The Rise of the Jianzhou and the Yehe Rivalry

In the late 16th century, the Manchu tribes of northeastern China were fragmented, with power struggles defining the region. Among them, the Jianzhou Jurchens, led by the ambitious chieftain Nurhaci, sought dominance. However, one tribe stood as a persistent thorn in his side—the Yehe.

The Yehe tribe, a formidable force in the Liaodong region, had long resisted Nurhaci’s expansion. Their strength and strategic alliances made them a constant obstacle. Unlike other tribes that either submitted or were swiftly conquered, the Yehe proved resilient, earning Nurhaci’s deep-seated resentment. Their resistance was not merely military; it was personal.

A History of Blood and Betrayal

The conflict between Nurhaci and the Yehe was marked by decades of shifting alliances, betrayals, and brutal warfare. Several key events fueled Nurhaci’s determination to eliminate them:

1. The Nine Tribes’ Invasion (1593) – The Yehe, leading a coalition of nine tribes, attacked Jianzhou. Nurhaci repelled them, killing Yehe leader Bujai. The grisly aftermath—where Nurhaci returned only half of Bujai’s corpse—cemented an unyielding hatred.
2. The Struggle for Hada (1599) – The Yehe backed Hada’s leader, Menggebulu, against Jianzhou, leading to Nurhaci’s conquest of Hada.
3. The Fall of Hoifa (1607) – The Yehe’s influence over Hoifa provoked Nurhaci to destroy the tribe, further isolating the Yehe.
4. The Ula Alliance (1613) – When Ula’s leader, Bujantai, fled to the Yehe after defeat, Nurhaci’s demands for extradition were refused, deepening the feud.
5. Ming Dynasty’s Manipulation (1619) – The Ming court openly supported the Yehe to contain Nurhaci, viewing them as a crucial counterbalance to his growing power.

These conflicts culminated in Nurhaci’s Seven Grievances against the Ming, four of which directly implicated the Yehe. Their role in thwarting his ambitions made their destruction inevitable.

The Final Campaigns Against the Yehe

After securing victories against the Ming and other rivals, Nurhaci turned his full attention to the Yehe. Between 1613 and 1619, he launched three major campaigns:

1. The First Strike (1613) – Nurhaci raided Yehe territories, capturing towns and taking thousands of prisoners.
2. The Second Offensive (1613) – A larger force of 40,000 men overwhelmed Yehe defenses, seizing 19 settlements.
3. The Decisive Blow (1619) – Following his triumph at Sarhu, Nurhaci vowed: “If I do not crush the Yehe, I will not return.” His forces besieged the twin fortresses of Yehe’s last strongholds—East and West City.

The siege was brutal. East City, defended by the defiant leader Gintaisi (Nurhaci’s own brother-in-law), held out fiercely. Despite familial pleas from Nurhaci’s son Hong Taiji, Gintaisi chose death over surrender, setting himself ablaze. West City’s leader, Buyanggu, initially capitulated but was later executed.

The Cultural and Political Aftermath

The fall of the Yehe marked the end of an era. Their destruction removed the last major obstacle to Nurhaci’s dominance in Manchuria, paving the way for the Later Jin (later Qing) Dynasty’s rise. However, the Yehe’s legacy endured in unexpected ways:

– Ming Dynasty’s Miscalculation – The Ming’s reliance on the Yehe as a buffer failed, exposing their weakening grip on the frontier.
– Manchu Unification – With the Yehe gone, Nurhaci consolidated power, unifying the Jurchen tribes under his banner.
– Legend of the “Yehe Curse” – Folklore claimed that a dying Yehe noble cursed Nurhaci’s lineage, a tale later romanticized in Qing historiography.

The Modern Legacy of the Yehe-Nurhaci Feud

Today, the Yehe’s resistance symbolizes regional defiance against centralized power. Their story is studied not just as a military conflict but as a case study in loyalty, betrayal, and the costs of empire-building. For Nurhaci, their elimination was a necessary step toward founding a dynasty that would rule China for centuries. Yet, the Yehe’s defiance remains a poignant reminder of the fierce independence that once defined Manchuria’s tribal lands.

In the end, Nurhaci’s victory was total—but the memory of the Yehe, the last great rival, lingers as a testament to the turbulent birth of the Qing Empire.