Nukaita

Overview

Nukai'ata was a member of the Dong'e clan of the Manchu Plain Yellow Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. He was of the same clan as Heheli, and his family had lived in Dong'e for generations before submitting to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. 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 his sixth-generation descendant, Zhafuni, initially served as a non-commissioned bannerman, but during the advance on Beijing, he rescued those besieged and was awarded the title of Cavalry Captain. During the campaign in Heilongjiang, he was further promoted to Cloud Cavalry Captain and appointed City Garrison Captain. This hereditary title was passed down to his son, Shulihun.

"Non-commissioned" refers to a bannerman who did not hold a corresponding official position; "City Garrison Captain" refers to a bannerman registered in the garrison and an officer in the city's defenses; Cavalry Captain and Cloud Cavalry Captain were hereditary titles. Shulihun himself participated in battles in Yan'an, Yunnan, and Guizhou, receiving additional ranks and being appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief. His descendants inherited the title, but the imperial edict was later revoked, and the rank was increased. Therefore, the military achievements of several generations cannot be attributed solely to Nukai'ata himself for the title.

Luo Duohun, a seventh-generation descendant, was the first to scale the walls in Shunde Prefecture and was awarded the title of Baturu and the rank of Third-Class Light Cavalry Captain; Ladu was awarded the rank of Cloud Cavalry Captain in the conquest of Yunnan; Mulu, who served as a scribe in the army, died in battle during Wang Fuchen's mutiny and was posthumously awarded other titles, forming a different branch of the family. Baturu was a title of bravery, and scribes handled documents; civil officials serving in the army did not automatically become vanguard officers. The original entry traces back to more than ten generations of descendants, and the generational connections and additional titles still need to be verified. The original residence in Dong'e and various battlefields are explained separately.