Origin of the Jin Dynasty - The Jurchen conquer northern China - The powerful Jin empire - The end of the Jurchen empire Origin of the Jin Dynasty The Jurchen are one of the Non-Chinese nomad peoples that inhabited the area of modern Manchuria (Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang Provinces) inChina's northeast. They are thought to be ancestors of the later Manchus that founded the Qing Dynasty, belonging to the Tungusic branch of the peoples speaking Altai languages. While the northernmost tribes of the Jurchen for a long time stayed pasturers and cattle breeders, the Jurchen inhabiting the southern part of this area soon adopted some Chinese traditions like agriculture and fixed settlements. The tribes comprised between thousand and several thousand households, lead by a chieftain. There was an intensive trade with natural goods with the neighboring Liao empire 遼 during the 10th and 11th century. In the mid-11th century the tribe Wanyan 完顏 united five tribes in a federation called the "Five Nations" (wuguobu 五國部: Punuli 蒲努里, Tieli 鐵驪, Yuelidu 越里篤, Aolimi 奧里米, and Puali 剖阿里) by the Chinese and Liao. Later, other tribes participated in this federation lead by Wanyan Wugunai 完顏烏古迺 and his "chancellor" Wanyan Yada 完顏雅達. Wugunai was bestowed the title of military commissioner (jiedushi 節度使) of the northeast by the Liao rulers. After his death his son Helibo 劾里鉢 took over the leadership, with his brother Pochishu 頗勅淑 as advisor. The following rebellion of Yada's son Huanbao 桓報 and his followers could be suppressed by the Wanyan leadership. In 1092 Pochishu took over regency, followed by his brother Yingge 盈歌 in 1095. At that time, three tribes of the Jurchen challenged the power of the Wanyan clan and founded their own federations, the Tudan 徒單, Wugulun 烏古論, and Pucha 蒲察. The brothers Yingge, Sagai 撒改, and Aguda 阿骨打 (later called Min 旻) defeated the three federations and decisively established the power of the Wanwan clan over the other tribes. In 1103 Wuyashu 烏雅束 became leader of the Jurchen federation, in 1113 his younger brother Aguda who named himself supreme chieftain (Jurchen-Chinese: du bojilie 都勃極烈 or anban bojilie 諳版勃極烈). The Jurchen conquer northern China After Wanyan Min 完顏旻 had become the supreme leader of the Jurchen tribes he started to undertake campaigns against neighboring states. The Jurchen defeated the Liao army, incorporated their troops into the own army, conquered the modern Liaoning area and abducted many inhabitants and Liao soldiers as slaves. Supported by his relatives Wuqimai 吳乞買 (Wukimai), Sagai, and Sheng 晟, Wanyan Min proclaimed himself emperor of the Jin Dynasty in 1115 (posthumous title Jin Taizu 金太祖), adopted a reign title and started to install court officials like the Liao that had on their own side imitated the Chinese administration system, but with traditional Jurchen components like the supreme chieftain and the organization of the troops and tribes in batallions and companies (Jurchen-Chinese: meng'an mouke 猛安謀克). Wanyan Xiyin 完顏希尹 created the Jurchen script, basing on the Liao script and Chinese characters, as an instrument of administration. The conquest of the south and west dominated the next decades of the Jin empire. In 1116 the eastern capital of the Liao empire, Liaoyang 遼陽, was occupied, in 1120 the "Upper Capital" Linhuang 臨潢, in 1121 Dading 大定 and Datong 大同/modern Shanxi, and the southern capital Xijin 析津 (Yanjing 燕京; modern Beijing). The armies of Jin and the Song Dynasty 宋 had united according to the treaty of Haishang 海上 to destroy the Liao empire. Liao Tianzuodi 遼天祚帝, the last emperor of the Liao, had fled to the Mongolian steppe but was captured soon. Wanyan Min died in the next year after the conquest of the Liao