Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/229

Rh In civil government Dorgon continued most of the institutions and practices of the Ming period. Officials of the defunct dynasty were welcomed and new Chinese officials were selected by examination or recommendation. Dorgon also enlisted the help of the German Jesuit, Adam Schall (see under ) as head of the Imperial Board of Astronomy after satisfying himself that Schall's calculations were more accurate than those of the Moharnmedans. Taxes were lowered and the power of the eunuchs was restricted. The order to shave the forehead and to braid the hair after the Manchu custom met with opposition, but in due time the decree prevailed. Much to the distress of the agricultural population of Chihli province, rich farms were allotted to the Eight Banners (see under ) and to princes, nobles and common soldiers. During the Ming dynasty, however, such confiscation of property had taken place not only in the metropolitan area but also in distant provinces. Apart from racial enmity, the new regime was regarded by the common people as little, if any, more oppressive than that of the defunct dynasty.

Dorgon gradually centralized the power in his own hands, national policies being determined at his own residence where the imperial seals were kept. Late in 1644 Jirgalang was reduced to an assistant regent (輔政王) and received a stipend half that of Dorgon's. Although Dorgon repeatedly enjoined courtiers to pay more respect to the emperor than to himself, such orders served only to demonstrate how great his power really was. Meanwhile he treated harshly those princes who ventured to oppose him. In 1647 he discharged Jirgalang as assistant regent and appointed his own brother, Dodo, to the post. Early in 1648 Jirgalang was reduced yet further in rank, on various charges. In the same year Haoge, who had never been on friendly terms with Dorgon, was charged with various crimes and placed in confinement where he committed suicide. Several other princes were similarly humiliated. At the same time Dorgon extended his control over other banners than his own which was the Plain White. First he took over the Plain Blue Banner which originally belonged to Manggûltai and which at one time was controlled by Abahai. Then he took command of the Bordered White Banner of his brother, Dodo, after the latter's death (1649). Thus he commanded three Banners while the emperor controlled only the two Yellow Banners.

Early in 1648 Dorgon was excused from prostrating himself before the emperor at audiences. Late in 1648 (or early in 1649) he was granted the title of Imperial Father Regent（皇父攝政王). In 1649 he went personally to direct the siege of Ta-t'ung, Shansi, where a general had rebelled (see under ). Early in 1650 his wife died and he married the widow of Haoge, his nephew. He ordered the king of Korea to send princesses to be his concubines, and planned to build a palace and a city in the southern part of Jehol where he hoped to retire as a feudal lord with the bondsmen of the two White Banners as his subjects. Entrusting minor governmental affairs to his henchmen,, , and , he gave himself up to the pursuit of pleasure. Although indisposed at the time, he went to Jehol, late in 1650, on a hunting trip. Being constitutionally weak, he died on the last day of the year at Kharahotun 喀喇和屯 near the Great Wall, aged only thirty-nine (sui). Ten days later he was posthumously honored as an emperor, was given the temple name Ch'êng-tsung 成宗 and was canonized as I Huang-ti 義皇帝.

While Dorgon was alive his word was law, and was implicitly followed throughout the empire. But his unexpected death created a state of confusion because, so far as is known, he had not relinquished the regency nor had he designated anyone to take his place. He left no male heir, but sometime before his death adopted a nephew, Dorbo 多爾博 (fifth son of Dodo). But as Dorbo was then very young the affairs of the White Banners were left to several of Dorgon's former lieutenants, one of whom was. These men claimed that they had verbal instructions from their deceased master relating to affairs of state. For a time they might well have taken over the regency—doing anything they pleased on the ground that they were carrying out Dorgon's last wishes. They failed, however, to press these claims vigorously. When Ajige, by threats and coercion, tried to make himself master of the White Banners, Ubai and his colleagues, instead of acting in the name of Dorbo, sought the help of Jirgalang and other princes who bore grudges against Dorgon and were only biding their time. Ajige was condemned (January 26, 1651) on the testimony of Ubai and his associates and finally committed suicide (November 28). But Jirgalang and the other princes, seeing that the leaders of the White Banners had no clear policy, began to plot against them, hoping to 217