Oboi

Oboi
Portrait of Oboi
Regent of the Qing dynasty
In office 1661–1669 Serving with Sonin, Ebilun, Suksaha
Monarch	Kangxi Emperor
Personal details
Born	c. 1610
Died	1669
Parents	Guwalgiya Uici (father)
Cabinet	Four Regents of the Kangxi Emperor
Posthumous name	Chaowu (超武)
Military service
Years of service	1637-1646
Battles/wars	Defeated Zhang Xianzhong

Oboi (Manchu: ᠣᠪᠣᡳ; simplified Chinese: 鳌拜; traditional Chinese: 鼇拜/鰲拜; pinyin: Áobài) (c. 1610–1669) was a prominent Manchu military commander and courtier who served in various military and administrative posts under three successive emperors of the early Qing dynasty. Born to the Guwalgiya clan, Oboi was one of four regents nominated by the Shunzhi Emperor to oversee the government during the minority of the Kangxi Emperor. Eventually deposed and imprisoned by the new emperor for having amassed too much power, he was posthumously rehabilitated.

Oboi was born to the Manchu Gūwalgiya clan, which had been distinguishing itself militarily since Oboi's grandfather Solgo submitted to Nurhaci (1559–1626) in 1588. Under the Manchu Banner organization created by Nurhachi, Oboi's branch of the family was registered under the Bordered Yellow division which came under the command of Nurhaci's son Hong Taiji (1592–1643). Oboi's father Uici () (d. 1634) was a senior military officer who was once garrison commander of the Manchu capital city Mukden while his paternal uncle Fiongdon () was one of Nurhachi's most trusted generals.

Oboi's childhood and early years are relatively obscure. Being his father's third son, he was not destined to inherit the family's hereditary position in the Banner hierarchy. Oboi was first mentioned in official Qing history in the Veritable Records of Qing Taizong [Hong Taiji] (清太宗实录) in 1632, documenting his triumphant return from a minor raid into Ming territories in which he was allowed to keep his spoils as reward.