Wang Shi

Overview

Wang Shi was a member of the Namudulu clan of the Plain White Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. His family had lived in the Namudulu area for generations and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at its inception. His records are preserved in Volume 21 of the official Qing Dynasty clan genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, primarily detailing the officials and military achievements of his descendants. His grandson, Baksaqa, participated in the Zhoushan campaign in Zhejiang as a defender, defeating Ruan Si's forces at sea and earning the title of Yunqiwei (a military rank). He also participated in the battle against Zheng Chenggong's forces at Zhenjiang, and was promoted to Qiduwei (another military rank). After retiring in old age, his position was inherited by his uncle's son, Maqi, who in turn inherited it through his son, Changtu. Defense was a military rank within the Eight Banners, while Qiduwei and Yunqiwei were hereditary titles for meritorious officials in the Qing Dynasty. The records of promotions and inheritance in the original genealogy illustrate how these rewards were passed down among relatives. Wang Shi also had a grandson, Dadu, who served as Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and Hashi, who served as a military officer; his great-grandson, Changbao, served as an Assistant Director. The Censorate was responsible for supervision, with the Left Censor-in-Chief being its chief official, while the Assistant Director was a department-level administrative official, with different responsibilities. Wang Shi's own experience of surrendering and his military achievements in Baksaqa belonged to two different generations of his family and cannot be considered as one person's life story.