Baduli Zharguchi

Overview

Ba Duli Zhalguqi was a member of the Tongjia clan, Plain White Banner, whose ancestral home was Macha. Volume 19 of the official Qing dynasty genealogy, *The General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that he led 500 households to surrender at the beginning of the dynasty, and his clansmen were organized into Zuo Ling (military units), under his command. He was listed as one of the ten Zhalguqi, later serving as Minister of Rites, Commander-in-Chief, and Minister of State Affairs. He died in battle during the campaign against Wangjiazhuang in Datong and was posthumously awarded the title of Third-Class Baron, with the posthumous name Minzhuang.

The Zuo Ling was responsible for basic household registration and military records. Zhalguqi was a title for an official in the early Qing dynasty listed in the original genealogy; titles in long entries need to be distinguished from personal names. The Ministry of Rites oversaw ceremonies and other administrative matters, with the Minister as its head; the Commander-in-Chief managed banner affairs, and holding both positions meant a dual responsibility of civil service and banner administration. The titles of Light Cavalry Captain and Baron were hereditary honors, and the posthumous conferment of the title of Third-Class Baron was a posthumous honor, not an actual administrative position. The second son, Zhuoluo, inherited the title and made further military achievements, earning him the title of Earl. Zhuoluo's military exploits, titles, and official ranks for his descendants should be separated from his father's. The original genealogy also lists the branches of Ba Duli's brothers, preserving the clan ties of the Tongjia clan across banners, but this does not constitute evidence that all members of the same clan are his direct descendants.