Name

In the Jurchen language, Nikan Wailan means "secretary of Han Chinese", thus his existence is suspected by some historians.

Life

In 1582, Nurhaci's father Taksi and grandfather Giocangga were killed in an attack on Gure (in present-day Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County) by a Nikan, a rival Jurchen chieftain to Nurhaci, while being led by Li Chengliang. The following year, Nurhaci began to unify the Jurchen bands around his area.

In 1584, when Nurhaci was 25, he attacked Nikan Wailan at Turun (also in Xinbin) to avenge the deaths of his father and grandfather, who are said to have left him nothing but thirteen suits of armor. Nikan Wailan fled away to Erhun, which Nurhaci attacked again in 1587. Nikan Wailan this time fled to Li Chengliang's territory. Later, as a way to build relationship, Li gave Nikan Wailan to Nurhaci, who beheaded Nikan Wailan immediately. With Li's support, Nurhaci gradually grew his strength in the following years.

生平

建州豪強王杲被殺後，其子阿台為報父仇輾轉逃回古勒寨以圖東山再起。1583年，遼東總兵李成梁以「阿台未擒，終為禍本」為由督兵攻打古勒寨。

建州女真蘇克蘇滸河部的圖倫城主尼堪外蘭，為討好李成梁並藉機壯大本部勢力，便跟隨隨其出征古勒城。尼堪外蘭主動出面誘騙古勒城守軍投降。他謊稱只要阿台肯投降就可以免死。在阿台放鬆警惕之時，李成梁趁機攻克古勒城。此役不僅阿台被殺，幫助明朝做說客的努爾哈赤的祖父和父親，建州左衛指揮使覺昌安和塔克世也在尼堪外蘭的誘導遭明軍錯殺。因此，努爾哈赤視尼堪外蘭為殺祖、父之仇人，並且此恨也成為日後努爾哈赤討明檄文「七大恨」之第一大恨。

不久，明朝承認錯殺覺昌安和塔克世，封努爾哈赤為二品龍虎將軍，複給都督敕書，得以承襲建州左衛指揮使。1584年，努爾哈赤為報父祖被殺之仇，趁夜突襲圖倫城。尼堪外蘭不敵，敗逃至鵝爾渾。努爾哈赤攻占圖倫城。1587年，努爾哈赤發兵攻打鵝爾渾，尼堪外蘭敗逃至明朝領地，但被李成梁押還給努爾哈赤。隨即被處決。