Hooge (prince)

Hooge (Manchu: ; 1609–1648), formally known as Prince Su, was a Manchu prince of the Qing dynasty. He was the eldest son of Huangtaiji, the second ruler of the Qing dynasty.

Life

Hooge was born in the Aisin Gioro clan as the eldest son of Huangtaiji, the second ruler of the Qing dynasty. His mother was Lady Ulanara, one of Huangtaiji's consorts.

Hooge participated in military campaigns against the Mongols, Koreans and the Ming dynasty. After Huangtaiji's death in 1643, Hooge and his uncle Dorgon fought over the succession to the throne. The situation was to Hooge's advantage because three of the Eight Banners previously under Huangtaiji's control had been passed on to him. On the other hand, Dorgon had the support of his brothers and two White Banners. This meant that the remaining two Red Banners controlled by Daišan and his son, as well as the Bordered Blue Banner under Chiurhala, were crucial to ensuring that Hooge could win the succession. After much dispute, Daišan started favouring Hooge, who ostensibly refused to take the throne. Hooge was actually waiting for others to urge him to take the throne, so that he could sit on it without projecting a power-hungry image of himself. Unfortunately for Hooge, Dorgon and his brothers gave way, so the conflict continued without a solution. The power struggle concluded with a compromise in order to avoid internal strife. Dorgon nominated Fulin, another son of Huangtaiji born to Consort Zhuang, to be the new ruler, so Fulin ascended to the throne as the Shunzhi Emperor.

Even after the Shunzhi Emperor came to power, there was still much friction between Hooge and Dorgon. According to popular belief, Hooge had conceived a scheme to seize the throne from the Shunzhi Emperor, but he leaked out his plan to Dorgon's brother Dodo, who informed Dorgon about it. Dorgon then used this as an excuse to have Hooge arrested and thrown into prison. However historical records state that Hooge was imprisoned after the Qing government launched military campaigns against remnant rebel forces in western China, and he died during his incarceration. He was posthumously rehabilitated in 1650, two years after his death.

Family

Spouses

• Lady Hadanara (哈達那拉氏), Hooge's primary consort, daughter of Worgudai (吳爾古代) and Nurhaci's daughter Mangguji (莽古濟), killed by Hooge due to her mother's involvement in Manggūltai's insubordination to Huangtaiji
• Lady Borjigit (博爾濟吉特氏), Hooge's second primary consort, cousin of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, married Hooge in 1636 after Lady Hadanara's death
• Secondary consorts:
  • Lady Nara (納喇氏)
  • Lady Shuolongwu (碩隆武氏)
  • Lady Ji'eryuedai (吉爾岳岱氏)
  • Lady named Taisina (surname unknown)
  • Lady named Shuhuli (surname unknown)
  • Lady Borjigit (博爾濟吉特氏), sister of Dorgon's principal wife.
• Tertiary consorts:
  • Lady Ningguta (寧古塔氏)
  • Lady Sirin-Gioro (西林覺羅氏)
  • Lady Sirin-Gioro (西林覺羅氏)
  • Lady Huang (黃氏)
• Concubines:
  • Lady Guwalgiya (瓜爾佳氏)
  • Lady Niu (牛氏)
  • Lady Nara (那拉氏)
  • Lady Irgen-Gioro (伊爾根覺羅氏)
  • Lady Wang (王氏)

Children

• Qizheng'e (齊正額), Hooge's eldest son
• Gutai (固泰), Hooge's second son, held the title of a fuguo jiangjun but was later stripped of his title
• Wohena (握赫納), Hooge's third son, held the title of a fuguo jiangjun
• Fushou (富綬), Hooge's fourth son, born to Lady Hadanara, inherited the Prince Su peerage from his father
• Mengguan (猛瓘), Hooge's fifth son, first in line in the Prince Wen peerage
• Xingbao (星保), Hooge's sixth son, served as a top class imperial guard (頭等侍衛)
• Shushu (舒書), Hooge's seventh son
• Unnamed daughter of Hooge, married Geng Jingzhong

A notable descendant of Hooge was Xianyu (顯玗; 1907–1948), the daughter of Shanqi (善耆; 1866–1922). She is better known as Yoshiko Kawashima.