Biography

Family background

He was the second son of Nurhaci's younger brother Šurhaci of the Aisin Gioro clan.

Career

Nurhacis reign

In 1608, and again in 1613, he played an important part in Nurhaci's campaign against the tribes of the Hūlun alliance, namely against Bujantai and the Ula tribe. At first he held the rank of a taiji (Mongolian rank of a minor prince). In 1616 when Nurhaci assumed the title of Khan, Amin was named as one of the Four Senior Beile to assist in the administration. In terms of seniority he held the rank of Second Beile, and was given command of the Bordered Blue Banner. He took part in 1619 in the Battle of Sarhū against the expeditionary force sent by the Ming Court under Yang Hao. In 1621 he fought bravely during the taking of Shenyang and Liaoyang and was of the commanders of the expedition which drove Mao Wenlong from Korea. In 1626, after the death of Nurhaci and the succession of the Fourth Beile, Hong Taiji as khan, Amin and the other two Senior Beile, Daišan and Manggūltai, ruled jointly with Hong Taiji.

Hong Taijis reign

In 1627 Amin was in command of the expedition to Korea and was successful in forcing the king of Korea to sue for peace. His aim in subjugating Korea was probably to make himself ruler of that country, but he was opposed by the other princes who had been sent as his assistants, including his own brother, Jirgalang, and his nephews, Dudu and Yoto. When these princes signed separately a treaty with the Korean king, Amin was so angry that he set his troops in Pyongyang free for three days of pillaging.

In 1629, when Hong Taiji invaded China, Amin was left at Mukden as regent. After Hong Taiji returned to Mukden in April 1630 Amin was sent to Yongping to guard the four cities that had been recently conquered. Amin arrived at Yongping on May 6, but soon the Ming troops counter-attacked and defeated the Manchus in several battles. On June 22, when the Ming troops were approaching Yongping, before fleeing the city with his troops, Amin disobeyed the orders of Hong Taiji by plundering and massacring the population of Yongping. Upon his arrival at Mukden in July 1630, Amin was arrested and tried for fleeing from his post, disobeying orders, for not having confronted the enemy in a single engagement, for losing many of his troops, and for other misdemeanors. A council of princes and high officials condemned him to death on sixteen counts, but Hong Taiji intervened and commuted his sentence to incarceration. Amin died in prison in 1640.

Legacy

The fall of Amin cleared the way for Hong Taiji to consolidate his power over the other Manchu princes (the Four Senior Beile). The Bordered Blue Banner which was under Amin's control was given to his younger brother, Jirgalang, a devoted follower of Hong Taiji. From this it is clear that Hong Taiji was still fearful of radically altering the Banner arrangements which his father had designated. However the elimination of Amin as one of the Four Senior Beile made it easier for Hong Taiji to reduce the power of Manggūltai in 1631 and to appropriate for himself the latter's Plain Blue Banner.

Family

Consorts and issue:

• Primary consort, of the Hoifa Nara clan, daughte of beile Taishi (台诗)

• Second primary consort, of the Hoifa Nara clan, daughter of beile Baindari

• Third primary consort, of the Nara clan, daughter of Ezhu (额诸)

• Fourth primary consort, of the Jarud Borjigin clan, daughter of beile Heshuoqi (和硕齐)

• Fifth primary consort, of the Borjigin clan, daughter of beile Seteli (塞特里)

----Issue:

• Hongketai (宏科泰), born to Primary Consort, Lady Hoifa Nara

• Ai'erli, Defender Duke by Grace (镇国公 爱尔礼), born to First Primary Consort, Lady Hoifa Nara

• Gu'ermahun, Prince Wenjian of the Fourth Rank (温简贝子 固尔玛浑), born to First Primary Consort, Lady Hoifa Nara

• Gong'a, Defender Duke by Grace (镇国公 恭阿), born to Fourth Primary Consort, Lady Jarud Borjigit

• Guogai, Defender Duke by Grace Duanchun (端纯镇国公 果盖), born to Fourth Primary Consort, Lady Jarud Borjigit

• Guolai, Defender Duke by Grace (镇国公 果赖), born to Fourth Primary Consort, Lady Jarud Borjigit

