Bushhan

Overview

Bushhan was a member of the Irgen Gioro clan in the early Qing Dynasty. His family had lived in Yehe for generations and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at its beginning, serving as a Zhalguqi (a high-ranking official). The official clan genealogy of the Qianlong era, *the Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, lists the Plain White Banner first in Volume 12, noting at the end that his descendants now belong to the Mongol Banner of the same banner, having been transferred from the Bordered White Banner. Banner color and Manchu/Mongol banner affiliation represent different levels of organizational information; the change of affiliation of descendants does not necessarily mean Bushhan was born into the same banner.

Zhalguqi was an official title used in the early Later Jin Dynasty. Related biographies link its duties to hearing lawsuits and governing the people, suggesting it refers to officials handling litigation and administrative affairs. It should not be simply transliterated without explanation due to the unfamiliarity of the name, nor should it be equated with a fixed-rank official position in the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty. His son, Mongol Erdai, served as a zuoling (a military officer), and his grandsons, Mong Ebu, Hu Jun Xiao (a military officer), and Nikada, a Bo Shi (a scholar), should be attributed to their respective generations.

Nishiha, the great-grandson, was a military officer who fought in the Chahar Burni campaign. He was awarded the rank of Yunqiwei in the Battle of Dalu, which was later inherited by his son, Sartai. This was a legacy of military achievements and hereditary titles, and cannot be transferred to Bushhan himself. The ruins of Yehe Royal City are located in present-day Yehe Manchu Town, Siping, and can only be used as a geographical background; the original village location, the time of the banner change, and the official agency to which the doctor belonged still need to be verified by archives.