Harjol

Harjol (1609 – 1641) was a consort of the Qing Dynasty ruler Hong Taiji. She was a niece of Empress Xiaoduanwen and an older sister of Empress Xiaozhuangwen.

Biography

Harjol was born of the Mongol Borjigit clan. Her father was Jaisang (寨桑), a beile of the Khorchin Mongols. Her personal name, Harjol, means "jade" in the Manchu language. Harjol was familiar with her future spouse Hong Taiji during the years of her aunt Jerjer and younger sister Bumbutai's marriages to him. However, Harjol was unavailable for marriage to Hong Taiji as she was then the wife of a Khorchin warrior, Zhuolin (桌林). Following Zhuolin's death, she became betrothed to Hong Taiji as yet another reinforcement to the alliance between the Khorchin Mongols and Later Jin.

In 1634 Harjol was brought to the Mukden Palace in present-day Shenyang, Liaoning. In 1636 when Hong Taiji was conferring titles on his five primary spouses, he named Harjol as Consort Chen (宸妃) of Guansui Palace (關睢宮). Harjol was deeply favoured by Hong Taiji although she did not seem to reciprocate these feelings in the early years of their marriage. In 1637 she bore Hong Taiji his eighth son, who was unnamed and died a year later.

Harjol died in 1641 and was interred in the Zhao Mausoleum in Shenyang. Hong Taiji's health rapidly deteriorated following Harjol's death and he spent much of his time mourning her. She was granted the posthumous title of "First Consort Minhuigonghe" (敏惠恭和元妃).

In culture

• 1992: Empress Da Yu Er by Baozheng Fang
• 2002: Xiaozhuang Mishi by He Saifei
• 2012: In Love with Power by Zhang Meng
• 2015: The Legend of Xiaozhuang by 何花

See also

• Ranks of Imperial Consorts in China#Qing
• Qing Dynasty nobility

References

• Draft history of the Qing dynasty. 《清史稿》卷二百十四．列傳一．后妃傳．太宗敏惠恭和元妃.