The Manchus: Where Did They Come From?

Modern China with Tom Mullaney

14 Sept 202002:31

Summary

TLDRThe Manchus originated from the Jurchen tribes and played a significant role in Chinese history. After the Song Dynasty's fall to the Jin Dynasty, the Mongol Yuan Dynasty succeeded, governing China as part of a vast empire. Post-Yuan, the Ming Dynasty emerged. In the late 16th century, Nurhaci unified the Jurchen tribes, established a new Jin Dynasty, and created a Manchu script, laying the groundwork for the rise of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty.

Takeaways

🏰 The Manchus originated from a group known as the Jurchen people.
🗡️ In 1114, the Song Dynasty lost its capital and northern territories to the Jurchen Jin Dynasty.
🌏 The Mongols established the largest territorial empire in history, which included parts of modern-day China.
🏛️ The Yuan Dynasty, a Mongol khanate, governed present-day China as a multi-ethnic empire.
🧞‍♂️ After the Mongol Yuan Dynasty's collapse in 1368, many Jurchen people returned to their homelands.
🔄 At the end of the 16th century, a new Jurchen power base formed around the figure of Nurhaci.
🔗 Nurhaci unified the three main Jurchen tribes into a political and military coalition.
📜 He created a written Manchu script based on a revision of the Mongolian script to unify Jurchen languages.
🏵️ In 1616, Nurhaci declared the foundation of a new Jin Dynasty, named after his own clan, the Aisin Gioro or Golden Clan.

Q & A

Who were the Manchus descended from?
-The Manchus descended from a cluster of peoples and tribes known as the Jurchens.
In what year did the Song Dynasty lose its capital and northern territories to invaders?
-The Song Dynasty lost its capital and northern territories to the Jurchen invaders in the year 1114.
Which dynasty did the Jurchen invaders establish after defeating the Song Dynasty?
-The Jurchen invaders established the Jin Dynasty after defeating the Song Dynasty.
How long did the Jin Dynasty rule North China?
-The Jin Dynasty ruled North China for over a century until they fell to the Mongols.
Who were the Mongols and what was their historical significance?
-The Mongols were a foreign conquering army that established the most extensive territorial empire in history, stretching from the Korean peninsula to Eastern Europe and from the Russian taiga to the northern tip of the Indian subcontinent.
Which dynasty governed present-day China as part of the Mongol Empire?
-Kublai Khan's Yuan Dynasty governed present-day China as part of the broader multi-ethnic Mongol Empire.
What happened to the Jurchens after the collapse of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty?
-After the collapse of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty in 1368, many Jurchens seemed to have returned to their earlier homeland.
Who was Nerhachi and what was his significance?
-Nerhachi was a Jurchen chieftain in the late 1500s who brought together the three main Jurchen tribes into a political and military coalition and is significant for his role in the formation of the Manchu state.
What did Nerhachi order to be created to help unify the Jurchen languages?
-Nerhachi ordered the creation of a written Manchu script, which was based on a revision of the Mongolian script, to help unify the Jurchen languages.
In what year did Nerhachi declare the foundation of a new Jin Dynasty?
-Nerhachi declared the foundation of a new Jin Dynasty in 1616.
What was the name of the new Jin Dynasty established by Nerhachi and what did it signify?
-The new Jin Dynasty established by Nerhachi was named after his own clan name, the Icen Gyora or Golden Clan, signifying the Chinese word for gold.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 The Jin Dynasty and the Manchus

The paragraph discusses the historical context of the Manchus, who descended from a collection of peoples known as the Jurchen. It traces back to 1114 when the Song Dynasty lost its northern territories to the Jurchens, who established the Jin Dynasty. The Mongols later conquered the Jin Dynasty, leading to the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty by Kublai Khan. The Yuan Dynasty was a multi-ethnic empire that included present-day China. After the Yuan Dynasty's collapse in 1368, the Ming Dynasty was founded, and many Jurchen returned to their homelands. However, by the late 16th century, a new power base emerged under the leadership of Nurhaci, who unified the three main Jurchen tribes and established a new Jin Dynasty in 1616, named after his own clan, the Aisin Gioro or 'Golden Clan'.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Manchus

The Manchus are an ethnic group native to the northeastern region of Asia, historically known for establishing the Qing Dynasty in China. In the video, they descend from a cluster of peoples and tribes known as the Jurchens. The Manchus play a central role in the narrative as they form a new power base and eventually establish a dynasty.

