| Given name1 | Posthumous name2 (short form) | Temple name2 | Reign name Chinese, Manchu | Reign years | Name by which most commonly known |
Nurhaci 努爾哈赤 pinyin: Nǔ'ěrhāch | Gāod 高帝 | Tizǔ 太祖 | Tiānmng 天命 Abkai fulingga | 1616-16263 | Nurhaci |
Hong Taiji4 皇太極 pinyin: Hungtij | Wnd 文帝 | Tizōng 太宗 | Tiāncōng 天聰 Abkai sure 1627-1636; Chngd 崇德 Wesihun erdemungge 1636-1643 | 1626-1643 | Hong Taiji |
Fln 福臨 | Zhāngd 章帝 | Shzǔ 世祖 | Shnzh 順治 Ijishūn dasan | 1643-16615 | Shunzhi Emperor |
Xuny 玄燁 | Rnd 仁帝 | Shngzǔ 聖祖 | Kāngxī 康熙 Elhe taifin | 1661-1722 | Kangxi Emperor |
Ynzhēn 胤禛 | Xind 憲帝 | Shzōng 世宗 | Yōngzhng 雍正 Hūwaliyasun tob | 1722-1735 | Yongzheng Emperor |
Hngl 弘曆 | Chnd 純帝 | Gāozōng 高宗 | Qinlng 乾隆 Abkai wehiyehe | 1735-1796 (died 1799)6 | Qianlong Emperor |
Yngyǎn 顒琰 | Rud 睿帝 | Rnzōng 仁宗 | Jiāqng 嘉慶 Saicungga fengšen | 1796-1820 | Jiaqing Emperor |
Mnnng 旻寧 | Chngd 成帝 | Xuānzōng 宣宗 | Doguāng 道光 Doro eldengge | 1820-1850 | Daoguang Emperor |
Yzhǔ 奕詝 | Xiǎnd 顯帝 | Wnzōng 文宗 | Xinfēng 咸豐 Gubci elgiyengge | 1850-1861 | Xianfeng Emperor |
Zǎichn 載淳 | Yd 毅帝 | Mzōng 穆宗 | Tngzh 同治 Yooningga dasan | 1861-18757 | Tongzhi Emperor |
Zǎitin 載湉 | Jǐngd 景帝 | Dzōng 德宗 | Guāngx 光緒 Badarangga doro | 1875-19087 | Guangxu Emperor |
Pǔy 溥儀 also known as Henry | Xnd 8 遜帝 | None given 9 | Xuāntǒng 宣統 Gehungge yoso | 1908-192410 (died 1967) | Puyi |
| 1 The Qing imperial family name was Aisin Gioro (愛新覺羅 aixin jueluo), but it was not common Manchu practice to include the family or clan name in an individual's personal name. |
| 2 As posthumous and temple names were often shared by emperors of different dynasties, they are usually preceded by the dynastic name, in this case, Qing, to avoid confusion. For example, the Qianlong emperor is frequently referred to as Qing Gaozong. |
| 3 Nurhaci founded the Jin (金) or Later Jin (後金) dynasty in 1616, but it was his son Hong Taiji who changed the name of the dynasty to Qing in 1636. Nurhaci adopted the reign name Tianming but his Qing titles were all conferred posthumously. |
| 4 Hong Taiji is referred to erroneously in some historical literature as Abahai (阿巴海). |
| 5 The Shunzhi emperor was the first Qing emperor to rule over China proper following the occupation of Beijing in 1644. |
| 6 The Qianlong emperor officially retired in 1796, taking the title Emperor Emeritus (太上皇帝). This was an act of filial piety to ensure that he would not reign longer than his illustrious grandfather, the Kangxi emperor. However, he remained the ultimate authority until his death in 1799, at which point his son, the Jiaqing emperor, began to exercise the power that had been his in name only from 1796. |
| 7 The Empress Dowager Cixi, concubine of the Xianfeng emperor, mother of the Tongzhi emperor, and adoptive mother of the Guangxu emperor, used her considerable skills of political manipulation to act as the power behind the throne or on the throne from 1861 until her death in 1908. She acted as a regent during the minorities of the two young emperors and confined the Guangxu emperor in the Summer Palace after he attempted to introduce reforms in 1898. The death of the Guangxu emperor was announced the day before her own. |
| 8 Xundi ("The Abdicated Emperor") is the posthumous name given by mainland China and Taiwan's history books to Pu-yi. |
| 9 In 2004 the descendants of the Qing imperial family have conferred a posthumous name and temple name upon the late Pu-yi. Posthumous name: Mindi (愍帝). Temple name: Gongzong (恭宗). It remains to be seen whether these names will be accepted by the Chinese public. |
| 10 The Qing dynasty was overthrown in 1911, and the last emperor, Pu-yi, abdicated officially on February 12, 1912. However, that same day the Republic of China granted the "Articles of Favourable Treatment of the Emperor of the Great Qing after his Abdication" (清帝退位優待條件) which allowed Pu-yi to retain his imperial title and stated that he should be treated by the government of the Republic with the protocol attached to a foreign monarch. These articles were revised on November 5, 1924, after the coup by General Feng Yuxiang: the revised articles stated that Pu-yi was losing his imperial title and henceforth becoming a regular citizen of the Republic of China. Pu-yi was expelled from the Forbidden City that same day. Thus, Pu-yi was ruling emperor until February 12, 1912 (and also briefly between July 1 and July 12, 1917), and non-ruling emperor between February 12, 1912 and November 5, 1924. Pu-yi also later became the puppet leader of Japanese-controlled Manchukuo under the reign name Datong (大同) (1932-1934), then the puppet emperor of the same under the reign name Kangde (康德) (1934-1945). |