Yunzhi, Prince Zhi


Yinzhi, also known as Yunzhi, formally known as Prince Zhi of the Second Rank between 1698 and 1708, was a Manchu prince of the Qing dynasty.

Life

Yinzhi was born in the Aisin Gioro clan as the fifth son of the Kangxi Emperor. His mother was Consort Hui from the Yehe Nara clan as well as a relative of the eminent official, Mingju. As the Kangxi Emperor's first four sons died prematurely, and Yinzhi was the emperor's eldest son to survive into adulthood, he was designated by his father as "First Prince". In 1698, he was granted a junwang title as "Prince Zhi of the Second Rank".
Yinzhi participated in the Qing Empire's campaign against Galdan Boshugtu Khan of the Zunghar Khanate. In 1708, the Kangxi Emperor removed Yinreng from his position as Crown Prince. The emperor regarded Yinzhi highly so he placed Yinreng under Yinzhi's custody. Yinzhi had long harboured the intention of seizing the succession to the throne, so he used the opportunity to urge his father to execute Yinreng, but his father became extremely displeased. Later, Yinzhi's third brother, Yinzhi, spread rumours accusing the First Prince of using sorcery to overthrow Yinreng from his Crown Prince position. The Kangxi Emperor believed the rumours and was so furious with Yinzhi that he called his son a "treacherous subject" and stripped him off his princely title and placed him under house arrest.
When the Kangxi Emperor died in 1722, his fourth son, Yinzhen, succeeded him and became historically known as the Yongzheng Emperor. Yinzhi changed his name to "Yunzhi" to avoid naming taboo because the Chinese character for "Yin" in "Yinzhi" is the same as the one in the Yongzheng Emperor's personal name "Yinzhen". Yunzhi died in 1735 and was given a funeral befitting that of a beizi.

Family

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