Nara (clan)
Encyclopedia
Nara is a major Manchu
clan. The Hūlun Four States (扈倫四部) -- Hada (Chinese
: 哈達, pinyin
: Hādá), Ula (Chinese
: 烏拉, pinyin
: Wūlā), Hoifa (Chinese
: 輝發, pinyin
: Huīfā) and Yehe (Chinese
: 葉赫, pinyin
: Yèhè) -- were ruled by this clan. In English translation, nara is the Mongolian word for 'sun'.
The most prominent of the Naras were the Yehe and the Ula, with the Yehe, belonging to the Bordered Blue Banner, being one of the eight great Manchu aristocratic lines. A number of famous Chinese, including the Empress Dowager Cixi
, were from this clan. Present-day descendants of the Nara clan generally adopt "Na" as a family name
, so that it would be similar to the usually monosyllabic Han family names. Those descended from the Yehe Nara tribe might also choose "Ye" or "He".
area, which encompasses parts of modern day Jilin
, Heilongjiang
, Liaoning
and Inner Mongolia
. The Hada Naras and Ula Naras shared an ancestor, but the Yehe Naras were founded by a Tümed
Mongol who conquered the Nara tribe and established his rule over the banks of the Yehe river. The Hoifa Naras, on the other hand, came from the Ikderi clan.
Of the four tribes, the Ula tribe were mostly traders, buying horses, livestock
, and fur
from the steppe Mongols
and selling them at the Jianzhou (建州) plateau on the Liao river
basin, the economic center and farmland of the Manchu region. They in turn buy grains
such as millet
and corn
at Jianzhou and sell them to the Mongols. The Ula Naras, for a large part, controlled trade between Manchuria and Mongolia by controlling the mountain pass at modern day Baicheng
, Jilin
, where the only passage between the two areas was located.
During Nurhaci
's efforts to unite the Jurchen people, the Naras resisted because they had always been rather well-treated by the Ming government. Instead they tried to appease Nurhachi by offering him a daughter from each of the tribal rulers, the most famous of which were Lady Abahai
(阿巴亥) of the Ula tribe and Monggo (孟古) of the Yehe tribe. Nonetheless, Nurhaci eventually began his assault against the Naras, and the Hada, Ula and Hoifa tribes soon fell. The Yehe Naras were able to resist the longest as they were the largest and strongest of the tribes, but even they soon had to enlist the help of the Ming empire.
Using how well-treated the Yehe Naras were by the Ming government as an excuse, Nurhaci began to wage war against the Ming forces as well. Both the Ming soldiers and the Yehe Naras were defeated in subsequent battles, including the Battle of Sarhu
, and the Yehe Nara prince Jintaiji (金台吉) was either forced to kill himself or hanged, but not before he allegedly cursed Nurhaci that as long as one of Jintaiji's descendants lived, even a female one, he or she would remember the clan's vendetta and bring down the Aisin Gioro
s. The last prince of the Ula tribe Bujantai
(布占泰), who was fighting alongside the Yehe Naras, was captured as well and later killed by Nurhaci's son, Cuyen
.
The Yehe Naras were then absorbed into the Jurchen union in 1619. Although Jintaiji's curse hardly stopped subsequent Qing emperors from marrying or taking Nara women as concubines, they did so mostly from the Ula tribe, and none of the Yehe Nara women were ever granted Empress Consort status while her emperor husband was alive. Nonetheless, the curse seemed to have come true when Empress Dowager Cixi's disastrous rule helped lead to the downfall of the Qing Dynasty
in 1912. Conspiracy theory
has it that the memory of Yehe Clan being forcefully incorporated into the Manchu union contributed to Empress Cixi's seemingly indifference to the plight of the Qing Dynasty from Western imperialism and its decline. However, considering the re-discovered patriotism of Cixi and her huge stake in the empire, this could hardly be a factual representation of Cixi's state of mind.
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
clan. The Hūlun Four States (扈倫四部) -- Hada (Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 哈達, pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Hādá), Ula (Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 烏拉, pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Wūlā), Hoifa (Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 輝發, pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Huīfā) and Yehe (Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 葉赫, pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Yèhè) -- were ruled by this clan. In English translation, nara is the Mongolian word for 'sun'.
The most prominent of the Naras were the Yehe and the Ula, with the Yehe, belonging to the Bordered Blue Banner, being one of the eight great Manchu aristocratic lines. A number of famous Chinese, including the Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
, were from this clan. Present-day descendants of the Nara clan generally adopt "Na" as a family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
, so that it would be similar to the usually monosyllabic Han family names. Those descended from the Yehe Nara tribe might also choose "Ye" or "He".
