Nikan Wailan

Overview

Nikan Wailan, mentioned in this entry, is a member of the Tongjia clan, Bordered White Banner, recorded in Volume 19 of the Qing Dynasty official genealogy, *The General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*. His family resided in Jiaha and were of the same clan as Huntohe, submitting to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. His identity should be determined by his banner affiliation, clan name, and descendants' records; he cannot be simply grouped with other historical figures based on a shared name.

The original genealogy records that his great-great-grandsons, Haxitan, Huase, and Bash, served as cavalry officers. His fourth-generation descendant, Feiyasiha, served as a military officer in the Sichuan campaign and was awarded the title of Yunqiwei for his military achievements at Niangniang Temple, Huaishuyi, and Xiaomeiling, which was inherited by his son, Tumin. A military officer was a conscripted rank and cannot be promoted to military officer without proper documentation; Yunqiwei was a hereditary title of merit, with both military achievements and conferment belonging to descendants. Another fourth-generation descendant, Alantai, served as the Provincial Governor of Jiangxi at the time the genealogy was compiled. This position belonged to the provincial civil and financial administration system and differed from the duties of banner officers. Fifth-generation descendants also held titles such as Mingzan and Jiansheng, which relate to ceremonial and educational qualifications, respectively. These materials indicate that descendants of the same clan branch held various positions, and the existing articles do not provide Nikan Wailan's official records or birth and death dates.