empire. Wanyan Sheng 完顏晟 took over the regency of the Jin empire (posthumous title Jin Taizong 金太宗) and continued the conquest war, now against the Song Dynasty 宋 that reigned from Kaifeng 開封/modern Henan. Wanyan Gao 完顏杲 and Wanyan Zonghan 完顏宗翰 were the supreme military leaders of the Jin army that first reconquered Yanjing and Taiyuan 太原/modern Shanxi, and in 1126 the Song capital Kaifeng fell into the hands of the Jin armies. The Song emperors shifted their capital to Lin'an 臨安 (modern Hangzhou 杭州/Zhejiang), and the north of China was now controled by the Jurchen. Wanyan Zongbi 完顏宗弼 plundered Hangzhou in 1129 but withdrew his troops. In these years, Zhang Bangchang 張邦昌 founded the short-lived Chu Dynasty 楚, and Liu Yu 劉豫 the short-lived Qi Dynasty 齊 in the region of modern Hebei and Henan. The powerful Jin empire In 1135 the young Wanyan Dan 完顏亶 (posthumous title Jin Xizong 金熙宗) became emperor of Jin. At this time, the Jin empire did not only consist of Jurchen, but most of the subjects were other people, like Khitan (Chinese: Qidan 契丹), Bohai 渤海 and Chinese. There was the urgent need for restructuring the administration of such a vast area that now stretched from the River Amur south to the Yangtse and from the Yellow Sea to the great Yellow River Bend. Giving up the traditional system of the bojilie chieftain-ruler, the Jin court took over the Chinese administration system of the central government (see administration of the Jin). Court intrigues among the Jurchen warrior aristocracy lead to the downfall of Wanyan Zonghan's group and the rise of Wanyan Chang 完顏昌 and Wanyan Zongpan 完顏宗磐 who on their own side were again ousted by Wanyan Xiyin, Wanyan Zonggan 完顏宗幹, and Wanyan Zongbi. The capital was shifted to Bianjing 汴京 (Kaifeng) in 1140. In the next year, a treaty between Song China and the Jin emperor fixed the course of the River Huai 淮河 as border between the two empires. The last years of Jin Xizong's reign are characterized by the influence of the clan of this consort, the family Peiman 裴滿. In 1149 Wanyan Dan was murdered by marshal Wanyan Liang 完顏亮, Prince of Hailing 海陵王. The first steps of Prince Hailing in his government were to weaken the imperial family by executing the sons and grand-sons of Jin Taizong and to appoint Non-Jurchen people with the highest state offices that until then were occupied by members of the Wanyan clan: Da ??? 大[白/大] and Zhang Hao 張浩 were people of Bohai, Zhang Tonggu 張通古 was a Chinese, and Xiao Yu 蕭裕 from Xi 奚. He reformed the central government and relied only on the Department of State Affairs (Shangshusheng 尚書省) as administratorial tool, and abolished the Jurchen central military command (du yuanshuaifu 都元帥府) and instead introduced the Chinese central Bureau of Military Affairs (Shumiyuan 樞密院). Yanjing (modern Beijing) became the central capital, and not only the central government moved to this place, but the tombs of Jin Taizu and Taizong were moved to this area. In his plans to conquer southern China, Prince Hailing established Kaifeng as the Southern Capital, and personally attacked the Song capital Lin'an (Hangzhou) in 1153. But because of uprisings of the Khitan and other Non-Jurchen peoples in the northeast (revolt of Yila Wowo 移剌窩斡) and the proclamation of Wanyan Yong 完顏雍 as counter-emperor, the attacks of the Jin troops did not effect their full strength, and after a defeat of the naval forces, Prince Hailing was murdered. Wanyan Yong (posthumous Jin Shizong 金世宗) did not alter the personal appointments of Prince Hailing because he wanted to ensure the suppression of the northeastern rebellions within a smooth environment. Yilan Wowo had himself proclaimed emperor in 1161 had already occupied a vast area when he was defeated by general