Han Chinese Eight Banners

This article is about the Han Chinese division of the Outer Eight Banners. For the bondservant companies under the Manchu banners, commonly called "bondservant Han army" or "Imperial Household Han army", see Cigu Niru.

Han Chinese Eight Banners (Manchu: ᡠᠵᡝᠨ
ᠴᠣᠣᡥᠠᡳ
ᡤᡡᠰᠠ, Möllendorff: ujen coohai gūsa^[1]) or Ujen Cooha^[2](Manchu: ᡠᠵᡝᠨ
ᠴᠣᠣᡥᠠ, Möllendorff: ujen cooha;^{[Note 1][3]} ᡠᠵᡝᠨ
ᠴᠣᠣᡥᠠᡳ
ᡤᡡᠰᠠ),^[4] originally called Eight Banners Han Army,^{[Note 2][5]} commonly referred to as Han Army,^[6][7] or Han Army Banner Division due to its organization under banner companies [zh]. Its members were known as Han Army, Han Army personnel, or Han Army bannermen, forming a key component of the Outer Eight Banners in the Qing dynasty's Eight Banners system.^{[8][Note 3][9]}

Han Chinese Eight Banners
Active	1642–1928
Country	Qing dynasty Beiyang government
Type	Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Navy
Part of	Han Chinese Banner Commanders
Garrison/HQ	Beijing, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Northeast China
Engagements	Qing conquest of the Ming
Commanders
Notable commanders	Third-class Viscount Li Yongfang Second-class Viscount Tong Yangxing Third-class Viscount Shi Tingzhu Prince of Pingnan Shang Kexi Prince of Jingnan Geng Zhongming Zu Dashou Third-class Light Chariot Lieutenant Hong Chengchou
Insignia
Military banners	Upper Three Banners: Bordered Yellow Banner Plain Yellow Banner Plain White Banner Lower Five Banners: Plain Red Banner Bordered White Banner Bordered Red Banner Plain Blue Banner Bordered Blue Banner

Han Chinese Eight Banners
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	漢軍八旗
Simplified Chinese	汉军八旗
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin hànjūn bāqí Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization hon gwān baat kèih Jyutping hon3 gwan1 baat3 kei4
Mongolian name
Mongolian Cyrillic	Хятад найман хошуу
Manchu name
Manchu script	ᡠᠵᡝᠨ ᠴᠣᠣᡥᠠᡳ ᡤᡡᠰᠠ
Abkai	ujen qouhai gvsa
Möllendorff	ujen coohai gūsa

Sometimes translated as Han-martial Eight Banners,^[10] they were hereditary military units, and later honorary posts of the Qing dynasty, similar to the Manchu Eight Banners, but occupied by the "military Han" (Chinese: 漢軍; pinyin: hànjūn).

Description

Members were originally inhabitants of Liaodong (modern Liaoning) in the Ming dynasty, conquered during the transition from Ming to Qing by Nurhaci, who formed separate units for Chinese speakers called Nikan (Manchu: ᠨᡳᡴᠠᠨ, Hu: nikan), who fought under black banners.^[11] Over time, membership expanded to also include inhabitants from the newly-conquered regions of China.^[12]

The Han Chinese Eight Banners originated primarily from Han Chinese populations within the early Manchu Eight Banners [zh], initially holding a lower status. During the Chongde era [zh], their expertise in casting and operating artillery led Emperor Hong Taiji to organize them into separate banners, establishing their role as the "artillery corps" within the Eight Banners. Beyond artillery skills, the Han Chinese Eight Banners had inherent advantages in terrain familiarity, intelligence gathering, and persuading defections, making them the vanguard in the Qing conquest of China.^[13] By the mid-Qing, as the Eight Banners population grew, livelihood issues emerged, prompting the Qing court to mandate that the most recently integrated Han Chinese bannermen—those who joined after the conquest— exit the Eight Banners [zh] to alleviate resource pressures. Only the pre-conquest Liaodong "Old Han Army" remained. By the late Qing, ethnic distinctions within the banners blurred, and Han Chinese bannermen were increasingly assimilated into Manchu culture.

History

Formation of Separate Banners

Red Cannon.

