Babha

Overview

Babuha was a member of the Plain White Banner of the Xilin Gioro clan, whose family had lived in Ningguta for generations. Volume 17 of the Qing Dynasty official genealogy, *The General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, states that he was of the same clan as Yarna and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of its rule. The main focus of the record is on the official positions held by his descendants. The original genealogy records that his great-grandson, Macana, served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Baidune, and Yifune served as a Third-Class Imperial Guard. Daishan and Dalang'a served as First-Class and Second-Class Imperial Guards, respectively. The Deputy Commander-in-Chief assisted in managing banner affairs or garrison military and political affairs; "Baidune" refers to the area where Macana served, not Babuha's ancestral home. Imperial Guards were responsible for palace guard duties and accompanying the emperor, and were ranked in different grades; First-Class and Third-Class were not the same rank. His great-great-grandson, Serengte, served as a Sixth-Rank Ceremonial Officer, and Mandarshan served as a Clerk; the Ceremonial Officer was involved in ceremonial affairs within the princely residences and other institutions, while the Clerk was responsible for administrative work and could not be simply written as an Imperial Guard. Ningguta historically had both a new and an old city, corresponding in modern times to the Ning'an and Hailin areas of Heilongjiang Province. However, the descriptions of ancestral residences in genealogies are insufficient to pinpoint the exact city's location. Details regarding Babuha's birth, year of submission, and official position are not recorded.