Sahai

Overview

Sahai was a member of the Yehe Nara clan of the Bordered White Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. His family had lived in the Yehe region for generations and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at its inception. Volume 22 of the official Qing Dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that he was originally a layperson who participated in the battles towards Datong and was awarded the title of Yunqiwei (a military rank) for his meritorious service in capturing Xiaoshicheng. After Sahai's death, his son Shuose succeeded him, and after Shuose's death, his son Shuoli succeeded him, and then Shuoli's son Naqin succeeded him. In the banner system, "layperson" referred to someone not holding an official position and was not equivalent to a local resident without banner registration. The title of Yunqiwei was a hereditary title for meritorious officials, a reward for military achievements and a status inherited according to regulations, not a daily post for commanding cavalry units. This entry clearly shows the reason for his appointment and the continuous line of father-son inheritance; it is advisable to separately describe the two stages: Sahai's meritorious service and his descendants' inheritance. The Bordered White Banner indicates the family's banner affiliation, Yehe indicates their ancestral home, and Nara clan indicates their clan affiliation. The original genealogy states that the various clans within the Nara surname form their own branches, and it is not possible to expand upon a common ancestor solely based on the same surname. The specific location of Xiaoshicheng and the year of this battle are not mentioned in the existing brief biography and require further verification through military chronicles and geographical documents.