History
The Naras lived in the HaixiHaixi Jurchens
The Haixi Jurchens were a grouping of the Jurchens as identified by the Chinese of the Ming Dynasty. They were inhabiting an area that consists of parts of modern day Jilin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia in China.- External links :*...
area, which encompasses parts of modern day Jilin
Jilin
Jilin , is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west...
, Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang
For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑...
, Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
and Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
. The Hada Naras and Ula Naras shared an ancestor, but the Yehe Naras were founded by a Tümed
Tümed
The Tümed are a Mongol subgroup. Most engage in sedentary agriculture, living in mixed communities in the suburbs of Huhhot. Part of them live along Hulun Buir, Inner Mongolia...
Mongol who conquered the Nara tribe and established his rule over the banks of the Yehe river. The Hoifa Naras, on the other hand, came from the Ikderi clan.
Of the four tribes, the Ula tribe were mostly traders, buying horses, livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
, and fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
from the steppe Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
and selling them at the Jianzhou (建州) plateau on the Liao river
Liao River
The Liao River is the principal river in northeast China . The province of Liaoning and the Liaodong Peninsula derive their names from the river....
basin, the economic center and farmland of the Manchu region. They in turn buy grains
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
such as millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
and corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
at Jianzhou and sell them to the Mongols. The Ula Naras, for a large part, controlled trade between Manchuria and Mongolia by controlling the mountain pass at modern day Baicheng
Baicheng
-Administrative divisions:-Economy:Textile industry is one of the main pillars of the economy.Agriculture of the area is centred on plantation of soy beans and oil plants.-Traffic:...
, Jilin
Jilin
Jilin , is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west...
, where the only passage between the two areas was located.
During Nurhaci
Nurhaci
Nurhaci was an important Jurchen chieftain who rose to prominence in the late sixteenth century in what is today Northeastern China...
's efforts to unite the Jurchen people, the Naras resisted because they had always been rather well-treated by the Ming government. Instead they tried to appease Nurhachi by offering him a daughter from each of the tribal rulers, the most famous of which were Lady Abahai
Lady Abahai
Lady Abahai was the primary consort of Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty. She bore Nurhaci three sons - Ajige, Dorgon, and Dodo. She was erroneously identified with Nurhaci's son and successor, Hong Taiji, in earlier sources....
(阿巴亥) of the Ula tribe and Monggo (孟古) of the Yehe tribe. Nonetheless, Nurhaci eventually began his assault against the Naras, and the Hada, Ula and Hoifa tribes soon fell. The Yehe Naras were able to resist the longest as they were the largest and strongest of the tribes, but even they soon had to enlist the help of the Ming empire.
Using how well-treated the Yehe Naras were by the Ming government as an excuse, Nurhaci began to wage war against the Ming forces as well. Both the Ming soldiers and the Yehe Naras were defeated in subsequent battles, including the Battle of Sarhu
Battle of Sarhu
The Battle of Sarhū refers to the series of conflicts between the Manchus and Ming Dynasty of China in the winter of year 1619, which ended in the overwhelming victory for the former....
, and the Yehe Nara prince Jintaiji (金台吉) was either forced to kill himself or hanged, but not before he allegedly cursed Nurhaci that as long as one of Jintaiji's descendants lived, even a female one, he or she would remember the clan's vendetta and bring down the Aisin Gioro
Aisin Gioro
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...
s. The last prince of the Ula tribe Bujantai
Bujantai
Bujantai was a Jurchen beile of the Ula tribal confederation.Bujantai was descended from Nacibulu , the ancestor of the Nara lineages of Ula and Hada....
(布占泰), who was fighting alongside the Yehe Naras, was captured as well and later killed by Nurhaci's son, Cuyen
Cuyen
Cuyen was a Manchu prince. He was born of the Aisin Gioro clan as the eldest son of Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty. His mother was Hahana-jacing of the Tunggiya clan, who was Nurhaci's primary spouse. Cuyen was Nurhaci's initial heir apparent but predeceased his father. He died in 1618 and...
.
The Yehe Naras were then absorbed into the Jurchen union in 1619. Although Jintaiji's curse hardly stopped subsequent Qing emperors from marrying or taking Nara women as concubines, they did so mostly from the Ula tribe, and none of the Yehe Nara women were ever granted Empress Consort status while her emperor husband was alive. Nonetheless, the curse seemed to have come true when Empress Dowager Cixi's disastrous rule helped lead to the downfall of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
in 1912. Conspiracy theory
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
has it that the memory of Yehe Clan being forcefully incorporated into the Manchu union contributed to Empress Cixi's seemingly indifference to the plight of the Qing Dynasty from Western imperialism and its decline. However, considering the re-discovered patriotism of Cixi and her huge stake in the empire, this could hardly be a factual representation of Cixi's state of mind.
