How Nurhachi Defeated the Ming - Tactics

Speed and excellent archery won battles for the Manchu

(An illustration from Nurhachi’s biography, part of the Battle of Sarhu, 1619)

Nurhachi Knew What the Ming were Doing

Critically, Nurhachi knew everything there was to know about the Ming military. After all, he was their ally for many years! Nurhachi traveled to Beijing and saw their best troops practicing with their new mini-cannons and muskets. Nurhachi didn’t waste his time on frivolities when he went to Beijing. The Sage is confident that Nurhachi spent his time in Ming capital at the War Ministry, watching the training of Ming soldiers with their new gunpowder weapons.

Back home in Manchuria, Nurhachi doubtless visited his old friends, retired General Li Rubo and his younger brother, General Li Rumei. Nurhachi had seen examples of the Japanese muskets at early as 1593, when they were captured in great numbers from the retreating Japanese army.

As Nurhachi’s kingdom grew, thousands of Chinese and Koreans joined his kingdom. (Note: See P. Huang in his chapter on Frontiersmen and Transfrontiersmen, pgs 127-159). In theory, no one was supposed to sell guns to the Manchu but by 1595, Nurhachi had a near monopoly on ginseng and sable pelts. These were both highly desired goods, so he could certainly buy some guns and try them out.

Thus, Nurhachi understood the key weakness of the Ming army’s muskets and small cannons: their slow rate of fire coupled with poor accuracy.

The Manchu Were Trained to Beat the New Ming Army