Yan Tai

Overview

Yan Tai was a member of the Manchu Bordered Red Banner Majia clan in the early Qing Dynasty. His family had lived in Shenyang for generations, and the exact time of his submission to the Qing court is unknown. He once held a fifth-rank official position. The official genealogy of the Eight Banners Manchu Clans, Volume 7, compiled during the Qianlong reign, records that his son, An Tai, fought in the campaign against Chahar and Burni, distinguishing himself in battle at Dalu and earning the title of Yunqiwei (yunqiwei). This title was later inherited by An Tai's son, Kang Jitu. His great-grandson, Daozhu, served as a vanguard officer during the compilation of the genealogy.

The fifth-rank official position only indicates the individual's official rank; the original text does not specify a title or distinction between principal and subordinate officers, and it cannot be automatically added as a defense officer or a clerk. Yunqiwei was a hereditary military title, a rank inherited after An Tai's achievements. Kang Jitu's inheritance does not indicate succession to his father's specific military rank. Vanguard officer was a lower-ranking officer in the vanguard battalion, serving in advance and reconnaissance duties, different from a hereditary title.

Shenyang is an important city in present-day Liaoning Province and an early political center of the Later Jin Dynasty; however, "living in Shenyang for generations" is insufficient to determine the individual's specific village or residence within the city. Da Lu was the original battlefield, but its modern equivalent is unverified and cannot be rewritten based on homophones. The information from three generations—the father's fifth-rank official position, the son's military achievements, and the great-grandson's vanguard post—is presented separately in this article. Yan Tai's own rank is not inferred from his son's merits. The actual year of surrender, official title, and date of departure for the campaign remain to be verified.