Wanyan Nianhan
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Wanyan Nianhan later known by his Chinese name, Zonghan (宗翰) (1080-1136) was one of the top military commanders of the Jurchen people both during their pre-imperial and early Jin Empire period.
tribe chieftain, Wanyan Wugunai
. This made him a close relative of the
Wanyan Aguda
- the Wanyan chieftain in the early 12th century, and the future founder of the Jin Empire, who was a cousin of Sagai and grandson of Wugunai.
Nianhan was one of the chief associates of Wanyan Aguda
in his rebellion against the Liao Dynasty
(1114) and the ensuing war that destroyed the Liao.
Under Aguda's successor, Wanyan Wuqimai
(r. 1123-1134), Nianhan played a major role in the wars against the Song Dynasty
. During the campaign of 1125-1126, he was the "left vice-marshal": the commander the Western Army of the Jurchen, which invaded Shanxi
and besieged Taiyuan
, while the Eastern Army, led by the "right vice-marshal" Wanyan Wolibu (完颜斡离不; Chinese name Wanyan Zongwang 完颜宗望) was besieging Bianjing (Kaifeng
).
When the war against the Song resumed in 1126, Nianhan, who had taken Taiyuan, joined Wolibu at the walls of Bianjing. Together the two armies sieged the Song capital city for a month, took it
on January 9, 1127, captured the Song emperors, and returned to the Jin capital
in Manchuria with their prisoners and loot.
Nianhan continued to be influential throughout Wuqimai's rule. He, along with Wanyan Xiyin
, was instrumental in persuading Wuqimai to bequeath the Jin throne to Aguda's son Dan, rather than to Wuqima's own son Puluhu (Zongpan).
Like other top Jurchen generals, during Wuqimai's reign Nianhan was able to run a portion of the empire as a semi-independent warlord, running his own government in Shanxi
. However, he lost his military power during Wanyan Dan's drive to centralize the control of the empire in the hands of the central bureaucracy, and in 1135 was transferred to a position in the central government.
at the site of the old Jin capital of Shangjing
,, near today's Acheng, Heilongjiang
.
Biography
Wanyan Nianhan was a son of Wanyan Sagai (完颜撒改) and great-grandson of the WanyanWanyan
Wanyan was a Heishui Mohe tribe living in the drainage region of the Heilong River during the Khitan Liao Dynasty time. The Wanyan clan was founded by Hanpu, who, according to the "History of the Jin" , came from the kingdom of Goryeo at the age of sixty...
tribe chieftain, Wanyan Wugunai
Wanyan Wugunai
Wanyan Wugunai was the chieftain of the Wanyan tribe of theJurchen people in today's Northeast China and Russian Maritime Province....
. This made him a close relative of the
Wanyan Aguda
Wanyan Aguda
Emperor Taizu of Jin was Emperor of Jin from January 28, 1115 to September 19, 1123.He was the chieftain of the Jurchen Wanyan tribe, founder and first emperor of the Jin Dynasty . He was the younger brother of Wanyan Wuyashu...
- the Wanyan chieftain in the early 12th century, and the future founder of the Jin Empire, who was a cousin of Sagai and grandson of Wugunai.
Nianhan was one of the chief associates of Wanyan Aguda
Wanyan Aguda
Emperor Taizu of Jin was Emperor of Jin from January 28, 1115 to September 19, 1123.He was the chieftain of the Jurchen Wanyan tribe, founder and first emperor of the Jin Dynasty . He was the younger brother of Wanyan Wuyashu...
in his rebellion against the Liao Dynasty
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
(1114) and the ensuing war that destroyed the Liao.
Under Aguda's successor, Wanyan Wuqimai
Emperor Taizong of Jin
Emperor Taizong of Jin was emperor of the Jin Dynasty, which ruled northern China from September 27, 1123 to February 9, 1135. His birth name was Wányán Wúqǐmǎi , and his reign name was Tiānhuì ....
