The Heroes of Great Ming

In the spring of the forty-fourth year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Shenzong, in the first month,

Nurhaci of Manchuria declared himself emperor. The beile and ministers together bestowed upon him the title "Brilliant Emperor Who Nurtures All Nations," named the state "Manchuria," and established the Tianming era.

In the forty-sixth year, in the fourth month of summer, the Manchurian ruler led an army to invade the border. Before setting out, he swore an oath of war listing seven grievances, which read in part:

The Ming border officials heedlessly followed Nikan Wailan's schemes, provoking trouble without cause and killing my grandfather and father. This is the first grievance!

The Ming broke its treaty, sent troops across the border, and protected Yehe. This is the second grievance!

Every year, Ming border residents cross the frontier to steal. By treaty, they should be put to death, yet the Ming used their unauthorized execution as a pretext to demand ten people from us to pay for the crime. This is the third grievance!

The Ming sent troops across the border to aid Yehe, causing the woman I had already betrothed to be married instead to a Mongol. This is the fourth grievance!

Our people had agreed to farm and grow grain along the Chaihe, Sancha, Zhi'an, and other routes, but the Ming would not let us harvest our crops and sent troops to drive us away. This is the fifth grievance!

Yehe broke its treaty and provoked conflict, yet the Ming blindly believed its claims, then sent an envoy to insult us and heap abuse and humiliation upon us. This is the sixth grievance!

Hada twice aided Yehe in invading us. After Hada was conquered, the Ming again coerced the state into submission. This is the seventh grievance!