Later Jin Polity Organization

Timeline

1. 1616Hetu Ala · LiaoningNurhaci declared himself khan at Hetu Ala, adopting the state name "Great Jin" (known to history as Later Jin) and the era name "Tianming," and used the Eight Banners system (Plain Yellow, Bordered Yellow, Plain Red, Bordered Red, Plain Blue, Bordered Blue, Plain White, Bordered White) to integrate the Jurchen tribes into organizational units combining military, administrative, and productive functions, laying the foundation for Later Jin's strong state mobilization capacity.
2. 1619–1625Sarhu to Liaoyang and Shenyang · LiaoningIn the 1619 Battle of Sarhu, Nurhaci concentrated his forces to defeat the Ming's four-pronged army one by one, killing some 50,000 troops, a decisive battle turning Later Jin from defense to offense. Thereafter Later Jin successively captured Liaoyang (1621) and Shenyang (1621), moved the capital to Shenyang (Shengjing, 1625), brought most of Liaodong under rule, and established six ministries modeled on the Han system to govern surrendered Han areas.
3. 1626Ningyuan (present-day Xingcheng, Liaoning) · LiaoningIn 1626 Nurhaci personally led an army to attack Ningyuan but was heavily defeated by Yuan Chonghuan's Western-style cannons (red-barbarian cannons), suffering his first setback and retreat, known as the Battle of Ningyuan. That same year Nurhaci fell ill and died during the retreat, ending his life of founding and campaigning; his eighth son Hong Taiji was chosen by the beile council to succeed the khaganate.
4. 1626–1636Shengjing (Shenyang) · LiaoningAfter succeeding to the throne Hong Taiji carried out systematic Sinicizing reforms: modeled on the Ming he established six ministries and the Censorate, made heavy use of Han defector officials, created the Manchu script, and changed the Jurchen ethnic name to "Manchu" (1635); in 1636 at Shengjing he declared himself emperor, changed the state name from "Great Jin" to "Great Qing," adopted the era name "Chongde," formally elevating the Later Jin polity into the Qing Empire and marking the full unfolding of the strategy to enter the Central Plains.