Kong Youde

Kong Youde (Chinese: 孔有德; pinyin: Kǒng Yǒudé; Manchu: ᡴᡠᠩ
ᡳᡠᠣ
ᡩᡝ; Transliteration of Manchu: kung ioo de; died August 7, 1652)^[1] was a Chinese adventurer and Ming dynasty military officer who served under the warlord Mao Wenlong until Mao's death in 1629. Subsequently, he worked for Sun Yuanhua, governor of Shandong, along with Geng Zhongming, his fellow and one of Mao's subordinates. When ordered by Sun to reinforce Zu Dashou at the Battle of Dalinghe in 1631, Kong and Geng mutinied, pillaging the countryside, sacking Dengzhou, and subsequently defecting to the Manchu—soon to declare themselves China's Qing dynasty—in 1633. They were joined in 1634 by another former officer under Mao, Shang Kexi. Together, the three were known as the "Three Miners from Shandong"^[2] and participated in many campaigns under the Qing dynasty, hastening the demise of the Ming.