Du Huchan

Overview

Du Huchan was a member of the Hadanara clan of the Bordered Blue Banner during the early Qing Dynasty, whose family had lived in Hadan for generations. Volume 23 of the official Qing Dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that at the beginning of the dynasty, he and his brother Yakchan led their sons and brothers to surrender, and the population was organized into zuoling (military units), under the command of Du Huchan. His son, Hese, served as a Defender; his grandson, Zhekune, served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel; Hengte served as a Secretary; his great-grandson, Changying, served as a Censor; Qishi served as a zuoling; and Fusihun served as a Principal. zuoling managed the basic population and soldiers of the Eight Banners; Defender was a military position within the Eight Banners; the Ministry of Personnel handled the selection, appointment, and evaluation of officials; the Vice Minister assisted the Minister in handling departmental affairs; and the Censor was a supervisory official. The civil and military duties should be explained separately. Yakchan also served as a zuoling, and his descendant, Manpi, participated in the battles in Pingliang, Shaanxi, and Sichuan as an Assistant Commander, earning the title of Yunqiwei, which was inherited by his son, Maqi. The military achievements of his brother, Manpi, did not belong to Du Huchan's direct line, and therefore cannot be attributed to Du Huchan himself. The simultaneous interpretation preserves clues about the brothers leading their followers to surrender and the civil and military appointments of the descendants of the two branches. Those with similar names and pronunciations in the original genealogy should still be identified according to their banner affiliation, region, and kinship.