This article is about the princely peerage. For the Qing dynasty prince who is better known as "Prince Gong", see Prince Gong. For other uses, see Prince Gong (disambiguation).
Prince Gong of the First Rank (Manchu: ᡥᠣᡧᠣᡳ ᡤᡠᠨᡤᠨᡝᠴᡠᡴᡝ ᠴᡳᠨ ᠸᠠᠩ; hošoi gungnecuke cin wang), or simply Prince Gong, was the title of a princely peerage used in China during the Manchu-led Qing dynasty (1644–1912). It was passed down over two different family lines within the Aisin Gioro clan.
The first bearer of the Prince Gong title in the first family line was Changning (1657–1703), the fifth son of the Shunzhi Emperor. He was awarded the title in 1671 by his brother, the Kangxi Emperor. As the Prince Gong peerage was not awarded "iron-cap" status, this meant that each successive bearer of the title would normally start off with a title downgraded by one rank vis-à-vis that held by his predecessor. However, the title would generally not be downgraded to any lower than a feng'en fuguo gong except under special circumstances. It was passed down over ten generations and held by ten persons.
The first bearer of the Prince Gong title in the second family line was Yixin (1833–1898), the sixth son of the Daoguang Emperor. He was awarded the title in 1850 by his father. In 1872, during the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor, the second Prince Gong peerage, unlike the earlier one, was granted "iron-cap" status. This meant that the title could be passed down without being downgraded. The title was passed down over four generations and held by three persons.
Members of the Prince Gong peerage
Changning's line (non-"iron-cap")
Changning (1657–1703), the Shunzhi Emperor's fifth son, held the title Prince Gong of the First Rank from 1671 to 1703
Haishan (海善; 1676–1743), Changning's third son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1695 to 1703, promoted to beile in 1703, stripped of his title in 1712, restored as a beile in 1732, posthumously honoured as Ximin Beile (僖敏貝勒)
Manduhu (滿都護; 1674–1731), Changning's second son, held the title of a beile from 1712 to 1731, demoted to beizi and then to feng'en zhenguo gong in 1726
Lumubu (祿穆布; 1700–1729), Haishan's son
Feisu (斐蘇; 1731–1763), Lumubu's eldest son, held the title of a beile from 1731 to 1763
Mingshao (明韶; 1742–1787), Feisu's second son, held the title of a beizi from 1763 to 1787
Jinchang (晉昌; 1759–1828), Mingshao's eldest son, held the title of a feng'en zhenguo gong from 1788 to 1803, stripped of his title in 1803, restored as a feng'en fuguo gong from 1817 to 1828
Jinlong (晉隆; 1761–1819), Mingshao's second son, held the title of a feng'en fuguo gong from 1803 to 1817, stripped of his title in 1817
Qinglin (慶琳), Chungu's eldest son, held the title of a fengguo jiangjun from 1825 to 1845
Lingrui (靈瑞), Qinglin's second son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1845 to 1857, had no male heir
Mingzuan (明纘), Feisu's tenth son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1775 to 1794
Yigui (宜貴), Mingzuan's eldest son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1795 to 1847
Guanrui (官瑞), Yigui's eldest son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1848 to 1857
Minggai (明該), Feisu's 11th son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1775 to 1792
Yuxian (玉顯), Minggai's eldest son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1794 to 1810, had no male heir
Mingfan (明範), Feisu's 12th son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1784 to 1815
Mingkun (明昆), Feisu's 14th son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1784 to 1813
Hengchun (恆春), Mingkun's second son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1814 to 1844
Rongxiu (榮秀), Hengchun's eldest son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1844 to 1883
Yongshou (永綬; 1671–1686), Changning's eldest son, held the title of a third class fuguo jiangjun from 1685 to 1686, had no male heir
Duiqing'e (對清額; 1681–1742), Changning's fourth son, held the title of a third class fuguo jiangjun from 1700 to 1740
Ailong'a (愛隆阿), Duiqing'e's fourth son, held the title of a fengguo jiangjun from 1740 to 1744
Anchuhang'a (安楚杭阿), Ailong'a's third son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1744 to 1745, had no male heir
Fuge (福格), Duiqing'e's eighth son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1757 to 1777, had no male heir
Qichen (奇臣), Duiqing'e's ninth son, held the title of a third class fengguo jiangjun from 1757 to 1807, stripped of his title in 1807
Zhuotai (卓泰; 1683–1705), Changning's fifth son, held the title of a third class fuguo jiangjun from 1702 to 1705, had no male heir
Yixin's line ("iron-cap")
Yixin (1833–1898), the first "iron-cap" Prince Gong
Yixin (1833–1898), the Daoguang Emperor's sixth son, held the title Prince Gong of the First Rank from 1850 to 1898, posthumously honoured as Prince Gongzhong of the First Rank (恭忠親王)
Zaicheng (載澂; 1858–1885), Yixin's eldest son, initially a feng'en fuguo gong from 1860 to 1868, promoted to beile in 1868, awarded junwang status but not a junwang title in 1872, posthumously honoured as Guomin Beile (果敏貝勒)
Zaiying (載瀅; 1861–1909), Yixin's second son, held the title of a buru bafen zhenguo gong from 1864 to 1868, adopted into the Prince Zhong peerage as a beile in 1868, stripped of his title in 1900
Puwei (溥偉; 1880–1936), Zaiying's eldest son, held the title Prince Gong of the First Rank from 1898 to 1936, posthumously honoured as Prince Gongxian of the First Rank (恭賢親王)
Yuzhan (1923–2016), Puwei's seventh son, held the title Prince Gong of the First Rank from 1936 to 1945
Zaijun (載濬; 1864–1866), Yixin's third son, held the title of a feng'en fuguo gong from 1864 to 1866, had no male heir
Zaihuang (載潢; 1880–1885), Yixin's fourth son, held the title of a buru bafen fuguo gong from 1881 to 1885, had no male heir
Family trees
Changning's line
Changning 常寧 (1657–1703) Prince Gong 恭親王 (1671–1703)
Manduhu 滿都護 (1674–1731) Feng'en Zhenguo Gong 奉恩鎮國公 (1712–1731)
Haishan 海善 (1676–1743) Beile 貝勒 (1703–1712) (stripped of his title)
Lumubu 祿穆布 (1700–1729)
Feisu 斐蘇 (1715–1763) Beile 貝勒 (1731–1763)
Mingshao 明韶 (1742–1787) Beizi 貝子 (1763–1787)
Jinchang 晉昌 (1759–1828) Feng'en Zhenguo Gong 奉恩鎮國公 (1788–1803) Feng'en Fuguo Gong 奉恩輔國公 (1817–1828)
Jinlong 晉隆 (1761–1819) Feng'en Fuguo Gong 奉恩輔國公 (1803–1817) (stripped of his title)
Xianglin 祥林 (1791–1848) Feng'en Zhenguo Gong 奉恩鎮國公 (1828–1834)
Chengxi 承熙 (1832–1891) Buru Bafen Zhenguo Gong 不入八分鎮國公 (1834–1891)
Chonglue 崇略 (1850–1894) Buru Bafen Zhenguo Gong 不入八分鎮國公 (1892–1894)
Deyin 德蔭 (1868–1895) Buru Bafen Zhenguo Gong 不入八分鎮國公 (1894–1895)
Demao 德茂 (1882–?) Buru Bafen Zhenguo Gong 不入八分鎮國公 (1895–?)
