly died on a hunting trip in 1650, Dorgon received the posthumous rank of Emperor. Soon after that, the opposition forces gained power, and he was stripped of all titles. He was rehabilitated during the reigns of
Kangxi Emperor and
Qianlong Emperor.