The Han Chinese Eight Banners primarily originated from individuals who voluntarily surrendered or were captured by the Later Jin and its successor, the Qing dynasty, in Liaodong,^[14] predominantly Han Chinese, with a small number of Sinicized Jurchens and Mongols who had served in the Ming administration.^[15] Initially, they were incorporated into the Manchu Eight Banners [zh]^[16] with relatively low status due to harsh policies under Nurhaci. After Hong Taiji ascended the throne, efforts were made to improve their status, with the creation of the Han Army being a key manifestation.^[17]

Before 1631 (Tiancong 5), the Later Jin lacked artillery, facing significant challenges in siege warfare. That year, Hong Taiji, leveraging the expertise of Wang Tianxiang, captured during the Yongping campaign, ordered the casting of red cannons and established the first Han Army banner, marked by a green banner, led by prince-consort Tong Yangxing [zh], known as the "heavy troops".^[2] The term "heavy troops" in Manchu reflected their role in casting and managing artillery, establishing the Han Army as the Eight Banners' "heavy artillery corps".^[2][3] The importance of artillery elevated the Han Army's status.^[2]

In 1637 (Chongde 2), the Han Army expanded to two banners, retaining green banners. By 1639, it grew to four banners with colors of plain green with yellow, white, red, and plain green borders. During the one-, two-, and four-banner phases, Han Army personnel remained under the Manchu banner division, with colors used to distinguish troop types.^[18] In 1642 (Chongde 7), following the victory in the Battle of Song-Jin, surrendered personnel from this battle and the earlier Dalinghe campaign were organized into companies, forming the Han Chinese Eight Banners with the same colors as the Manchu Eight Banners, granting them independent banner status.^[19]

Role in the Qing Conquest

Former Ming Grand Secretary and Minister of War Hong Chengchou, incorporated into the Han Chinese Bordered Yellow Banner, played a significant role in the Qing conquest of China.

In 1631 the first separate Han artillery corps was formed by Hong Taiji,^[8] and later created the first two Banners in 1637, another four in 1639, finally reaching eight in 1642,^[20] two years before the conquest of Beijing in 1644. The colors were the same as the Manchu banners: Yellow, White, Red and Blue; with each one having a "bordered" version in red, excepting the Red Banner, whose border was white.^[21]

After the Qing began their conquest of China in 1644, the numbers of the Han Banners swelled with Chinese defectors. According to the capital banner lists, in 1720, nearing the end of the Kangxi reign, the Hanjun population under arms in Beijing exceeded Manchus and Mongols combined, at around 197,000 compared to 148,000 and 42,000, respectively.

The Han Chinese Eight Banners played an important role in Qing conquest of Ming. After that Qing dynasty started governing the whole China. After this period being admitted into the Han Chinese Eight Banners (Chinese: 擡旗) became an honor for ordinary Han Chinese people.^[13]

During the latter half of the 17th century, some members of the Han Chinese Eight Banners were required to leave it. This was known as "Hanjun Chuqi" in Chinese (Chinese: 漢軍出旗).^[22]

The Han Chinese Eight Banners were pivotal in the Qing conquest of China. Their familiarity with the terrain and intelligence on enemy movements gave them an edge over the Manchu Eight Banners after entering the pass.^[13] Facing millions of anti-Qing forces, the Han Army demonstrated superior combat effectiveness, becoming the vanguard in campaigns across the south and west. In siege warfare and mountainous southern regions, where Manchu cavalry was less effective, the Han Army became the primary force.^[13]

The Han Army also managed the newly incorporated Han Chinese forces, known as the Green Standard Army.^[13] As ethnic tensions intensified post-conquest, direct Manchu control over these forces often led to resistance or re-defection. The Qing rulers either appointed Han Army officers to lead the Green Standard Army or integrated former Ming officers into the Han Army to command their original units.^[13] This approach ensured control while maximizing combat effectiveness.^[13]

The direct employment of Han Army talent was critical in weakening anti-Qing resistance, demonstrating that surrender could lead to significant roles, as seen with Hong Chengchou, whose strategies in the southwest turned the tide.^[23] As Qing campaigns extended south, Manchu forces became stretched, making the Han Army a key component of garrison forces, often mixed with Manchu and Mongol banners. After the suppression of the Three Feudatories, Han Army troops were stationed in coastal provinces like Fujian and Guangdong.^[23]

Post-conquest, the Han Army stabilized the Qing regime by helping Manchu rulers adapt to Chinese conditions, drawing on Ming institutions.^[24] Figures like Fan Wencheng, Ning Wanwo [zh], Zhang Cunren, and Hong Chengchou served as "special advisors," influencing the emperor and Manchu nobility on political, economic, military, cultural, and ethnic matters, except for Manchu privileges.^[24] To govern the mainland, the Qing created Han Army-specific positions, with many governors and viceroys being Han Army members.^[25] Amid sharp ethnic tensions, the Han Army acted as a buffer, balancing Manchu privileges with policies tolerable to the Han Chinese.^[26] Scholars argue that without the Han Army’s support, the Qing might not have secured and stabilized control over China.^[26] As the Qing regime stabilized and Manchu rulers gained experience, the Han Army's role diminished.^[26]

