Zha Hai

Overview

Zhahai was a member of the Ayan Gioro clan of the Bordered Blue Banner, residing in Feiyalang'a. He was originally a local minister. Volume 18 of the Qing Dynasty official clan genealogy, *The General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that he led his sons to surrender to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, and his clan was organized into Zuo Ling (military units), led by his son Tuhe. Here, "minister" refers to the leader of the local group before surrender, and cannot be interpreted as a modern government minister. Zuo Ling was both a basic unit of the Eight Banners and an official title for managing the organization, responsible for matters such as household registration, land ownership, and military records; therefore, being organized into Zuo Ling was a process of incorporating personnel into the Banner system, not merely the granting of an honorary title. His grandson, Yechuhe, served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief; his great-grandson, Alami, served as a Langzhong (a mid-level official); Daqi served as a Hujun Canling (military commander); other descendants served as Dianyi (a high-ranking official), Xianfengxiao (a military officer), and Bitieshi (a scribe), belonging to different battalions and government positions. The original text also lists the branch of Zhahai's elder brother, Antai, and his nephew, Shuose, but these individuals cannot all be considered Zhahai's direct descendants. The genealogy states that Zhahai and Tunzhuhu in the same banner are of the same clan, but Tunzhuhu's ancestral home is only listed as "East". The two texts still need to be verified against the original inscription. The modern village address will not be determined based on the clan relationship.