Sargada

Overview

Sargada was a member of the Namudulu clan of the Bordered Red Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. His family had lived in the Namudulu region for generations. Volume 21 of the official Qing Dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records his submission at the beginning of the dynasty, followed by a list of his descendants. His grandson, Hongke, served as a Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet and concurrently as Vice Minister of Rites; Yilanzhu served as a Vanguard Commander; his great-grandson, Wentai, served as a Secretary; and Sengbao served as a Clerk. Among his great-great-grandsons were officers in the Defense, Guard, and Cavalry Commanderies; his fourth-generation descendant, Cunzhu, served as a Deputy Cavalry Commander. The Inner Cabinet was responsible for central government affairs such as imperial edicts and memorials. The title of Grand Secretary concurrently serving as Vice Minister of Rites was a concurrent post and should not be interpreted as two completely separate biographies for his descendants. A Secretary was a high-ranking official in a ministry or department, while a Clerk was an official who handled documents, distinct from military positions. The title "Clerk" is a Manchu word, commonly transliterated as "bithesi," meaning "handling written documents." Their duties included copying and translating Manchu and Chinese documents, and their specific rank varied depending on the institution. The Vanguard Commander, the Guard Commander, and the Cavalry Commander were each under different Eight Banners system units. The diversity of family positions indicates that their descendants entered the central clerk, ritual, and banner system.