Agbayan

Overview

Agbayan was a member of the Dong'e clan of the Bordered Red Banner of the Manchus in the early Qing Dynasty. He was a cousin of Duiqi Bayan, and the original text refers to him as "brother" within the clan. Volume 8 of the official clan genealogy compiled during the Qianlong reign, *The General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that he married the daughter of a Zhangjia Zhangjing (a local official) in Zhangjia. When the area was besieged, he did not assist his wife's family in resisting, but later led his Warkashi followers to surrender. His eldest son, Alanzhu, was granted the title of Zhalguqi and managed a Zuoling (military command).

This marriage and surrender experience cannot be simply rewritten as "coming to surrender at the beginning of the dynasty," as it involves the distinction between the wife's family's and the son's own choices. Zhalguqi was related to early trials and hearings, while Zuoling managed lower-level banner soldiers; these two identities should be separated. Alanzhu was wounded in the campaign against Ula but continued fighting, dying in battle and being posthumously awarded the title of Third-Class Baron, which was inherited by his brother, Blanzhu, who later transferred to other branches such as Bulka.

After Blanzhu was demoted due to some incident, he participated in the Jinzhou campaign as a retired official, dying in battle and being posthumously awarded the title of Cavalry Captain; this new title did not automatically restore all previous ranks. Great-grandson Kopso was awarded the title of Yunqiwei by Zuoling in the conquest of Yunnan, and Fayaha was appointed as a Canling in the conquest of Sichuan, also holding an independent hereditary position. The previous entry refers to the two as the sons of a close uncle; in this entry, "brother" must be understood according to the clan's birth order, not directly as brothers of the same father. The tribal name, the original Bayan language, and the long-term inheritance relationship still require verification upon review of the original inscription.