Prince Gong of the First Rank (Manchu: ᡥᠣᡧᠣᡳᡤᡠᠨᡤᠨᡝᠴᡠᡴᡝᠴᡳᠨ ᠸᠠᠩ; hošoi gungnecuke cin wang), or simply Prince Gong, was the title of a princely peerage used in China during the Manchu-led Qing dynasty (1644–1912). It was passed down over two different family lines within the Aisin Gioro clan.
The first bearer of the Prince Gong title in the first family line was Changning (1657–1703), the fifth son of the Shunzhi Emperor. He was awarded the title in 1671 by his brother, the Kangxi Emperor. As the Prince Gong peerage was not awarded "iron-cap" status, this meant that each successive bearer of the title would normally start off with a title downgraded by one rank vis-à-vis that held by his predecessor. However, the title would generally not be downgraded to any lower than a feng'en fuguo gong except under special circumstances. It was passed down over ten generations and held by ten persons.
The first bearer of the Prince Gong title in the second family line was Yixin (1833–1898), the sixth son of the Daoguang Emperor. He was awarded the title in 1850 by his father. In 1872, during the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor, the second Prince Gong peerage, unlike the earlier one, was granted "iron-cap" status. This meant that the title could be passed down without being downgraded. The title was passed down over four generations and held by three persons.
Contents
Members of the Prince Gong peerage
Changning's line (non-"iron-cap")
Changning (1657–1703), the Shunzhi Emperor's fifth son, held the title Prince Gong of the First Rank from 1671 to 1703
Haishan (海善; 1676–1743), Changning's third son, held the title of a feng'en jiangjun from 1695 to 1703, promoted to beile in 1703, stripped of his title in 1712, restored as a beile in 1732, posthumously honoured as Ximin Beile (僖敏貝勒)
Manduhu (滿都護; 1674–1731), Changning's second son, held the title of a beile from 1712 to 1731, demoted to beizi and then to feng'en zhenguo gong in 1726
Lumubu (祿穆布; 1700–1729), Haishan's son
Feisu (斐蘇; 1731–1763), Lumubu's eldest son, held the title of a beile from 1731 to 1763
Mingshao (明韶; 1742–1787), Feisu's second son, held the title of a beizi from 1763 to 1787
Jinchang (晉昌; 1759–1828), Mingshao's eldest son, held the title of a feng'en zhenguo gong from 1788 to 1803, stripped of his title in 1803, restored as a feng'en fuguo gong from 1817 to 1828
Jinlong (晉隆; 1761–1819), Mingshao's second son, held the title of a feng'en fuguo gong from 1803 to 1817, stripped of his title in 1817
Yucai (玉彩), Jinlong's eldest son, held the title of a third class fuguo jiangjun from 1805 to 1833
Xianglin (祥林; 1791–1848), Jinchang's second son, held the title of a buru bafen zhenguo gong from 1828 to 1834
Chengxi (承熙; 1832–1891), Xianglin's eldest son, held the title of a buru bafen zhenguo gong from 1834 to 1891
Yixin's line ("iron-cap")
Yixin (1833–1898), the Daoguang Emperor's sixth son, held the title Prince Gong of the First Rank from 1850 to 1898, posthumously honoured as Prince Gongzhong of the First Rank (恭忠親王)
Zaicheng (載澂; 1858–1885), Yixin's eldest son, initially a feng'en fuguo gong from 1860 to 1868, promoted to beile in 1868, awarded junwang status but not a junwang title in 1872, posthumously honoured as Guomin Beile (果敏貝勒)
Zaiying (載瀅; 1861–1909), Yixin's second son, held the title of a buru bafen zhenguo gong from 1864 to 1868, adopted into the Prince Zhong peerage as a beile in 1868, stripped of his title in 1900
Puwei (溥偉; 1880–1936), Zaiying's eldest son, held the title Prince Gong of the First Rank from 1898 to 1936, posthumously honoured as Prince Gongxian of the First Rank (恭賢親王)
Yuzhan (1923–2016), Puwei's seventh son, held the title Prince Gong of the First Rank from 1936 to 1945
Zaijun (載濬; 1864–1866), Yixin's third son, held the title of a feng'en fuguo gong from 1864 to 1866, had no male heir
Zaihuang (載潢; 1880–1885), Yixin's fourth son, held the title of a buru bafen fuguo gong from 1881 to 1885, had no male heir