Pusan Zhongyi 僕散忠義 and withdrew to the north where he was killed. After the suppression of the Khitan rebellion the Jin armies again moved to the south and occupied territory of modern Anhui province. In 1162 a peace treaty with the Southern Song government introduced a fourty years period of peace between the two empires. This period was also a peaceful and stable time within the Jin empire, Jurchen warriors that had moved to the south became landowners in the traditional Chinese manner. But Wanyan Yong was also the maecenas of the rivival of Jurchen customs and habits, and he had collected Jurchen songs, poems and dances. The end of the Jurchen empire His grandson Wanyan Jing 完顏璟 (or Madage 麻達葛; posthumous Jin Zhangzong 金章宗) was also a patron of arts and literature and advocated the cultural and ethnic assimilation of Jurchen and Chinese. During Wanyan Jing's reign the Tatars (Chinese: Dada 韃靼) and Mongols (Chinese: Menggu 蒙古) started to endanger the northern border of the Jin empire, and Khitan rebellions often occurred. And, after a long period of peace, war with the Southern Song broke out, but the Song armies under Han Tuowei were defeated and concluded peace in 1208. Inspite of its victory, the Jin army had suffered bad losses, and after the death of Jin Zhangzong the young Prince of Weishao 衛紹王, Wanyan Yunji 完顏允濟 became regent. In these years, several floodings of the Yellow River devastated the Central Plain, and the suffering peasants were unable to pay the taxes that the Jin government needed to prepare against the Mongol attacks. In the years of 1211 and 1212 Chenggis Khan's armies occupied more and more territory of the Jin empire and attacked the Jin capitals, but withdrew after plundering the cities. In the turmoil, Prince Weishao was murdered by general Heshi Liezhizhong 紇石烈執中 and replaced with Wanyan Xun 完顏珣 (posthumous Jin Xuanzong 金宣宗). Chenggis Khan withdrew from the beleaguered capital Yanjing when Wanyan Xun presented him Princess Qiguo 歧國公主. The powerless emperor decided to shift the capital to the south, to Kaifeng, the old capital of Northern Song. The Mongols soon occupied Yanjing. Peasant armies rose up against the Jin government, called Hongaojun 紅襖軍 "Red shirt armies", and landowners had to protect themselves against the intruding Mongol hords. From 1217 on the Ĵalaγir Muqali (Chinese: Muhuali 木華黎) took over the command of the Mongol troops to conquer the Jin empire. Under this pressure the Jin court under the leadership of chancellor Shuhu Gaoqi 術虎高琪 decided to withdraw further to the south after conquering the Southern Song territory. In 1218 Shuhu Gaoqi was executed after too many officials had pledged against the unsuccessful conquest campaigns. Two years later the Song court united with the Western Xia empire (Xixia 西夏) to extinguish the Jin Dynasty. In 1223 both the Mongol general Muqali and emperor Jin Xuanzong died. His successor Wanyan Shouxu 完顏守緒 (posthumous Jin Aizong 金哀宗) concentrated on the defense against the Mongols and was able to reconquer some territory. In 1227 the Mongols extinguished the Western Xia empire, and the death of the great Khan only prolonged the life of the Jin Dynasty for some years although the monk-general Wanyan Chen 完顏陳 was able to obtain several victories against the Mongol armies. Ögödei (Chinese: Wohuotai 窩闊台) and Tolui (Chinese: Tuolei 拖雷) personally lead the conquest of Jin, and in the battle of Sanfeng Mountain 三峰山 near Junzhou 鈞州 the Jin army was totally defeated. Kaifeng was beleaguered in 1234, and emperor Wanyan Shouxu fled to Caizhou 蔡州 where the emperor transferred the throne to Wanyan Chenglin 完顏承鱗 and committed suicide. The Jin Dynasty became history.

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