Ladies and gentlemen, today we’re kicking off a grand tale spanning three hundred years of the Qing dynasty. It all begins up in the Northeast. Back in 1616, in a little town called Hetu Ala, a Jurchen man named Nurhaci led a band of brothers in founding the Later Jin. Just how humble were their beginnings? Their entire starting capital was thirteen rusted suits of armor. His followers were Jurchen youths who made their living hunting and riding, while their opponents included a behemoth like the Ming dynasty, not to mention neighboring tribes such as the Yehe and Ula, which kept them in check. By today’s standards, it would be like a street vendor claiming he’d overtake a publicly traded corporation. It sounds like pure fantasy. But history can be downright incredible. With the fierce determination to burn their boats and fight to the death, these Northeastern lads carved out a path to survival among the White Mountains and Black Waters. What follows is a story of bloody battles, political intrigue, laughable mix-ups, and hidden truths behind the official histories. Let’s follow along and chat as we go, playing history detectives and digging up the things few people know.
