Prince Zhuang of the First Rank (
Manchu: ᡥᠣᡧᠣᡳ ᠨᡤᠠᠮᠪᠠᠯᡳᠩᡤᡡ ᠴᡳᠨ ᠸᠠᠩ; hošoi ambalinggū cin wang), or simply Prince Zhuang, was the title of a
princely peerage used in China during the
Manchu-led
Qing dynasty (1644–1912). It was also one of the
12 "iron-cap" princely peerages in the Qing dynasty, which meant that the title could be passed down without being downgraded.
The first bearer of the title was
Šose (1629–1655), the fifth son of
Hong Taiji, the second ruler of the Qing dynasty. He was awarded the title Prince Chengze of the First Rank (
Manchu: ᡥᠣᡧᠣᡳ ᡴᡝᠰᡳᠨᡤᡤᡝ ᠴᡳᠨ ᠸᠠᠩ; hošoi kesingge cin wang; Prince Chengze) in 1651 by his father. The peerage was renamed to "Prince Zhuang of the First Rank" when it was passed down to Šose's eldest son, Boguoduo (博果鐸; 1650–1723). In 1723, by decree of the
Yongzheng Emperor, the emperor's 16th brother, Yunlu (1695–1767), inherited the Prince Zhuang peerage from Boguoduo because Boguoduo had no son to succeed him. During the reign of the
Qianlong Emperor, the peerage was granted
"iron-cap" status, which meant that the subsequent bearers of the title would start as a qinwang (first-rank prince) by default. The peerage was passed down over nine generations and held by 12 persons.
The title "Prince Zhuang of the First Rank" was also awarded in 1653 by the
Shunzhi Emperor as a
posthumous title to
Šurhaci (1564–1611), a younger brother of
Nurhaci, the founder of the Qing dynasty.
Members of the Prince Zhuang / Prince Chengze peerage
Members of the Prince Zhuang / Prince Chengze peerage
Šose (碩塞; 1629–1655),
Hong Taiji's fifth son, held the title Prince Chengze of the Second Rank from 1644 to 1651, promoted to Prince Chengze of the First Rank in 1651, posthumously honoured as Prince Chengzeyu of the First Rank (承澤裕親王)
Boguoduo (博果鐸; 1650–1723), Šose's eldest son, held the title Prince Zhuang of the First Rank from 1655 to 1723, posthumously honoured as Prince Zhuangjing of the First Rank (莊靖親王)
Yunlu (允祿; 1695–1767), the
Kangxi Emperor's 16th son and Boguoduo's adoptive son, held the title Prince Zhuang of the First Rank from 1723 to 1767, posthumously honoured as Prince Zhuangke of the First Rank (莊恪親王)
Hongpu (弘普; 1713–1743), Yunlu's second son, posthumously honoured as Prince Zhuang of the First Rank
Yongchang (永瑺; 1737–1788), Hongpu's son, held the title Prince Zhuang of the First Rank from 1767 to 1788, posthumously honoured as Prince Zhuangshen of the First Rank (莊慎親王)
Mianke (綿課; 1763–1826), Yongke's son and Yongchang's adoptive son, held the title Prince Zhuang of the First Rank from 1788 to 1826, posthumously honoured as Prince Zhuangxiang of the First Rank (莊襄親王)
Yimai (奕𧷨; 1814–1860), Mianke's 13th son, held the title Prince Zhuang of the First Rank from 1826 to 1838, stripped of his title in 1838
Hongrong (弘曧; 1737–1806), Yunlu's son, held the title of a
feng'en fuguo gong
Yongfan (永蕃), Hongrong's son, held the title of a
fuguo jiangjun
Mianhu (綿護; 1783–1842), Yongfan's eldest son, held the title Prince Zhuang of the First Rank from 1838 to 1842, posthumously honoured as Prince Zhuangqin of the First Rank (莊勤親王)
Mianhua (綿譁; 1785–1845), Yongfan's second son, held the title Prince Zhuang of the First Rank from 1842 to 1845, posthumously honoured as Prince Zhuangzhi of the First Rank (莊質親王)
Yiren (奕仁; 1824–1874), Mianhua's eldest son, held the title Prince Zhuang of the First Rank from 1846 to 1874, posthumously honoured as Prince Zhuanghou of the First Rank (莊厚親王)
Zaixun (1853–1901), Yiren's second son, held the title Prince Zhuang of the First Rank from 1875 to 1901, stripped of his title in 1901
Zaigong (載功l 1859–1915), Yiren's fourth son, held the title Prince Zhuang of the First Rank from 1902 to 1915, posthumously honoured as Prince Zhuanggong of the First Rank (莊恭親王載功)
Puxu (溥緒; 1882–1933), Zaigong's son, held the title Prince Zhuang of the First Rank from 1916 to 1933
