In TV series and film and television works, the audience often hears the familiar title - Brother. This title appears very frequently in Qing court dramas, but for laymen, they may not understand the true meaning of Brother. It seems to be more than just an affectionate title, but also hides a complex hierarchy. So, in the Qing Dynasty, a dynasty of absolute monarchy, what does Ah Ge really refer to? What status and treatment do they enjoy in the royal family? Why are there so many discrepancies? Is there some rule or inside story behind this? Let's find out.
I. The origin of the name "Ago" and its original meaning
The word "Elder Brother" is derived from the Manchu language, which was originally an affectionate name for their sons by the Manchus. In the traditional concept of the Manchu people, the affectionate title of the parents for their son is Elder Brother. This title does not have any special meaning, it is just an ordinary kinship title.
However, with the unification of China by the Qing Dynasty, which was established by the Later Jin Tatars, the name gradually took on a new meaning. At the beginning of the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, the old system of the Nurhachi Khanate was still preserved, and the Manchu customs and habits, including the Manchu language, were continued. As the founding emperor, Nurhachi's many princes were naturally also honored as elder brothers.
In the early Qing Dynasty, the scope of use of this title was not narrow, except for the prince, ordinary Manchus also used the title of elder brother for their sons. But with the passage of time, the term "elder brother" gradually became an exclusive title for the prince.
The reason for this shift was mainly due to the deepening of sinicization and the practice of the Qing imperial family to retain pure Manchu culture. The era of the Manchu population dominating the mainstream position has passed, and with the influx of Han Chinese from the interior, Han culture gradually became the mainstream in the Qing Empire. Under the impact of this wave of Han culture, most of the Manchu civilians have been assimilated into Han Chinese. However, the Qing imperial family, as the ruling class, deliberately preserved the Manchu language and customs, and became a key force in maintaining the survival of Manchu culture.
II. Key Factors Affecting the Title of Emperor and Brother
In the Qing Dynasty, a hereditary monarchy, the titles of the emperors and elder brothers often depended on the intertwining influence of multiple factors. The degree of loyalty to the imperial power and the military exploits established are the most critical links, which directly determine whether the elder brother can obtain a high title.
At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, when the founding of the country was in full swing, the children of the royal family could only receive the rewards and rewards of their fathers if they took the lead and made great achievements. Nurhachi's fourth son, Daishan, his twelfth son, Azig, his fourteenth son, Dorgon, and his fifteenth son, Duoduo, are all examples of how they have won the title of prince by virtue of their great achievements in founding the country. Daishan followed Nurhachi to participate in the campaign since the beginning of the incident, made great achievements, and once became a powerful candidate for the heir. Dolgon was a highly meritorious service, not only helping Huang Taiji lay the foundation for the unification of the customs, but also protecting the Qing Dynasty through a crisis-ridden teenage period as regent during Shunzhi's early childhood.
However, military merit alone was not enough, and the emperor's favor and personal preferences also had a decisive impact on the title of the emperor's elder brother. For example, Kangxi has always been obsessed with his second brother Fuquan, not only named him the prince, but also deliberately sent Fuquan's son Baotai directly to his father's title of Prince Yu, without having to follow the rules of surrender. On the contrary, Kangxi sneered at his fifth brother Chang Ning and his son Haishan, believing them to be lazy and incompetent, so he ordered Haishan to demote two levels of knighthood to inherit his father.
Emperor Yongzheng regarded his youngest son Yinji as a pearl in his palm, and he specially canonized Yinji as the prince before his death, and bluntly said that "you can rest assured if you do a good job". In the middle and late Qing Dynasty, this practice of confiding his cronies as Hou Baixun was more prevalent, such as the seventeenth prince of Guo, Yinli, and the twenty-fourth son, Yinxiang.
In addition to personal factors, the maternal family background of Huang A's brother is also an important factor affecting the level of his title. This is not only due to the dignity of the clan, but also because of political interests. The biological mother's family is strong, and the emperor will naturally pay more attention to it. The biological mother of Kangxi's only son Yinlu and Dunjun Wang Yinren, one is Wen Hua Guifei and the other is Wen Xi Guifei, both of whom have the same family background, and they are both the daughters of the founding hero of the Qing Dynasty. As a result, their sons, although far inferior in merit to their younger brothers, had richer resources and higher titles.
In addition to the struggle for power interests, religious beliefs and feng shui numerology also had an impact on the title of Huang A'Ge. Many emperors, out of their personal religious views, would deliberately suppress or promote the titles of certain elder brothers. Some emperors will even deliberately make marquis according to the guidance of numerologists in order to hope that their descendants will prosper. To some extent, this also reflects the influence of traditional Chinese culture in the Qing Dynasty.
III. The class differences and intergenerational inheritance of the title of Emperor and Brother of the Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty royal title system was divided into several ranks, with the highest ranks being princes and county kings. The Emperor Elder Brother, who enjoys this top title, not only has a respected status, but also has power and wealth that others cannot match.
In the early Qing Dynasty, for example, the three princes of Daishan, Dolgon, and Azig not only inherited the land, but also had huge manpower and material resources, but also considerable rewards and privileges. The Daishan family inherited a large amount of land and wealth until the Qing Dynasty. Although Dolgon was liquidated during the Shunzhi period, he restored the title of Prince Rui during the Qianlong period, and the family status was continued. Even though Azig was later deposed from the title of Prince of England, his life of prosperity and wealth was not affected in the slightest.
