Niohuru


The Niohuru were a prominent Manchu clan during the Qing dynasty. The clan had inhabited the Changbai Mountains since as early as the Liao dynasty. The clan was well known during the Qing dynasty for producing a variety of consorts of all ranks for emperors, several of whom went on to become mothers to reigning emperors. Prominent people who belonged or trace heritage to the Niohuru clan including famed Manchu warrior Eidu, his son the high official Ebilun, the Empress Dowager Ci'an, the infamous corrupt official Heshen, and the contemporary concert pianist Lang Lang.

Distribution

Written records of the Niohuru clan dates back to the Liao dynasty, when it was known as the Dilie clan by Chinese transliteration. The current transliteration Niohuru came into being during the Ming dynasty. The Niohuru clan inhabited the Changbai mountains region of present-day Jilin province in northeast China, and also on the banks of the Songhua River and Mudan River.
According to members of the clan who attempted to re-trace their genealogy, the common primogenitor of the vast tribe date back to one Sohoji Bayan, who was six generations removed from Eidu, the first eminent Niohuru clan member in recorded Qing history. The Niohuru were widely distributed throughout the territory of the Manchu empire, and each of the Eight Banners had some Niohurus among their ranks.
Towards the end of the Qing dynasty and particularly after the founding the Republic of China in 1912, many Manchus adopted single-character Chinese surnames based on their clan origin. The Niohuru were known to have adopted to two versions, "Niu", which could be found in the modern province of Jiangxi in addition to Manchuria; and "Lang". Lang sounded like "wolf" in Chinese, roughly corresponding to the Manchu root word Niohe for Niohuru meaning "wolf".
Niu 钮 is on the Hundred Family Surnames poem.

Notable figures

Males

; Prince Consort
DatePrince ConsortPrincess
1608DaqiNurhaci's fifth daughter by mistress
EiduNurhaci's fourth daughter by mistress
1621TurgeiNurhaci's fourth daughter by mistress
1790FengšenindePrincess Hexiao, the Qianlong Emperor's tenth daughter by Consort Dun
1863Jalafungga Princess Shouxi, the Daoguang Emperor's eighth daughter by Noble Consort Tong

Females

; Imperial Consort
Imperial ConsortEmperorSonsDaughters
MistressNurhaci4. General Tanggūdai
6. Duke Tabai
Primary consort Hong Taiji
Empress Xiaozhaoren Kangxi Emperor
Noble Consort Wenxi Kangxi Emperor10. Duke Yun'e
Empress Xiaoshengxian Yongzheng Emperor4. Qianlong Emperor
Noble Lady ShunQianlong Emperor
Concubine Cheng Qianlong Emperor
Empress Xiaoherui Jiaqing Emperor3. Miankai, Prince Dunke
4. Mianxin, Prince Ruihuai
Imperial Noble Consort Gongshun Jiaqing Emperor5. Mianyu, Prince Huiduan
Empress Xiaomucheng Daoguang Emperor
Empress Xiaoquancheng Daoguang Emperor4. Xianfeng Emperor 4. Princess Shou'an
Noble Consort Cheng Daoguang Emperor
Consort Xiang Daoguang Emperor5. Yicong, Prince Dunqin 5. Princess Shouzang
Empress Xiaozhenxian Xianfeng Emperor

; Princess Consort
Princess ConsortPrinceSonsDaughters
Primary consortPrince Murhaci
MistressChangning, Prince Gong6.
Primary consortYunli, Prince Guoyi
Secondary consortYunbi, Prince Xianke3. General Hongkang 4. Lady
Primary consortYongrong, Prince Zhizhuang5. Mianqing, Prince Zhike 5. Princess
Primary consortYonglin, Prince Qingxi
Primary consortMiankai, Prince Dunke
Primary consortYihe, Prince Zhongduan