Tungusic

The Tungusic homeland is thought to lie near the Amur River in northeastern Manchuria, and from there the Evenks spread across Siberia. The Jurchens of the south also farmed, and Amur peoples such as the Udege and Ulch took on Chinese customs.

The Jurchens founded the Jin dynasty in 1115, took northern China in 1127, and were overthrown by the Mongols in 1234. Under the Ming they were classed as Jianzhou, Haixi and Yeren Jurchens. In the early seventeenth century Nurhaci united most of them under the Eight Banners, and in 1635 Hong Taiji renamed them Manchus.