Harjol


Primary Consort Minhui, of the Khorchin Mongol Borjigit clan, personal name Harjol, was a consort of Hong Taiji. She was 17 years his junior.

Life

Family background

  • Father: Zhaisang, held the title of a first rank prince
  • * Paternal grandfather: Manggusi, held the title of a first rank prince
  • * Paternal aunt: Empress Xiaoduanwen
  • Mother: Boli
  • Four elder brothers
  • One younger sister
  • * Empress Xiaozhuangwen, the mother of the Shunzhi Emperor

    Tiancong era

In 1634, Lady Borjigit travelled to Mukden Palace in present-day Shenyang, Liaoning, in order to become one of Hong Taiji's multiple wives. Their marriage took place on 6 December 1634. Prior to this, the Khorchin Mongols had sent Hong Taiji two other women, Jerjer, the future Empress Xiaoduanwen, and Bumbutai, the future Empress Xiaozhuangwen, on 28 May 1614 and in March or April 1625 respectively, to strengthen the relationship between the Qing dynasty and the Khorchin. Lady Borjigit was 26 years old when she married Hong Taiji, placing her out of the typical age women married during that time period, which was between 13–17 years. There are no documents that conclusively prove why Lady Borjigit did not marry while she was younger, but some claims state that she had previously married a Khorchin warrior, Zhuolin, and that she married Hong Taiji after her first husband's death.

Chongde era

Lady Borjigit was deeply favoured by Hong Taiji although she did not seem to reciprocate these feelings in the early years of their marriage. Hong Taiji so favoured Lady Borjigit that when he conferred titles on his five primary spouses in August 1636, he named her "Consort Chen" of Guanju Palace and gave her the position as the head of the concubines, a high ranking position that placed her just below her aunt, the Empress Jerjer. The following year, on 27 August 1637, Lady Borjigit gave birth to Hong Taiji's eighth son, who did not live long and died on 13 March 1638. Lady Borjigit was left in weak health and became seriously ill three years later. Upon hearing the news that Lady Borjigit was on her deathbed, Hong Taiji reportedly left an active battlefield to be by her side. Lady Borjigit died on 22 October 1641 and was interred in the Zhao Mausoleum. Her death devastated Hong Taiji, who spent much of his time mourning her, to the detriment of his rapidly deteriorating health, and he granted her the posthumous title "primary consort Minhui".

Titles