Niyintaha

Overview

Niyintaha was a member of the Hesheli clan in the early Qing Dynasty, belonging to the Plain Yellow Banner's bondservant class. His family had lived in Hada for generations and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. Volume Nine of the official clan genealogy compiled during the Qianlong reign, *The General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that he participated in the invasion of the Central Plains as a bondservant captain, earning the rank of Cavalry Captain. He was promoted to First-Class Light Cavalry Captain three times by imperial decree. He had no heir, so his title was inherited by his grandson Shushu, and then passed to Shushu's son, Yangzhu.

Boatservant were a group within the banner with specific hierarchical relationships. Bondservant captains managed corresponding military households; Cavalry Captain and Light Cavalry Captain were hereditary titles, distinct from actual administrative officers. When Yangzhu inherited the title, the imperial decree's promotion was removed, but the rank of Cavalry Captain was retained, indicating an adjustment of rank, not an automatic removal of a captain's actual position.

Nephews Hong Dai and Man Pi were appointed as Langzhong (a mid-level official), Fu Se's original position was Si Zuo Guan (a minor official in charge of imperial sacrifices), and Hu Shita was appointed as Shang Si Yuan Qing (Minister of the Imperial Stables). The Shang Si Yuan managed imperial horses and other affairs; the character "Si Zuo Guan" must be compared with the "Si Zu Guan" (official in charge of sacrificial offerings) listed in the official documents, and the same title is not yet mandatory. Hu Cun, a descendant, was a candidate for Bi Tie Shi (a minor official in charge of imperial sacrifices), and his candidate status should be retained to distinguish him from the current officials. The original annotation lists Niyintaha, Fakechan, and Tusi Tu as members of the same clan, but this cannot be used to identify direct relatives. The original place of residence, bondservant institutions, and difficult-to-identify official titles await verification from the original engraving.