Daisong'a

Overview

Daisong'a was a member of the Tongjia clan, belonging to the Plain Red Banner. His family had lived in Yarhu for generations and submitted to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. Volume 19 of the official Qing dynasty genealogy, *The General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that his clan members were organized into Zuo Ling (military officers), under his command. Due to his service and participation in the campaign against Heilongjiang, he was awarded the title of Cavalry Captain and concurrently a Yunqiwei (a military rank), and later served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

The Ministry of Revenue handled household registration, taxation, and national finances, with the Vice Minister as its deputy head. Zuo Ling, on the other hand, managed the household registration and military records of their respective grassroots organizations; their responsibilities differed. His eldest son, Anahai, inherited the title and participated in battles in Sichuan and Datong, dying in action and being posthumously granted a baronial title. The hereditary title was subsequently inherited by Anahai's son, Aiyinbu, and his brother, Bahan, but was later merged due to the lack of an heir. This reflects the system of separate and merged hereditary titles. Bahan's military achievements in campaigns in Guizhou, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan are the personal accomplishments of his descendants and cannot be attributed to Daisong'a. Furthermore, the original genealogy lists the branches of the second son, Dahan, the fourth son, Baizhu, and their uncles and cousins. The administrative and military positions held by family members did not all belong to the same paternal line. This article focuses on the author's position as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and Zuo Ling (a military rank), preserving the hierarchical transmission of hereditary positions among descendants.