•

生平

阿敏初戰是在萬曆三十六年（1608年），與褚英征討烏喇，攻克宜罕山城。後來努爾哈赤再伐烏喇，布占泰以三萬人拒，諸將欲戰，被努爾哈赤勸止。這時候阿敏說：「布占泰已經出城，我們怎能舍而不戰？」于是努爾哈赤下決心與之決戰，遂滅烏喇。天命元年，與代善、莽古爾泰及皇太極並授和碩貝勒，號「四大貝勒」，執國政。阿敏以序稱二貝勒。

天命四年（1619年），明經略楊鎬大舉來侵，阿敏跟隨努爾哈赤在薩爾滸山擊破明兵。之後再度防禦棟鄂路以阻擋明總兵劉綎的軍隊，隨後趕來的代善率領援軍擊破劉綎軍，並斬其于陣。隨後又再攻擊明將喬一琦軍，喬一琦趕到固拉庫崖，與朝鮮將姜弘烈合軍。阿敏追擊，姜弘烈投降，喬一琦自殺殉明。

薩爾滸大戰之後，跟隨努爾哈赤滅葉赫、克瀋陽、遼陽。鎮江城將陳良策叛附明將毛文龍，阿敏夜渡鎮江，擊殺其守將，毛文龍敗走。天命十一年（1626年），阿敏攻打喀爾喀巴林部，盡取其所屬屯寨。

天聰元年（1627年），清太宗皇太極擔心腹背受敵之故，命阿敏率領貝勒岳讬等攻打朝鮮。臨行前，皇太極再命阿敏將毛文龍所部一併討伐。阿敏分兵攻鐵山，毛文龍敗逃。進克定州，渡嘉山江，克安州、平壤、直逼中和郡。朝鮮國王李倧遣使求和。阿敏與諸貝勒答書數其罪有七，拒絕和議。隨後攻打黃州郡，李倧再度遣使求和。阿敏仍不希望和議，只圖破其都城，而諸貝勒則建議待朝鮮使臣到，雙方議和並盟誓。總兵李永芳也進言：「我等奉了大汗之命令仗義而行，之前也說過雙方盟誓後即撤退，如出爾反爾則為不義。」阿敏大怒，叱退李永芳。後金軍遂攻打平山，李倧避走江華島派遣其族弟原昌君李覺求和。岳讬建議和議之後就此班師，阿敏說：「我一向仰慕明朝和朝鮮的宮殿城池，現在既然到了這裡，怎能倉促而歸？我覺得應當留兵屯耕，杜度當與我叔侄同駐于此。」杜度大驚說道：「當今大汗（皇太極）是我的叔叔，我怎能遠離他而跟隨你屯兵在此？」濟爾哈朗也力阻，于是諸貝勒議定並與李倧結兄弟之盟。阿敏縱兵劫掠三日後，憤恨而還。皇太極親自迎接大軍于武靖營，賜阿敏御衣一襲。同年，隨皇太極伐明，圍錦州，攻寧遠，斬明步兵千餘。

天聰四年（1630年），皇太極繞道蒙古直接攻打明都城北京，並連克永平、灤州、遷安、遵化四城，並命阿敏率領貝勒碩讬以五千人駐守。阿敏駐永平，派遣其他將領分守三城。明經略孫承宗督軍來攻，先克灤州。阿敏兵少，寡不敵眾，于是令其他各城守將棄其城東歸。

皇太極剛派杜度前去赴援，卻聽聞阿敏等棄四城而歸。皇太極大怒，召諸貝勒共議阿敏之罪。罪狀除了此次棄四城之外，還有心懷異志、當年在朝鮮謀求自立等等。廷議阿敏死罪，皇太極改為幽禁，僅留莊六所、園二所、奴僕二十，其餘財產歸濟爾哈朗。崇德五年（1640年）十一月，阿敏卒于幽所。

家庭

妻子

• 嫡妻：輝發納喇氏，台詩貝勒之女

• 繼妻：輝發納喇氏，拜音達里貝勒之女

• 三娶妻：納喇氏，額諸之女

• 四娶妻：扎魯特博爾濟吉特氏，和碩齊貝勒洛隆之女

• 五娶妻：博爾濟吉特氏，塞特里貝勒之女

阿敏有子六人，

• 長子：宏科泰

• 次子：鎮國公愛爾禮

• 三子：溫簡貝子固爾瑪渾

• 四子：鎮國公恭阿

• 五子：端純鎮國公果蓋

• 六子：鎮國公果賴

除了宏科泰獲罪而死之外，愛爾禮、固爾瑪琿、恭阿、果葢、果賴皆有爵位。

阿敏的六弟是濟爾哈朗。

注釋

腳註