Wu Jin

Overview

Wu Jin was a member of the Tongjia clan, Plain White Banner, whose family had lived in Hada for generations and submitted to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. Volume 20 of the official *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* records that he himself served as a ceremonial officer. His son, Mai Tu, participated in battles in Shandong, Zhejiang, and Fujian as a second-class imperial bodyguard, earning the rank of Yunqiwei (hereditary merit rank). He later served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Minister of State Affairs, and concurrently as a zuoling. He died in battle during the campaign against Galdan and was posthumously awarded the title of Third-class Qingche duwei.

Ceremony officers participated in the ceremonial affairs of their respective organizations, imperial bodyguards were responsible for palace security, and deputy commanders managed banner affairs or garrison military and political affairs. These three duties belonged to different organizations; Yunqiwei and Qingche duwei were hereditary titles of merit, not official ranks. After Mai Tu's death, his privileges were inherited by his son, Mala, and his brother, Qi Ge. Qi Ge served as a second-class imperial bodyguard, then as a guard sergeant and concurrently as a zuoling. The original genealogy retains information about his management of guard units and his concurrent duties in grassroots banner affairs. Wu Jin himself did not have any combat experience listed in this entry; his son's military campaigns and posthumous honors must be distinguished from his father's ceremonial officer position. The Hada is the family's ancestral home, and the location of battles fought by later generations does not constitute evidence of relocation.