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House of Aisin-Gioro

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House of Aisin-Gioro
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese愛新覺羅
Simplified Chinese爱新觉罗
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinàixīn juéluó
Manchu name
Manchu script
The House of Aisin Gioro
CountryQing, Manchukuo
Founded1644
FounderEmperor Nurhaci
Current headHengzhen
Final rulerXuantong Emperor (Puyi)
TitlesEmperor of Qing
Emperor of Manchukuo
Estate(s)China
Deposition1912: Monarchy dissolved

Aisin Gioro was the family name of the Manchu emperors of the Qing Dynasty. The House of Aisin Gioro ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which established a republican government in its place. The word aisin means gold in the Manchu language, and "gioro" is the name of the place in present day Yilan, Heilongjiang Province. In Manchu custom, families are identified first by their Hala (哈拉), i.e. their family or clan name, and then by Mukūn (穆昆), the more detailed classification, typically referring to individual families. In the case of Aisin Gioro, Aisin is the Mukūn, and Gioro is the Hala. Other members of the Gioro clan include Irgen Gioro (伊尔根觉罗), Susu Gioro (舒舒觉罗) and Silin Gioro (西林觉罗) etc.

The Jin dynasty (jin means gold in Chinese) of the Jurchens, ancestors of the Manchus, was known as aisin gurun, and the Qing dynasty was initially named () amaga aisin gurun, or Later Jin dynasty. Since the fall of the Empire, a number of members of the family have changed their surnames to Jin (Chinese: 金) after the former dynasty. For example, Puyi's younger brother changed his name from Aisin-Gioro Puren (愛新覺羅溥任) to Jin Youzhi (金友之) and his children in turn are surnamed Jin.

Family naming code

Before the founding the Qing Dynasty, the naming of children in the Aisin Gioro clan was quite random. After taking control of China, however, the family gradually incorporated Han Chinese ways of naming. During the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, all of Kangxi's sons were to be named with a generation prefix preceding the given name. There were three characters chosen, Cheng (承), Bao (保), and Chang (长), before finally deciding on Yin (胤) in Kangxi. The Yongzheng Emperor's sons switched from Fu (福) to Hong (弘). Following Yongzheng, the Qianlong Emperor decided that all subsequent male offspring would have a generation code placed in their name according to a Generation Poem, of which Qianlong composed the first four characters, 永 綿 奕 載. Moreover, the names of brothers (born to the same father) will often contain a similar radical or meaning. In one case, the Yongzheng Emperor changed the generation code of his brothers as a way of keeping his own name unique. Such practices apparently ceased to exist after the Daoguang Era.

  Order Generation code Radical code Examples
1 Yongzheng Emperor Yin, 胤/Yun, 允 Fortune (Shi) 示 Yinzhi, 胤祉
2 Qianlong Emperor Hong, 弘 Sun/Day (Ri) 日 Hongzhou, 弘晝
3 Jiaqing Emperor Yong, 永/Yong, 顒 Jade (Yu) 玉 Yongqi,永琪
4 Daoguang Emperor Mian, 綿/Min, 旻 Emotion (Xin) 心 Mianyu, 綿愉
5 Xianfeng Emperor Yi, 奕 Literary (Yan) 言 Yixin, 奕訢
6 Guangxu Emperor Zai, 載 Water (Shui) 水 Zaifeng, 載灃
7 Xuantong Emperor Pu, 溥 Human (Single Ren) 人 Pujie, 溥傑
8 Yu'e, 毓峨 Yu, 毓 Mountain (Shan) 山 Yuzhan, 毓嶦
9 Hengtai, 恒鈦 Heng, 恒 Metal/Gold (Jin) 金 Hengjiang, 恒鏹

Subsequent: Qi 启, Dao 焘, Kai 闿, Zeng 增, Qi 祺

Foundation

The Aisin Gioro clan, as a Manchu clan, claimed descent from the Jurchen people, who founded the Jin Dynasty nearly 5 centuries earlier in China under the Wanyan (完顏 Wányán) clan.

Under Nurhachi and his son Abahai, the Aisin Gioro clan of the Jianzhou tribe won hegemony among the rival Juchen tribes of the northeast, then through warfare and alliances extended its control into Inner Mongolia and Korea. Nurhachi created large, permanent civil-military units called “banners” to replace the small hunting groups used in his early campaigns. A banner was composed of smaller companies; it included some 7,500 warriors and their households, including slaves, under the command of a chieftain. Each banner was identified by a coloured flag that was yellow, white, blue, or red, either plain or with a border design. Originally there were four, then eight, Manchu banners; new banners were created as the Manchu conquered new regions, and eventually there were Manchu, Mongol, and Chinese banners, eight for each ethnic group. By 1648 less than one-sixth of the bannermen were actually of Manchu ancestry. The Manchu conquest was thus achieved with a multiethnic army led by Manchu nobles and Han Chinese generals. Han Chinese soldiers were organized into the Army of the Green Standard, which became a sort of imperial constabulary force posted throughout China and on the frontiers.

From Fanca to Ningguta Beise

Suffering from tyranny, the people raided Odoli and killed all Bukūri Yongšon's descendants except Fanca. A magpie saved Fanca's life. Fanca's descendant Mengtemu went eastward to execute his ancestors' revenge in Hetu Ala and settled there. Mengtemu's sons were Cungšan and Cuyan. Cungšan's sons were Tolo, Toimo, and Sibeoci Fiyanggū. Sibeoci Fiyanggū's son was Fuman, and Fuman's six sons were called Ningguta Beise (Six Kings; or ningguta i mafa), who lived around Hetu Ala.

Mengtemu is identified as Möngke Temür (猛哥帖木儿), who left Odoli at the invitation of the Ming Dynasty and was appointed as leader of the Jianzhou Left Guard. On the other hand, the founder of the Jianzhou Right Guard was Möngke Temür's half-brother Fanca. It is unclear whether he was the same person as Mentemu's ancestor, or if this was just a mistake by the Manchus. The Jianzhou Left Guard fell into chaos in the early 16th century. In addition, Sibeoci Fiyanggū and Fuman seem to have been fictional, because they did not appear in Chinese or Korean records. Maybe they were fabricated by the imperial family to claim its linkage to Möngke Temür.[citation needed]

1 Although Aisin Gioro is usually pronounced "Aixin Jueluo" in Mandarin, some argue that it should be "Aixin Jiaoluo", since the only pronunciation of the character 覺 corresponding to Manchu gio is jiao[citation needed].

Notable Aisin-Gioros

The Emperors

Main article: List of Emperors of the Qing Dynasty

Iron-cap princes and their descendants

Main article: Qing Dynasty nobility

By Qing tradition, the sons of Princes do not automatically inherit their father's title, but rather will inherit a title one level lower. However, there were 12 princes during the Qing Dynasty who were named "iron-cap princes", meaning that their princely titles will be "passed on forever" through each succeeding generation.

Prominent political figures

Others

Present-day

References

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