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Story. 86 The Eve of the Battle of Sarhu (薩爾滸) in the Ming Conquest

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Story. 86 The Eve of the Battle of Sarhu ( 薩爾滸 ) in the Ming Conquest   『 The Battle of Sarhu ( 薩爾滸 ) was fought in 1619 in the Fushun ( 撫順 , present-day Fushun, Liaoning Province, China) area between the allied forces of Joseon( 朝鮮 ) and Ming, and the Later Jin( 後金 ) army. "Sarhu" refers to a place near Fushun. This battle is known as an example of King Gwanghaegun's( 光海君 ) neutral diplomacy. Joseon( 朝鮮 ), obliged to pay tribute to the Ming, sent reinforcements, but could not ignore the rising power of the Later Jin and ultimately surrendered to them. This battle was a pivotal event that changed not only Korean history but also the landscape of East Asia at the time. It marked the starting point for the Later Jin's great victory and its conquest of Manchuria. Tracing back to the roots of the Manchus who founded the Later Jin, we encounter the Jurchen people( 女眞族 ), who established the Jin Dynasty in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Jin( 金 ) Dynasty exerted such a...
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Story 85. Nurhachi Khan's Eight Banners System(八旗制度) and Industrial Revival

  Story 85. Nurhachi Khan's Eight Banners System( 八旗制度 ) and Industrial Revival    On the first day of the first month of the year (1616) of the Mandate of Heaven ( 天命 ) of Nurhachi ( 努爾哈赤 , 1559–1626), the founder of the Later Jin Dynasty( 後金 ), even the biting north winds could not cool the fervor of the grand coronation ceremony held at Hektu Arab Castle( 赫圖阿拉城 ).   『 Hetu Ala Castle ( 赫圖阿拉城 ) is where Nurhaci, founder of the Qing Dynasty( 淸朝 ), founded and ruled the Later Jin Dynasty( 後金 ). Located in Fushun City, Liaoning Province, it is also known as Xingjing ( 興京 ). The name "Ala Castle" ( 阿拉城 ) derives from the Manchu word for "low hill." It was Nurhaci's hometown and political and military center, and is now an important historical site and tourist attraction. 』    While all his ministers, who had lived and died with him, were drunk on wine, celebrating the birth of the great khan( 大汗 ) and the new dynasty, only Nurhaci managed to suppress hi...
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Story 84. The Jurchen Tribe's War of Unification: The Founding of the Great Jin (大金, Later Jin 後金).

  Story 84. The Jurchen Tribe's War of Unification: The Founding of the Great Jin ( 大金 , Later Jin 後金 ).   Heroes are not always just and possess immense power. Before expanding their influence and achieving grand ambitions, it is necessary to humble themselves and act submissively to those in power. Subservience can sometimes be a disguise, concealing grand ambitions and misleading enemies into believing they are one. Nurhachi was well aware of this. Nurhaci entrusted those who submitted to him with important positions and formed marriage alliances. In the 16th year of Wanli (1588), the Jianzhou Jurchen chieftain of the Sowanbu ( 蘇完部 ), Su Erguo ( 索爾果 ), led his tribe to submit. After taking over the Sowanbu ( 蘇完部 ), Nurhachi later appointed Su Erguo's son, Fei Yingdong ( 費英東 ), as his minister and made his granddaughter his son-in-law. That same year, He Hualei( 何和禮 ), the chieftain of the Dongyue tribe ( 董鄂部 ) residing in the Tongjia River basin, surrendered. The Do...
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Story 83. Deep-Seated Grudge: Grandfather and Father Murdered by Ming Troops

  Story 83. Deep-Seated Grudge: Grandfather and Father Murdered by Ming Troops   In the third year of Wanli ( 萬曆 1575), when Wang Go's clan was exterminated, his son Ah-tae ( 阿台 ?–1583) fled to Guleuksae ( 古勒塞 , present-day Xinbin Autonomous County, Liaoning Province), vowing revenge and seeking a comeback. Yi Seong-ryang believed that if Ah-tae was not killed, he would eventually become a source of trouble. He was a skilled general who manipulated the Jurchen people. To divide the Jurchen people or subdue a specific tribe, he would first recruit other tribes to his side and then cause them to fight among themselves. The Jurchen chieftains, drawn into his schemes, clung to him, seeking to kill other leaders and expand their own power. Nigam Waeran ( 尼堪外蘭 ? ~1586), the lord of Dorun Fortress ( 圖倫城 now Tangtu Township 湯圖鄕 , Fushun 撫順 ) of the Sogeuk Sohoha ( 蘇克蘇滸河 now Sojaha 蘇子河 ) tribe of the Jianzhou Jurchen( 建州女眞 ), was just such a person. When he met Yi Seong-ryang ( 李成陽...
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