Irgen Gioro


Irgen Gioro is a Manchu clan and family name, which was officially categorized as a "notable clan", and member of the eight great houses of the Manchu nobility in Manchu Empire. Sibe and Nanai people also has Irgen Gioro as their family name.

History

The origin of Irgen Gioro does not have a decisive conclusion. According to a famous anecdote, the ancestors of Irgen Gioro were the emperors Huizong, Qinzong, and other imperial family members of Song dynasty who were captured by the Jurchens in the Jingkang Incident of the Jin–Song wars. The Manchu emperors had also bestowed their family name to the founding ministers or generals who rendered outstanding service to the empire. In order to differentiate from Aisin Gioro the Manchu imperial family, "Irgen" was added with the meaning of "regular citizen" or "common people" and the implication of "non-imperial".
At the early period of Manchu Empire, Irgen Gioro were recorded as 340 households. They mainly distributed in Muki, Yehe, Jamuhu, Singgan, Sarkū, Hunehe, Yarhū, Girin Ula, Sunggari Ula, Akuri, :zh:佛阿拉|Fe Ala, Hada, etc. The whole clan had many famous hereditary noblemen in the empire, such as Viscount First Class :zh:阿尔津|Arjin and :zh:阿山 |Asan of Muki; Viscount Third Class :zh:图鲁什|Turusi, Baron Second Class :zh:偏俄|Fiyangū of Yehe and so on. Among these noble families, Muki Irgen Gioro was considered as the most politically influential one because of their important contribution to the Manchu Empire's establishment. Irgen Gioro also earned numerous titles of minor nobility and 40 hereditary peers as captains in Banner Armies.
There were few instance of name change of the clan at the early Qing Dynasty because of migration. Due to the adoption of Chinese culture during the mid to late Qing dynasty, most of Irgen Gioro chose Zhao, the first surname in the famous Hundred Family Surnames, as their Chinese family name. It was according to the Chinese homophone and their anecdote of origin. Other utilization of Chinese family names, such as Tong, Gu, Yi, Sa, Gong, Zhao, Cao, Bao, Zhe, Xi, Yu, Ge, Ma, Gao, Hu, Bai, and Chen, are also reported.

Notable figures

Males

Ministers and Generals

Prince Consort

Modern

Females

Imperial Consort

Princess Consort

Citations