Prince Li (理)
Prince Li of the First Rank, or simply Prince Li, was the title of a princely peerage used in China during the Manchu-led Qing dynasty (1644–1912). As the Prince Li peerage was not awarded "iron-cap" status, this meant that each successive bearer of the title would normally start off with a title downgraded by one rank vis-à-vis that held by his predecessor. However, the title would generally not be downgraded to any lower than a feng'en fuguo gong except under special circumstances.
| Prince Li of the First Rank | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese name | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 和碩理親王 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 和硕理亲王 | ||||||||
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| Manchu name | |||||||||
| Manchu script | ᡥᠣᡧᠣᡳ ᡤᡳᠶᠠᠩᡤᠠ ᠴᡳᠨ ᠸᠠᠩ | ||||||||
| Romanization | hošoi giyangga cin wang | ||||||||
The first bearer of the title was Yunreng (1674–1725), the Kangxi Emperor's second son and former heir apparent for two terms between 1675 and 1712. After Yunreng died, he was posthumously honoured with the title "Prince Li of the First Rank" by his fourth brother, the Yongzheng Emperor, who succeeded their father. The title was passed down over eight generations and held by ten persons.