The
Shunzhi Emperor (15 March 1638 – 5 February 1661),
formerly romanized as the
Shun-chih Emperor, was the third
emperor of the
Qing dynasty and the first Qing emperor to rule over
China, from 1644 to 1661. A
committee of Manchu princes chose him to succeed his father,
Hong Taiji (1592–1643), in September 1643, when he was five years old. The princes also appointed two co-regents:
Dorgon (1612–1650), the 14th son of the Qing dynasty's founder
Nurhaci (1559–1626), and
Jirgalang (1599–1655), one of Nurhaci's nephews, both of whom were members of the
Qing imperial clan.