Manggūltai

Manggūltai (Manchu: ᠮᠠᠩᡤᡡᠯᡨᠠᡳ; Chinese: 莽古爾泰; 1587 – 11 January 1633) was a Manchu noble of the Aisin Gioro clan and a prominent military and political figure during the early Qing dynasty. He was born in 1587 and died in 1633 at the age of approximately 45 or 46 years.

Family Background:

Manggūltai was the fifth son of Nurhaci, the founder of the Qing dynasty. His mother was Gundei from the Fuca clan, one of Nurhaci’s primary consorts. He was an older half-brother of Hong Taiji, Nurhaci's successor.

Career:

Nurhaci's Reign:

In 1616, upon Nurhaci assuming the title of Khan, Manggūltai was appointed as one of the Four Senior Beile, ranking third among them. The other three beile were Daišan, Amin, and Hong Taiji. Starting in 1621, Manggūltai and the other senior beile served as assistants to Nurhaci on a rotational basis, contributing to the administration of the Later Jin dynasty.

Hong Taiji's Reign:

Following Nurhaci’s death, Daišan facilitated the accession of Hong Taiji as Khan. Although Hong Taiji initially retained the title of Khan, Manggūltai, along with Daišan and Amin, continued to serve as assistant administrators until 1629, a period during which Hong Taiji began consolidating his authority. Manggūltai surrendered the Plain Blue Banner, the third strongest banner at that time, to Hong Taiji. This act contributed to Hong Taiji’s centralization of power, ultimately leading to his rise as the sole ruler, paving the way for his eventual declaration as Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.

Family:

Manggūltai's primary consorts included his first wife from the Nara clan and his second wife from the Hada Nara clan. His children included:

- Maidali (15 June 1603 – January/February 1634), his first son

- Guanggu (22 August 1604 – 1606), his second son

- Sahaliang (21 March 1606 – 1642), his third son

- Ebilun (born 4 February 1609), his fifth son

- Feiyanggutai (born 11 April 1610), his sixth son

- Aketama (1620–1622), his eighth son

- Shusong (3 January 1624 – 1652), his ninth son

- Sadong'e (born 1608), his fourth son, born to a concubine

- Sahana (born 11 April 1614), his seventh son, also born to a concubine

Ancestry:

Manggūltai belonged to the Aisin Gioro clan, the imperial house of the Manchu Qing dynasty. His lineage traces back to Nurhaci, the clan’s founding figure.

References:

Information is drawn from Arthur W. Hummel Sr.’s edited work "Eminent Chinese of the Ch’ing Period," published in 1943 by the United States Government Printing Office.