Ortai

Ortai (Manchu: ᠣᡵᡨᠠᡳ, Möllendorff: ortai; Chinese: 鄂爾泰; pinyin: È'ěrtài) (1677–1745) was an eminent Chinese official at court from the Silin Gioro clan, belonging to the Bordered Blue Banner, during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). He was a famous mandarin during the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor (1722–1735) of the Qing Dynasty who was also served Yongzheng's in governing the southern areas in his role in various regional governing positions, the Qianlong Emperor highly praise Ortai was “He was the No. 1 of doctors from　the Qing Dynasty.”

He was appointed the Viceroy of Yun-Gui in 1723. Along with Tian Wenjing and Li Wei, Manchu Ortai was one of the Emperor's most trusted officials. In September 1745, while visiting Qinling tombs with the Qianlong Emperor, and died at the age of 68. The Emperor commemorated Ortai.

Ortai was originally wed to a woman of the Guwalgiya clan, until she died. Then he married the daughter of Mai Zhu, the Minister of the Board of Punishments. Ortai then refused to take on secondary spouses despite polygamous customs of aristocratic men of his generation. They had two daughters and six sons. The sons used the first character of Ortai's transliterated name (E, 鄂) as their surname. His fourth son E Ning also served as Viceroy of Yung-Gui for a short period in 1768.

Fame and military campaigns

• Viceroy of Yun-Gui (1723–1726)
• Councillor of Grand Council (1730–1740)
• Chief Councillor of Grand Council and Defence minister (1737)
• Grand Secretariat (1737)

Awards

• Both created Three Excellencies, Crown prince's military first class master(太子太保) and Crown prince's literature and politic first class master(太子太傅)