Tong Zhao

Overview

Tong Zhao was a member of the Tongjia clan, a member of the Bordered Red Banner, and a relative of Tong Yangzheng. His family had lived in Tongjia for generations and submitted to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. The official genealogy of the Manchu clans of the Eight Banners, Volume 20, records that his grandson Tong Yanggong served as a deputy general, his great-grandson Tong Jianian as the deputy commander of Xi'an, and Tong Shunian and Tong Tianian as assistant generals. His descendants held positions such as county magistrate, prefect, youji (military officer), battalion commander, county assistant, and clerk, noting their affiliation to the Han Chinese banner.

The deputy commander was responsible for banner affairs or garrison military administration. The positions of deputy general, assistant general, youji (military officer), and battalion commander represent different levels of military officer and cannot be simply matched with modern military ranks. The prefect managed local administration at the prefectural level, the county magistrate was responsible for county-level administration, and the county assistant was an assistant official; these were the duties of the civil service system and could not be combined with family military positions. The clerk handled Manchu-Chinese documents, translations, and archives, and was in contact with specific ministries and departments. Xi'an was the area where Tong Jianian was stationed, not Tong Zhao's ancestral home; the Han Banner system is information compiled by descendants, and the clan name itself does not provide the ethnic classification for the entire family throughout all periods. The original entry does not include Tong Zhao's personal position, so the resumes of multiple generations are preserved according to generation.