Yunti

Yunti (10 February 1688 – 16 February 1755), born Yinzhen and also known as Yinti prior to 1722, was a Manchu prince and military general during the Qing dynasty of China. He was a son of the Kangxi Emperor and his consort Empress Xiaogongren. His family belonged to the Aisin Gioro clan.

Yinti was the fourteenth son of Kangxi and his birth name was Yinzhen (胤祯). Due to the similarities with the name of his fourth brother, Yinzhen (胤禛), his name was changed to Yinti (胤禵). His mother, Empress Xiaogongren, also bore the Yongzheng Emperor, who was Yinti's full-blood brother.

In 1709, Yinti was granted the title of beizi, a noble rank in the Qing hierarchical system. In 1718, after Dzungar forces defeated Qing troops along the Salween River in Tibet, Kangxi appointed Yinti as "Great General Who Pacifies the Frontier" (撫遠大將軍). He led an army of approximately 300,000 troops into Tibet to campaign against the Dzungar Khanate and its leader Tsewang Rabtan. During this period, Yinti played a significant role in the Qing military efforts in Tibet. In February 1720, Yinti directed his deputies Galbi and Yanxin from Xining to proceed to Lhasa, while he remained in Xining to consolidate support with Mongol allies and to escort the Seventh Dalai Lama to Lhasa. His forces captured Lhasa in September 1720 and subsequently returned the Dalai Lama to the Potala Palace.

Following Kangxi’s death, Yinti was summoned back to Beijing in December 1722, coinciding with preparations for a planned campaign against the Dzungars. He learned of his father’s death upon reaching Shanxi. His brother, Yinzhen, succeeded as Yongzheng Emperor. Yongzheng’s rise to power involved political maneuvering, and correspondence suggests he may have used deception to prevent Yinti from claiming the throne. Yinti was initially convinced to remain in the Qing capital but later accepted that he would not succeed his father, returning to his quarters with the expectation of possible execution.

During the Yongzheng reign, Yinti's status fluctuated. In 1723, he was promoted to junwang (second-rank prince), but was demoted to beizi the following year. In 1725, Yongzheng perceived Yinti as a potential threat to his rule and stripped him of his title, placing him under house arrest. Records indicate that Yinti was confined at various locations, including the Old Summer Palace's back garden. Despite multiple attempts at persuasion or possible offers of freedom, Yinti refused to serve Yongzheng, reportedly expressing hostility toward those seeking his allegiance.

Upon Yongzheng’s death in 1735, his son Hongli ascended the throne as the Qianlong Emperor. The new emperor released Yinti from confinement that same year. Throughout the Qianlong era, Yinti’s noble rank was gradually restored. In 1737, he was made a lesser duke (fuguo gong), and in 1747, he achieved the rank of beile. In 1748, he was promoted to junwang and was granted the title “Prince Xun of the Second Rank” (恂郡王). Yunti died on 16 February 1755 and was posthumously titled Prince Xunqin of the Second Rank (恂勤郡王). His second son, Hongming, inherited the Prince Xun peerage and became a beile.

Yinti's family included a primary consort from the Wanyan clan and secondary consorts from the Šušu Gioro and Irgen Gioro clans. He fathered numerous children, including Hongming, Hongkai, Hongchun, and others, with some daughters marrying into other noble families.

Yinti has been depicted in various films and television series, including portrayals by actors such as Cheung Wai, Huang Yinxun, Xu Zuming, and Mao Zijun, among others.