The Decisive Southern Campaign of 1646

In August 1646, as the Qing dynasty consolidated its control over China, the court received triumphant reports from General Boluo’s pacification of Zhejiang. Eager to accelerate the conquest of the Southern Ming resistance, the Qing leadership launched a coordinated military campaign into Hunan and Guangdong. On the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, the Shunzhi Emperor dispatched an elite force under the command of three Han Chinese princes—Kong Youde (Prince Gongshun), Geng Zhongming (Prince Huaishun), and Shang Kexi (Prince Zhishun)—along with Shen Zhixiang, Jin Li, and Tong Tai (also known as Tong Dai or Tong Yanghe). Kong Youde was appointed as the Pingnan Da Jiangjun (Great General Who Pacifies the South) to oversee the operation.

This campaign marked a critical phase in the Qing conquest, targeting the heartland of Southern Ming resistance. The Qing forces, composed of both Manchu and Han Chinese troops, sought to dismantle the remaining Ming strongholds in Hunan and Guangxi, effectively isolating the Yongli Emperor’s court in the southwest.

The Swift Collapse of Ming Defenses

After months of preparation in Liaodong, the Qing army finally reached Yuezhou, Hunan, in February 1647. On the 16th day of the second lunar month, Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, and Shang Kexi launched a two-pronged assault—advancing by land while Tong Tai led a naval force. The Ming defenses at Xinqiang and Tongxi crumbled almost immediately, with Ming troops scattering in disarray. By the 18th, Qing forces pressed toward Xiangyin, forcing Ming commanders Zhang Kuang and He Tengjiao to retreat to Changsha.

The Ming military leadership was in disarray. Wang Jincai, a Ming general stationed in Changsha, proposed reinforcing the city with troops from Changde, but before reinforcements could arrive, the Qing army was already at the gates. With no viable defense, Wang Jincai escorted He Tengjiao southward by boat, and on the 25th, Changsha fell to the Qing without significant resistance.

Consolidating Control: The Qing Advance into Hunan

Following the capture of Changsha, Kong Youde moved swiftly to eliminate remaining threats. He dispatched Geng Zhongming to seize Changde and Shang Kexi to crush Huang Chaoxuan’s forces in Youxian. Meanwhile, Qing envoys successfully persuaded Dong Ying, a Ming general stationed in Liuyang, to defect. By early March, Dong Ying had surrendered, further weakening Ming resistance.

Huang Chaoxuan, realizing his precarious position, attempted to negotiate surrender, but Kong Youde rejected his overtures, forcing him to flee to Hengzhou. Another Ming commander, Zhang Xianbi, retreated to Baoqing (modern-day Shaoyang). By mid-March, He Tengjiao and Zhang Kuang had fled to Hengshan, only to be pushed further south to Yongzhou and Dong’an as Qing forces continued their relentless advance.

Huang Chaoxuan’s eventual surrender proved futile. Due to his notorious brutality toward civilians, Kong Youde ordered his execution—a calculated move to win local support.

The Summer Lull and Final Push

By mid-1647, the Qing army controlled most of Hunan, pausing their campaign during the summer heat. Meanwhile, the Yongli Emperor remained under the control of the warlord Liu Chengyin in Wugang, while Ming leadership disintegrated. Zhang Kuang died of illness in Yongzhou in August, and He Tengjiao’s efforts to rally resistance proved ineffective.

As autumn arrived, the Qing resumed their offensive, capturing Wugang and Yongzhou with little opposition. By the end of 1647, all of Hunan—except for some remote western regions under tribal chieftains—was under Qing control. He Tengjiao’s once-formidable army of “Thirteen Garrisons” had collapsed, with many of his officers defecting or fleeing to Guangxi.

The Aftermath and Historical Significance

The Qing conquest of Hunan was a decisive blow to the Southern Ming. The campaign demonstrated the Qing dynasty’s ability to integrate Han Chinese defectors into their military strategy, leveraging their knowledge of local terrain and politics. The swift collapse of Ming defenses also highlighted the disorganization and infighting within the Southern Ming leadership.

For the local population, the transition was brutal yet efficient. The Qing employed a mix of military force and political maneuvering, executing corrupt Ming officials to gain public favor while systematically dismantling resistance.

Legacy and Modern Reflections

This campaign remains a pivotal moment in the Ming-Qing transition, illustrating the Qing’s strategic adaptability and the Ming’s fatal weaknesses. Modern historians often examine this period to understand how the Qing successfully consolidated power, integrating Han Chinese elites while suppressing dissent. The fall of Hunan also marked the beginning of the Yongli Emperor’s gradual retreat into Yunnan and Burma, setting the stage for the final chapter of Ming resistance.

From a broader perspective, the Qing conquest of Hunan underscores the importance of military logistics, defector alliances, and psychological warfare in early modern Chinese warfare. It serves as a case study in how dynasties rise and fall—not just through battles, but through the careful management of loyalty, territory, and legitimacy.

The records of this campaign, preserved in Qing archives like the Shunzhi Shilu and memoirs such as Sanxiang Congshi Lu, provide invaluable insights into the tactics and decisions that shaped China’s last imperial dynasty.