From Jurchen Roots to Manchu Traditions

The marital customs of early Manchuria largely descended from those of their Jurchen predecessors, with levirate marriage (收继婚) standing as one of the most striking examples. Among the Jurchen people, it was customary for a widow to be inherited by her deceased husband’s male relatives—whether his brothers, uncles, or nephews. Historical records describe this practice vividly: “When a father dies, the son takes his mother as wife; when an elder brother dies, the younger brother takes his sister-in-law; when an uncle dies, the nephew does likewise.” Notably, the “mother” in this context referred to a stepmother or concubine, not a biological parent.

This tradition reflected the harsh realities of a society with underdeveloped productive forces, where women were treated as communal property within a clan-based structure. Levirate marriage served as a mechanism to consolidate familial wealth, ensuring that resources—including women—remained within the kinship group rather than being lost through remarriage outside the clan. One early example involves Mengtemu, a founding figure of the Jianzhou Jurchen, whose uncle Baoqi married his widowed sister-in-law after his brother Huihou’s death.

The Persistence of Levirate Marriage in the Manchu Era

Even after the Jurchen evolved into the Manchu-led Later Jin and Qing dynasties, remnants of levirate marriage persisted. By the time of Nurhaci (1559–1626), the founder of the Qing dynasty, the practice had acquired additional layers of meaning. Beyond economic considerations, it became a matter of clan honor. If no male relative claimed a widow, it signaled the clan’s inability to provide for her, effectively forcing her to marry outside the family.

A pivotal case occurred in 1585 when Nurhaci married his “successor consort,” Lady Abahai (富察氏衮代). Initially wed to Nurhaci’s cousin Qi Zhun, Lady Abahai was already his sister-in-law—a union that would have been unthinkable under Confucian norms but aligned with Jurchen-Manchu traditions.

Lady Abahai: Rise and Tragic Fall of a Powerful Consort

As Nurhaci’s primary consort for over three decades, Lady Abahai wielded immense influence. She managed the household’s finances, oversaw domestic affairs, and bore three of Nurhaci’s children, including the princes Manggūltai and Degelei. Her political acumen was evident during the 1593 Nine Allied Tribes invasion, when she alone dared to rouse Nurhaci from sleep to strategize—an episode immortalized in the Manchu Veritable Records.

Yet her fortunes declined as Nurhaci’s harem expanded. The arrival of Monggo Jerjer (孟古格格), mother of the future emperor Hong Taiji, threatened Lady Abahai’s position. In 1620, she was abruptly accused of unspecified crimes and executed. Later revelations by Hong Taiji implicated her own son, Manggūltai, in her murder—an act allegedly committed to curry favor with Nurhaci.

The Brutal Aftermath: A Dynasty’s Dark Secrets

Manggūltai’s fate was no less grim. As one of the Four Great Beile and a banner commander, his hot temper proved his undoing. During a 1632 confrontation with Hong Taiji, he drew his sword—a capital offense. Shortly after, he died under mysterious circumstances, “unable to speak” in his final hours. Given his robust health, historians speculate he was poisoned, possibly on Hong Taiji’s orders.

Cultural Implications and Historical Legacy

Levirate marriage’s gradual suppression mirrored the Manchu elite’s shift toward Confucian norms. By the Qing’s peak, such practices were publicly condemned, though traces lingered in remote regions. The tragic saga of Lady Abahai and Manggūltai underscores how marital customs intersected with power struggles during the dynasty’s formative years.

Modern scholarship views these episodes through dual lenses: as evidence of a unique cultural heritage and as cautionary tales about the intersection of kinship, gender, and autocratic rule. The Manchu adaptation—and eventual rejection—of levirate traditions offers a window into how empires negotiate between tradition and legitimacy.

Today, while the Qing’s marital practices seem distant, their legacy persists in debates about gender, property rights, and the tension between cultural identity and state-sponsored orthodoxy. The story of Lady Abahai, simultaneously a political actor and a victim of her era, remains a poignant reminder of how deeply personal lives were entwined with the machinations of empire.