Manchu Invasion of Korea, Second

Jurchen leader Nurhaci had broken away from the power of the decaying Ming Dynasty in 1619 and established the Later Jin Dynasty, domestically called the State of Manchu from 1635, and unified Jurchen tribes, establishing (or at least expanding) the Banner system, a military structure which has made their forces quite resilient in the face of superior Ming Dynasty numbers in the field.

Nurhaci had eventually conquered Mukden (modern-day Shenyang) in northern China’s Liaoning region and built it into the new capital in 1621.

Nurhaci's eighth son, Huang Taiji, who had succeeded his father a decade earlier, in 1636 reorganizes the Jurchen, including those other groups (such as Hans and Mongols) who had joined them, changes the nation's name to the Qing (”Pure”) Dynasty, and formally changes the name of the ethnic designation to Manchu.

The early significance of Manchu has not been established satisfactorily.

It may have been an old term for the Jianzhou Jurchens.

One theory claims that the name came from the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of Wisdom), of which Nurhaci claimed to be an incarnation.

Another theory is that the Manchus, like a number of other Tungusic peoples, take their name from the common Tungusic word for 'a great river'.

Huang Taji continues the expansion of the state in the region later known as Manchuria, pushing deeper into Mongolia and raiding Korea and Ming China.

Huang Taiji in 1636 invades the Joseon Dynasty, as the latter does not accept that Huang Taiji has become emperor.

The relationship between Joseon and Later Jin has remained uncomfortable and bleak.

While the first invasion had not as catastrophic to Korea as the second, nine years later, will be, it is bitterly resented by Confucian statesmen and scholars who believe that it had been treacherous for Korea to abandon Ming China after the Chinese assistance against Japan during the Seven-Year War.

This resentment is further enflamed when in 1636 the Manchus demand to change the terms of the diplomatic relationship from one of equality to Suzerainty-Tributary.

The Korean Court, dominated by anti-Manchu hawks, rejects the demand.

This leads to the second Manchu invasion of Korea in 1636.

The court of Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, dominated by the pro-war party, had continued to defy the Manchus after the first Manchu invasion of Korea in 1627.

Trade is in bad condition and Korea has not not returned fugitives from Later Jin.

In addition, Korea takes a defiant attitude when Huang Taiji declares the new dynasty of Qing.

Korean delegates refuse to kowtow to Huang Taiji at the ceremony and throw away the diplomatic correspondence where Huang Taiji is referred to as the emperor.

The Manchu delegates Inggūldai and Mafuta receive a cold reception in Hanseong (Seoul) where Korean soldiers stand in the shadow.

The delegates are shocked and flee back to Qing, but not before Inggūldai seizes a warlike message to Pyongan-do, one of the Joseon Dynasty’s Eight Provinces of Korea.

In the winter, Huang Taiji himself leads Manchu, Mongol, and Chinese Banners and a Mongol army of one hundred and twenty thousand to Korea.

Prince Dodo, leading the vanguard, rushes to Hanseong to prevent King Injo from fleeing to Ganghwa Island as Korean kings traditionally do.

Failing to escape to the island, ...

...the king takes refuge with his court and thirteen thousand eight hundred soldiers in the Namhansan fortress, which is immediately besieged by the Manchu army.

Although they are well defended and the king enjoys the protection of a bodyguard composed of three thousand fighting monks, the Korean army in the fortress suffers from scarcity of food and ammunition.

Korean officials engage in unrealistic debates while Prince Dorgon occupies Ganghwa Island in a day and captures the second son and consorts of King Injo.

The scarcity of food worsens as the siege continues.

The strategic situation worsens also, as several attempts by Korean forces from regions to break the siege are foiled and charges from the fortress yield no success.

The northern and middle parts of Korea have meanwhile devastated by the war.

Although the Manchu army is strict in discipline, the Mongol soldiers have plundered the cities.

This desperate situation forces King Injo to make his submission.

He yields three pro-war officers to Qing, as well as agreeing to the terms of peace, which include submission to to the Qing Dynasty and a break with the suzerain Ming emperor.

Korea will pay tribute to Qing as she has with Ming.

The first and second sons of King Injo, and sons or brothers of ministers are offered as hostages.

Any castles built will be done so only with Qing approval.

Korea will serve in the war against Ming, and offer an army and ships to attack Pi Island at the mouth of the Yalu River.

Huang Taiji sets up a platform in Samjeondo—the upper reach of the Han River.

At the top of the platform he accepts King Injo's submission.

King Injo kowtows to Huang Taiji, who allegedly forced Injo to repeat the humiliating ritual many times.

Korea is to remained a protectorate of Qing China for the next two hundred and fifty years.

Joseon has barely recovered when the Manchus invade from the north, fighting on all fronts to oust the Ming Dynasty.

Invasions in 1627 and 1636 establish tributary relations between Korea and the Manchus' Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), but they are less deleterious than the Japanese invasions, except in the northwest, where Manchu forces wreak havoc.

Hereafter, the Joseon Dynasty has a period of revival, which, had it continued, might have left Korea much better prepared for its encounter with the West.