In China, people attach great importance to naming their children, often placing good expectations on them, which means positivity. Sometimes, however, due to the limitations of the level of education, there may be cases where the name is chosen casually.
For example, the literal translation of the name Nurhachi turned out to be "wild boar skin".
Nurhachi, the founder of the Qing Dynasty, was only active in the Liaodong region during his reign, but he succeeded in defeating the Ming Dynasty. His descendants established the Qing Dynasty, which lasted for more than two hundred years.
Although his parents may have given him a less-than-ideal name, he is more than capable of changing himself to a more imposing name. So, why didn't he change his name?
Is it because Nurhachi has no culture?
Nurhachi and his grandfather's generation have studied and studied Han culture in depth, and he himself is proficient in Chinese and loves to read the classic literature of Han culture. In addition, he also created the Manchu script, which is a testament to his cultural attainments.
Therefore, it is obviously untenable to say that Nurhachi has no culture.
The reason why Nurhachi did not change his name may be related to the early Manchu culture in which he lived. The Manchus originated from the Jurchen tribe and lived a life of fishing and hunting in the Baishan and Heishui areas for a long time.
One of the characteristics of this people is that they have a cult belief in powerful wild animals.
In Jurchen tribal culture, the wild boar was not seen as an object of disparagement, but rather as a symbol of approval. Wild boars are large beasts of prey in the forest, and even tigers have to be treated with caution.
The name Nurhachi, written in Latin as nuheci, can be translated as boar skin. The meaning of the name is that his parents wanted him to be as brave as a wild boar and as tough as a boar skin.
Many of the early names of the Nurhachi family were named after animals, such as his younger brother Shulhaqi, which translates as "little wild boar", the fourteenth son Dolgon, which means "badger", and his grandson Dudu, whose Chinese name is "spotted finch".
This is not to belittle it, but rather a unique expression in their civilization, which is different from Han culture.
The atrocities committed by the Manchus during their reign in the Central Plains caused great suffering to the people. The rulers tried to restrict people's freedom of speech, and in modern times, the Manchus ceded land and paid reparations to lose power, further exacerbating people's antipathy.
Nurhachi and his descendants are known as "wild boar skins", a discriminatory term in the eyes of many, mainly due to a lack of understanding of Manchu culture.
However, this seemingly backward nation has successfully established a unified dynasty of the Qing Dynasty that lasted for more than 200 years, isn't this an amazing "counterattack"?