In contrast, the middle and low-level titles of Beizi and Baylor are not so glamorous. Beizi is equal to the duke, and Baylor is equivalent to the earl, although the two also belong to the imperial family, but the power and wealth are far less than the prince-level elder brother. For example, Haishan during the Kangxi period, his father Chang Ning was originally Prince Gong, but Haishan was punished by double demotion because Kangxi was dissatisfied with his conduct, and finally only inherited Baylor's low-level title.
As for those idle emperors who did not have hereditary titles, their lives were even more impoverished. Many of them can only survive on a meager income, or they are idle and idle. Some people will also choose to find another way out and make a living by doing some small business.
Of course, the title of Emperor Elder Brother of the Qing Dynasty is not forever, and it will gradually decrease with the decline of generations. The Qing system stipulates that each generation must be reduced by one level. For example, Dorgon, the sixth son of Huang Taiji, attacked Prince Rui, and his son Altai could only be demoted to the king of Doro County nearby. And the grandson can only be a shell, and the great-grandson can only be a Baylor. If you continue to descend like this, you will soon be reduced to the lowest rank of general.
However, there are exceptions. If a certain generation of emperor brother has made meritorious deeds, the emperor will also specially reward the seal, which is not subject to the regulations of descent. And of the same generation, the emperor can also deliberately promote or degrade the title treatment of some elder brothers for various reasons. Therefore, although the title system of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Brother has a law, there is also a certain degree of flexibility.
IV. 皇阿哥爵位制度存废的利弊
The question of the existence and abolition of the title system of the emperor and brother in the Qing Dynasty has always been a proposition that has been debated by emperors and courtiers in successive dynasties. Proponents believe that this hereditary system is conducive to consolidating imperial power and maintaining royal authority; Opponents see it as a heavy financial burden that may even affect the country's strength.
Needless to say, the system of the title of Emperor and Brother brought a heavy burden to the Qing Dynasty's financial expenditures. Once each prince was given a knighthood, he or she would enjoy hereditary wealth, land, and wealth, regardless of whether he was high or low. This money is passed down from generation to generation, and the higher the title, the more rewards there are, and the amount accumulated is staggering. Taking the Shunzhi Dynasty as an example, the expenditure of Yulu at that time was as high as more than 600,000 taels of silver per year.
Moreover, giving too much power to the emperor's brothers is easy to breed trouble. Some princes are prone to rebellion because their hereditary territory is too large and there are too many soldiers and horses. For example, in the Kangxi Dynasty, there were many incidents of rebellion by the emperor and elder brother, which brought great turmoil to the country. Therefore, many ministers advocated the abolition of this system in order to prevent problems before they occurred.
However, there are also supporters who believe that the system of imperial titles is very beneficial to consolidating the power of the monarchy and maintaining the rule of the system. Once the Mongolian, Manchurian and other frontier nobles were given corresponding titles and rewards, they were able to support the Qing Dynasty, stabilize the border areas, and help maintain national unity. This was the case, for example, of the Daishan family, the sons of Nurhachi, who had been loyal to the Qing Dynasty with their hereditary titles of prince and huge fortune.
At the same time, the system of the title of Emperor is also a manifestation of the emperor's gift of power and wealth, which can win over his cronies and prevent them from disagreeing. Moreover, if the princes have no way out and prospects, it is easy to cause infighting within the royal family and affect the government. Therefore, giving them appropriate rewards will not only make them satisfied, but also a kind of subduing and controlling them.
People of insight also pointed out that the system of the title of Emperor and Brother follows the laws of the Ming Dynasty and has a long legal origin. If this system is completely rejected, it will be too tough and not conducive to the continuity of the DPRK. Therefore, it may be more prudent and feasible to retain the system in the balance of pros and cons.
V. The evolution of the connotation of the identity of the elder brother
The word "elder brother" was originally just an affectionate name for his son by the Manchurians, without any special connotation. However, with the establishment and development of the Qing Dynasty, the meaning of this title also evolved, from the general title of Manchu commoners to the honorific title of the prince.
In the early Qing Dynasty, the term "elder brother" was still widely used. In addition to the prince, the common Manchus also used this title for their sons. But with the deepening of sinicization, Manchu culture is declining day by day, and the Manchu word "brother" gradually refers only to the prince.
In the later period of the Yongzheng Dynasty, the identity and status of the word "brother" were further improved. The emperor at that time issued an edict stipulating that only the prince and his direct descendants could use the honorific title of elder brother. As a result, Ah Ge has become a special word that highlights the status of the royal family and distinguishes it from the common people.
However, even if this has improved the status of the elder brother, the actual power position of the corresponding imperial elder brother is gradually declining. In the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty, the emperor's power began to be concentrated, and the emperor's elder brother was rarely allowed to take power again, resulting in a significant reduction in their real power. In addition, there was a precedent of the emperor's rebellion, and the emperors were more vigilant and deprived them of their military rights and rewards.
By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the status of the emperor's elder brother could be said to exist in name only. Although they still enjoy titles and salaries, their power is minimal, and their status tends to be more vain. Some people will even use the name of Brother Ah to deceive, which shows that the connotation of the word Brother has fundamentally changed.
This change in identity connotation actually reflects the development trajectory of the imperial power of the Qing Dynasty. At the beginning of the founding of the country, the emperor also needed to divide power and give the emperor's elder brother a knighthood to stabilize the foundation; But in the middle and late stages, power became more and more concentrated, and the status of the elder brothers was naturally greatly reduced. Brother has evolved from a representative of the real power of the royal family to a purely fictitious title, which is in line with the development process of the Qing Dynasty's regime from the founding of the country to the centralization of power.