Notable Han Army families, such as those of Li Yongfang, Fan Wencheng, Tong Yangxing [zh], Shi Tingzhu [zh], Shang Kexi, Geng Zhongming, Shen Zhixiang, Zhang Dayou [zh], Bao Chengxian [zh], Zu Dashou, Ma Guangyuan, Cai Shiying (1675) [zh], Sun Degong [zh], Wang Shixuan (1661) [zh], Zuo Menggeng [zh], and Shi Lang, were ennobled for their contributions. The "Shang, Geng, Shi, Li, Tong, Zu, Cai, Wang" families are known as the "Eight Great Han Army Surnames".^[27] Despite their generally lower status compared to Manchu and Mongol banners,^[17][28] especially after the mid-Qing abolition of Han Army-specific positions, these families enjoyed high treatment, with descendants occasionally appointed to Manchu positions due to their merit.^[29]

Military Campaigns

They participated in the Second Joseon Campaign (1636-1637), the Liaoxi campaign (1638–1642)

The end of the system

In the middle of the 18th century, the Manchu Banners were in a problematic financial state.

Mid-Qing Exodus

By the late Kangxi era, population growth within the Eight Banners led to livelihood issues. One solution was to mandate that less senior Han Army members exit the Eight Banners.^[30] These individuals, often retaining strong Han Chinese customs, were viewed differently by Qing rulers.^[31] In 1742 (Qianlong 7), Emperor Qianlong ordered the exodus of post-conquest Han Army members, including those from the Three Feudatories, sparing the pre-conquest Liaodong "Old Han Army".^[32] In 1723 (Yongzheng 1), the Han Army and Han bondservants totaled over 440,000, about 72% of the Eight Banners population. By 1796 (Jiaqing 1), after the exodus, this dropped to 43%, reflecting the scale of the policy.^[22]

Assimilation into Manchu Identity

Further information: Manchu people

After the exodus, the remaining Han Army, mostly descendants of the Old Han Army, had largely assimilated into Manchu culture [zh], adopting Manchu customs and language. French missionary Joachim Bouvet referred to them as "Tartarized Chinese" in his work L'Empereur Kangxi.^[33] By the late Qianlong era, the Qing-compiled National History Biographies included Han Army figures in the Manchu Eminent Ministers Biographies.^[34] By the late Qing, distinctions between Manchu, Mongol, and Han Army banners had largely vanished,^[35] fostering a shared bannerman identity.^[36] In the Republic era, most Han Army descendants identified as Manchu^[37] and were no longer seen as Han Chinese by the Han population.^[37] Calling them Han Chinese based on their ancestry could cause offense.^[38] The descendants of Shang Kexi, who used the Manchu surname Shageda, are a notable example.^[39] Recent media reports have highlighted their Manchu identity.^[40] Descendants of Chang Yuchun, a Ming dynasty founder, also identified as Manchu under the Plain White Banner.^[41]

Ambiguities

In the Eight Banners system, bondservant organizations' military units were sometimes referred to as "Han Army," such as Bondservant Han Army, Banner Drum Han Army, or Imperial Household Han Army, or simply Han Army,^[42] but these were part of the Manchu banner bondservant system, not the Han Chinese Eight Banners.^[43]

See also

• China portal
• History portal

• Identity in the Eight Banners

Notes

1. The Chinese term means "heavy troops" or "heavy artillery troops".
2. Although the Eight Banners system comprised Manchu, Mongol, and Han Chinese divisions, totaling "twenty-four banners," administratively they were grouped as "three banners as one," not operating independently. Thus, in the Qing dynasty (especially in its early period), the official term was "Eight Banners Han Army," with "Eight Banners" preceding the ethnic designation. By the late Qing, the term "Han Chinese Eight Banners" became a customary name and has been used since.
3. After the fall of the Qing dynasty, the Eight Banners Office was retained as part of the Conditions of Abdication, under the Republic of China Beijing Government's Ministry of War, handling tasks such as the distribution of stipends to bannermen. In 1928, following the success of the Northern Expedition, the Eight Banners Office was abolished.