Institution

Eight Banners

c. 1601 · 17th century · Also known as Banner forces, bannermen

The Eight Banners were the military and administrative organisation created by the Manchu leader Nurhaci around 1601. All Manchu households were enrolled in banners, later joined by Mongol and Han banners. They formed the core of the force that conquered China and remained a privileged hereditary military caste of the Qing Empire.

Eight Banners
Image: Giuseppe Castiglione · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Qing EmpireMilitaryTokugawa ShogunateGovernanceDzungar KhanateDecline

Mentioned in 1 state history

Later Jin (1616-1636)

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Eight Banners. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/eight-banners
MLA
“Eight Banners.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/eight-banners. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Eight Banners.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/eight-banners.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Eight Banners’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/eight-banners (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