Anik

Overview

Aniku is a member of the Irgen Gioro clan of the Plain Red Banner, listed in Volume 14 of the official genealogy of the Manchu Eight Banners compiled during the Qianlong reign. He lived in the Fola region and submitted to the Qing dynasty at its beginning. The original entry does not mention his official position, only that his great-grandson Nakabu served as an infantry officer, his great-great-grandson Qishi as a cavalry officer, and his fourth-generation descendant Yafu as a cavalry officer. These brief records of later official titles are the main information in this entry and cannot be used to conclude that Aniku personally participated in battles or held official positions.

The infantry officer was involved in the basic management of the infantry organization, while the cavalry officer was involved in the affairs of the banner's soldiers; these are not two titles for the same position. The appearance of the same cavalry officer title in his grandchildren and later generations cannot be used to conclude that the same position was formally inherited. The original entry lacks information on the source of the position, its affiliated banner, its location, and any details about military achievements.

The terms great-grandson, great-great-grandson, and fourth-generation descendant indicate a relative generational order, but do not include the names of the fathers of each individual, making it impossible to establish a complete father-son chain from Nakabu to Qishi to Qishi to Yafu. Fola is a historical city name in the history of the rise of the Later Jin dynasty. Its geographical background is related to the research on the early city site of Fushun today, but whether the old residence was in the city or a nearby settlement is still unproven. The individual's term of office, the original character of his name Qi Shi, the connection between generations, and the actual village site still need to be supplemented by the original inscription and other original materials.