Wild Jurchens
The Wild Jurchens (Chinese: 野人女真)[1] or Haidong Jurchens (Chinese: 海東女真) were a grouping of the Jurchens as identified by the Chinese of the Ming Dynasty. They were the northernmost group of the Jurchen people (the other being the Jianzhou Jurchens and Haixi Jurchens) in the fourteenth century, inhabiting the northernmost part of Manchuria from the western side of the Greater Khingan mountains to the Ussuri River and the lower Amur River bordered by the Tatar Strait and the Sea of Japan.
The descendants of wild Jurchens do not identify themselves as Manchus. Instead, they formed different nations such as Nanai, Evenks, Negidals, Oroqen and Nivkh.[2]
Etymology
The Wild Jurchens, as their name suggests, lived in the wilds. The word Yeren (野人) in Chinese means "wild people," i.e. "savages." The Yeren had been a general name for all Jurchens before the rise of Jianzhou Jurchens and Haixi Jurchens. As vassals to Ming China, Jianzhou and Haixi became closer with their Chinese suzerain while the rest of Jurchens who did not establish constant connection with China are known as the wild Jurchens.
References
- 東夷考略·女真通考
- 满洲历史上的东海女真