Notable figures
- Monggo (1575-1603), one of Nurhaci's wives and mother to Hong TaijiHong TaijiHong Taiji , also transliterated as Huang Taiji based on the Chinese language transcription of his name, was the first Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.Hong Taiji was the first Emperor of the Qing dynasty after acceding to the title in 1636...
, posthumously named Empress Xiaocigao - Lady AbahaiLady AbahaiLady Abahai was the primary consort of Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty. She bore Nurhaci three sons - Ajige, Dorgon, and Dodo. She was erroneously identified with Nurhaci's son and successor, Hong Taiji, in earlier sources....
(1590–1626), one of Nurhaci's wives, mother to DorgonDorgonDorgon , also known as Hošoi Mergen Cin Wang, the Prince Rui , was one of the most influential Manchu princes in the early Qing Dynasty. He laid the groundwork for the Manchu rule of China.-Early life:Dorgon was born in Yenden, Manchuria , China...
, DodoDodoThe dodo was a flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Related to pigeons and doves, it stood about a meter tall, weighing about , living on fruit, and nesting on the ground....
and AjigeAjigeAjige was a prince and general of the Qing Dynasty. He was born of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan as the 12th son of Nurhaci, khan of the Later Jin Dynasty .... - SuksahaSuksahaSuksaha was a one of the Four Regents during the early reign of the Chinese Kangxi Emperor in the Qing Dynasty.Like his father Suna, he was from the Nara clan, but the family fought under the White Banner of the Manchu Eight Banners instead. During the Manchurian conquest of China, he was rewarded...
(d. 1669), one of Nurhaci's generals and one of the Four Regents of the Kangxi Emperor - Mingzhu (1635-1708), a top-ranking government official during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor and a grandson of Jintaiji
- Nalan XingdeNalan XingdeNalan Xingde was a Chinese poet active during the Qing Dynasty, famous for his ci poetry. He was actually born Nalan Chengde , but had to change his name when the Kangxi Emperor named Yinreng, whose birth name also had the character cheng , the crown prince...
(1655-1685), a famous poet and the eldest son of Mingzhu - Empress Xiaojingxian (±1681-1731), Empress Consort to the Yongzheng EmperorYongzheng EmperorThe Yongzheng Emperor , born Yinzhen , was the fifth emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty and the third Qing emperor from 1722 to 1735. A hard-working ruler, Yongzheng's main goal was to create an effective government at minimal expense. Like his father, the Kangxi Emperor, Yongzheng used military...
- Empress Ulanara (1718-1766), the Qianlong EmperorQianlong EmperorThe Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
's second Empress Consort - Consort HeConsort HeConsort He was a concubine of the Daoguang Emperor.- Biography :Consort He , of the Nara clan , was the daughter of Cheng Wen . Her first mention is when she gave birth to Prince Mianning's oldest son in 1808. Mianning's father, the Jiaqing Emperor, granted her the title of Secondary wife...
(d. 1836), one of the Daoguang EmperorDaoguang EmperorThe Daoguang Emperor was the eighth emperor of the Manchurian Qing dynasty and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1820 to 1850.-Early years:...
's consorts - Ruilin (瑞麟, 1809-1874), the Viceroy of LiangguangViceroy of LiangguangThe Viceroy of Liangguang , fully referred to as the Governor General of Liangguang and surrounding areas; Overseeing Military Affairs, Food Production; Manager of Waterways; Director of Civil Affairs , was one of eight viceroys in China proper during the Qing Dynasty of China...
from 1865 to 1874 - Wenbin (文彬, 1825-1880), a prominent government official
- Empress Dowager CixiEmpress Dowager CixiEmpress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
(1835-1908), one of the Xianfeng EmperorXianfeng EmperorThe Xianfeng Emperor , born Aisin-Gioro I Ju, was the ninth Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861.-Family and his early years:...
's concubines and became the de factoDe factoDe facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
ruler of China during the late Qing period - Empress Dowager LongyuEmpress Dowager LongyuEmpress Xiao Ding Jing ; is better known as the Empress Dowager Longyu , . Also , she had the nickname was Xizi （喜子）. Empress Xiao Ding Jing was the Qing Dynasty Empress Consort of the Guangxu Emperor who ruled China from 1875 till 1908...
(1868 - 1913), Empress Consort to the Guangxu EmperorGuangxu EmperorThe Guangxu Emperor , born Zaitian of the Aisin-Gioro clan, was the eleventh emperor of the Manchurian Qing Dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, under Empress Dowager Cixi's influence, only from 1889 to 1898... - Na YingNa YingNa Ying is a Chinese vocalist. She is considered as one of the best present-day female singers in Mainland China, having sold more than 10 million albums. She is also noted for her buoyant and forthright personality....
, female pop singer