Luotun

Overview

Luo Tun was a member of the Tatara clan of the Plain Red Banner during the early Qing Dynasty, residing in Anchulaku. Volume 11 of the official clan genealogy compiled during the Qianlong reign, *The General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that he led 800 households to submit to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the reign, becoming one of the Five Ministers. His population was organized into two Zuo Ling (military units), managed by his second son, Aitang'a, and Anchong'a, the great-grandson of his great-uncle, Lukubu. The Zuo Ling here served as both a registered military unit and had corresponding administrators; it is incorrect to attribute both administrators to Luo Tun's sons.

Luo Tun's own deeds of submitting and organizing the population must be distinguished from the merits and titles of his descendants. His fifth son, Haning'a, participated in military operations in Jinzhou, Heilongjiang, and the entry into the Central Plains as a Protector-General, earning the title of Cavalry Captain. His grandson, Fatan, was gradually granted hereditary titles based on his service, military merits during the entry into the Central Plains, and performance evaluations as an official in the Ministry of Works, later becoming the Vanguard Commander. Cavalry Captain and Light Cavalry Captain were hereditary titles for meritorious officials, while Protector-General and Vanguard Commander were actual military positions; these two types of careers should be described separately.

Fatan's descendants inherited titles through succession and received additional titles through imperial edicts, some of which were reduced. Ehene once served as a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and Vice Minister of Rites; his successor, Etehe, was clearly an adopted son, a kinship that cannot be omitted. The lengthy genealogy records explain that the family had multiple branches, making it inappropriate to establish a single line of inheritance for all, and certainly not to accumulate hereditary titles for Luotun himself. Anchulaku's specific location and the status of the Five Ministers still require corroboration from the original inscriptions and biographies.