Nurhaci

Nurhaci (1559–1626), also known as Nurhaci, Nurhachi, or Nurhaci (Hebrew: נורחצי, simplified Chinese: 努尔哈赤; traditional Chinese: 努爾哈赤; pinyin: Nǔ'ĕrhāchì; Manchu: ᠨᡠᡵᡥᠠᡴᡳ, Möllendorff: Nurhaci, Abkai: Nurhaki), was a Manchu chieftain who rose to prominence in the late 16th century in what is now northeastern China. He is widely regarded as the founder of the Later Jin dynasty, which later became the Qing dynasty that ruled China from 1644 to 1912. Nurhaci's unification of the Jurchen tribes and his military campaigns against the Ming dynasty laid the groundwork for the eventual conquest of China by his successors. His legacy is marked by his administrative and military innovations, as well as his compilation of the Manchu language and script. Nurhaci's rise to power began when he inherited the leadership of the Jianzhou Left Guard, a semi-autonomous region under the Ming dynasty. Through a series of strategic marriages and alliances, he gradually consolidated power among the Jurchen tribes, eventually declaring himself Khan of the Later Jin in 1616. His campaigns against the Ming dynasty, particularly the famous "Seven Grievances" as a pretext for war, significantly weakened Ming control over the region. Nurhaci's death in 1626 was followed by a succession struggle, but his son Hong Taiji ultimately continued his father's legacy, leading to the establishment of the Qing dynasty.