Tuntai

Overview

Tuntai was a member of the Xilin Gioro clan in the early Qing Dynasty, belonging to the Bordered Blue Banner, and his family had lived in Wangqin for generations. Volume 17 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* records that he led his clan to submit to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. When the Zuoling (military command) system was first established, the clan members were organized into a complete Zuoling, which he led, and he was given the hereditary title of Beiyu (a military rank). This officially compiled clan genealogy not only lists surnames but also preserves information on the submission, military achievements, and inheritance of each branch of the family. The Zuoling was both a basic unit of the Eight Banners and referred to the official in charge of that unit, responsible for matters such as household registration, military records, and land ownership; Beiyu was an official title in the early Qing Dynasty, and its status at that time cannot be directly determined by later ranks. Tuntai's eldest son, Tumen, inherited the position but died after being wounded by artillery fire in the Battle of Dalinghe; his second son, Mucheng, also served as a Zuoling. The official positions of Tumen's descendants, Tuyantu, Ebai, and Ortai, belonged to different generations, and Ortai's honorary titles such as Grand Secretary could not be transferred to Tuntai. The original book also records the marriage between Tuntai's sister and Lidun, reflecting the marriage alliance between their family and the early rulers, and does not transform the Xilin Gioro clan into the Aisin Gioro imperial family. The accurate modern location of Wangqin still needs to be verified with local gazetteers and the original engraving.