Dodo

Dodo (Manchu: ᡩᠣᡩᠣ; 2 April 1614 – 29 April 1649), also known as Prince Yu, was a Manchu prince and military general during the early Qing dynasty. He was born into the Aisin Gioro clan as the 15th son of Nurhaci, the founder of the Later Jin dynasty. His mother was Lady Abahai, Nurhaci's primary consort, who was also the mother of Dodo's full brothers Ajige and Dorgon.

During Hong Taiji's reign, Dodo was conferred the title of ejen in 1620 and became a beile at the age of 13, overseeing the Plain White Banner and participating in governmental affairs related to the Ministry of Rites and Ministry of War. In 1628, he assisted in the conquest of Chahar, Mongolia, earning the title eerkechuhuer for his achievements. The subsequent year, he joined Hong Taiji in the campaign against the Ming dynasty, crossing the Great Wall toward Beijing.

In 1631, Dodo was involved in besieging the Ming army at Dalinghe; during a battle, he fell from his horse and nearly died at Jinzhou. The next year, he participated in a campaign against Ligdan Khan of Chahar. His first appointment as a commander-in-chief occurred in 1635 at the Battle of Dalinghe. In 1636, Dodo was promoted to qinwang with the title "Prince Yu of the First Rank" and took part in campaigns against Korea, notably defeating forces at Mount Nanhan. In 1638, he was demoted two grades to beile due to misconduct involving the presence of prostitutes in his army. In 1641, he led the Qing forces at the Battle of Songjin, participated in the siege of Jinzhou, and was instrumental in capturing the Ming general Hong Chengchou, which led to a promotion to junwang.

With the rise of the Shunzhi Emperor, Dodo's military achievements expanded. In 1644, he entered Ming territory after Wu Sangui opened Shanhai Pass, defeated rebel forces under Li Zicheng, and occupied Beijing. He was reinstated as a qinwang and given the title "Great General Who Pacifies the Nation." Dodo led an army of approximately 200,000 troops composed of Manchu and Han Chinese soldiers to pursue Li Zicheng's remnants across Henan and Shaanxi provinces. In early 1645, he captured Tong Pass and Xi'an and subsequently took Yangzhou, executing its official Shi Kefa, and ordered the Yangzhou massacre. By February 1645, he had occupied Nanjing and captured the Southern Ming ruler, the Hongguang Emperor. Later that year, he received the title "Prince Deyu of the First Rank" after his Zhejiang campaign.

Dodo was involved in strategic criticisms of the Southern Ming's military tactics. In 1646, he was appointed "Great General Who Spreads Might" following the suppression of a Sonid Mongol rebellion. In 1647, he was conferred the title "Uncle Who Assists in Governance and Prince Deyu of the First Rank."

Dodo died of smallpox in 1649 at the age of 36. His relationship with his brother Dorgon was notably close; upon hearing of Dodo's severe illness, Dorgon quickly returned to Beijing but arrived too late, after Dodo's death. Dorgon expressed great grief upon his brother's death.

Posthumously, in 1652, the Shunzhi Emperor demoted Dodo to junwang due to suspected affiliations with Dorgon, whom the emperor viewed as a potential usurper. In 1671, the Kangxi Emperor granted Dodo the posthumous name "Tong," elevating his rank to "Prince Yutong of the Second Rank." During the Qianlong era in 1778, Dodo was restored to prince status and was honored with a shrine in the Mukden Palace.

Dodo was married primarily to consorts from the Khorchin Borjigit and Nara clans and had multiple children, including Duoni and Duo'erbo. His descendants included princes and officials who continued the Qing noble lineage.