(r. 1123-1134), Nianhan played a major role in the wars against the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
. During the campaign of 1125-1126, he was the "left vice-marshal": the commander the Western Army of the Jurchen, which invaded Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
and besieged Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, while the Eastern Army, led by the "right vice-marshal" Wanyan Wolibu (完颜斡离不; Chinese name Wanyan Zongwang 完颜宗望) was besieging Bianjing (Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
).
When the war against the Song resumed in 1126, Nianhan, who had taken Taiyuan, joined Wolibu at the walls of Bianjing. Together the two armies sieged the Song capital city for a month, took it
Jingkang Incident
The Jingkang Incident , the Humiliation of Jingkang , or The Disorders of the Jingkang Period took place in 1127 when invading Jurchen soldiers from the Jin Dynasty besieged and sacked Bianjing , the capital of the Song Dynasty of China...
on January 9, 1127, captured the Song emperors, and returned to the Jin capital
Huining Fu
Huining Fu was a prefecture in the Shangjing region of Manchuria . It served as the first superior capital of the Jin Dynasty between 1122 to 1234 .- History :...
in Manchuria with their prisoners and loot.
Nianhan continued to be influential throughout Wuqimai's rule. He, along with Wanyan Xiyin
Wanyan Xiyin
Wanyan Xiyin was a trusted advisor of the Jurchen chieftain, Wanyan Aguda . Described by modern writers as the "Chief Shaman" of the pre-Jin Jurchen state, he became deeply interested in Chinese culture, and isparticularly known as the creator of the first writing system for the Jurchen...
, was instrumental in persuading Wuqimai to bequeath the Jin throne to Aguda's son Dan, rather than to Wuqima's own son Puluhu (Zongpan).
Like other top Jurchen generals, during Wuqimai's reign Nianhan was able to run a portion of the empire as a semi-independent warlord, running his own government in Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
. However, he lost his military power during Wanyan Dan's drive to centralize the control of the empire in the hands of the central bureaucracy, and in 1135 was transferred to a position in the central government.
Commemoration
Mounted statues of Nianhan and of his emperor Aguda have been erected on the grounds of the Jin Dynasty Shangjing History Museum (金上京历史博物馆)at the site of the old Jin capital of Shangjing
Huining Fu
Huining Fu was a prefecture in the Shangjing region of Manchuria . It served as the first superior capital of the Jin Dynasty between 1122 to 1234 .- History :...
,, near today's Acheng, 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...
.
Literature
- Herbert FrankeHerbert FrankeThis is an article about a German sinologist. For the science fiction writer, see Herbert W. FrankeHerbert Franke was a German historian of China...
, 1997 (I): "Chinese Texts on the Jurchen (I): a Translation of the Jurchen in the San ch'ao pei-meng hui-pien. Originally published in Zantralasiatische Studien 9. Wiesbaden, 1975. Reprinted in: Herbert Franke and Hok-lam Chan, "Studies on the Jurchens and the Chin Dynasty", Variorum Collected Series Studies: CS591, Ashgate, 1997. ISBN 0-86078-645-5. (The work whose name is transcribed in Wade-GilesWade-GilesWade–Giles , sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a romanization system for the Mandarin Chinese language. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade during the mid-19th century , and was given completed form with Herbert Giles' Chinese–English dictionary of 1892.Wade–Giles was the most...
as San ch'ao pei-meng hui-pien is Xu Mengxin's (徐夢莘) "Collected Accounts of the Treaties with the North under Three Reigns" (三朝北盟会编, pinyin: San chao beimeng huibian). Franke translates and comments on Chapter 3 of this collection, which deals with the history and customs of the Jurchen people). - (CHT) The Cambridge History of China, vol. 6.
- Jing-shen Tao, "The Jurchen in Twelfth-Century China". University of Washington Press, 1976, ISBN 0-295-95514-7.