💡Jurchens

The Jurchens were a Tungusic people who lived in Manchuria and played a significant role in Chinese history. They founded the Jin Dynasty after the Song Dynasty. In the script, the Jurchens are mentioned as the ancestors of the Manchus and were forced to serve the Jin and later the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.

💡Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China that lasted from 960 to 1279. It was known for its cultural and technological advancements. The script mentions the Song Dynasty losing its capital and northern territories to the Jurchen Jin Dynasty, leading to a retreat to the south.

💡Jin Dynasty

The Jin Dynasty was established by the Jurchens in 1115 after they conquered the northern territories of the Song Dynasty. It ruled North China for over a century until the Mongols overthrew them. The script discusses the Jin Dynasty's impact on the region and its eventual fall.

💡Mongols

The Mongols were a nomadic people from Central Asia who created the largest contiguous land empire in history. The script describes the Mongols' conquest of the Jin Dynasty and their establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, which governed present-day China as part of a broader multi-ethnic empire.

💡Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty was established by Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, and ruled China from 1271 to 1368. It is noted in the script as one of the four autonomous khanates of the Mongol Empire, governing China and integrating various ethnic groups, including the Jurchens.

💡Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty succeeded the Yuan Dynasty in 1368 and was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic Han Chinese. The script mentions the collapse of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty marking the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.

💡Nerhachi

Nerhachi was a Jurchen chieftain who lived from 1559 to 1626 and is known for unifying the Jurchen tribes and laying the foundation for the later Qing Dynasty. The script highlights his role in creating a political and military coalition and the establishment of a new Jin Dynasty.

💡Manchu Script

The Manchu script was created by order of Nerhachi as a means to unify the Jurchen languages. It was based on a revision of the Mongolian script. The script mentions the creation of the Manchu script as part of the efforts to consolidate the Jurchen identity and prepare for the establishment of a new dynasty.

💡Golden Clan

The Golden Clan, or Ai Chin Gurun in Manchu, was the clan name of Nurhaci, the chieftain who founded the Later Jin Dynasty, which later became the Qing Dynasty. The script refers to the Golden Clan as the name of the new Jin Dynasty, symbolizing the power and prestige of the ruling family.

💡Autonomous Khanates

Autonomous Khanates were the four distinct regions into which the Mongol Empire was divided after the death of Kublai Khan. The script mentions that the Yuan Dynasty was one of these khanates, highlighting the decentralized nature of the Mongol Empire.

Highlights

The Manchus descend from a cluster of peoples and tribes known as the Jurchens.

In 1114, the Song Dynasty lost its capital and northern territories to the Jurchens.

The Jurchens established the Jin Dynasty and ruled North China for over a century.

The Mongols conquered the Jin Dynasty and ruled over the most extensive territorial empire in history.

The Mongol Empire stretched from the Korean Peninsula to Eastern Europe.

The Yuan Dynasty, governed by Kublai Khan, was one of the four autonomous khanates of the Mongol Empire.

Many Jurchen people served the Mongol Yuan Dynasty after the Jin Dynasty's collapse.

The Ming Dynasty was founded in 1368 after the collapse of the Mongol Yuan.

Towards the end of the 16th century, a new power base formed around Nerhachi, a Jurchen chieftain.

Nerhachi unified the three main Jurchen tribes into a political and military coalition.

A written Manchu script was created based on a revision of the Mongolian script.

The creation of the Manchu script aimed to unify the Jurchen languages.

Nerhachi declared the foundation of a new Jin Dynasty in 1616.

The new Jin Dynasty was named after Nerhachi's own clan name, the Icen Gyora or Golden Clan.

The Jin Dynasty's foundation marked a significant shift in power among the Jurchen tribes.

The Mongol Yuan's collapse led to the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, which had a lasting impact on China.

The rise of the new Jin Dynasty under Nerhachi set the stage for the later Qing Dynasty.