Ihana

Overview

Ihana was a member of the Huifa Nara clan of the Bordered Red Banner in the early Qing Dynasty. His family had lived in Huifa for generations and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. Volume 24 of the official Qing Dynasty genealogy, *the Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that his family was transferred from the banner's bondservant status to the imperial family. His son, Erdehe, served as Zhenhai General; his grandson, Garbi, served as Fengtian General; his great-grandson, Dechang, served as a clerk; Qingbao served as a military commander; and his great-great-grandson, Chengxu, served as a scribe during the compilation of the genealogy. Bondservants were a specific affiliation within the Eight Banners. The original genealogy's record of their transfer from the banner's bondservant status indicates a change in the administrative system; the difference in status cannot be omitted, nor can the year and reason for the transfer be added. "General" is a high-ranking military title; the distinction between expeditionary generals and garrison generals should be understood in light of their specific context. The original genealogy does not provide the specific background of Erdehe's appointment as Zhenhai General. The Fengtian General involved local garrison military and political affairs, while the military commander managed the troops under the military battalion. A clerk was a department-level administrative official, and a scribe was responsible for copying, translating, and handling official documents. These posthumous positions cannot be attributed to Ihana himself. The main value of this passage lies in preserving clues about the conversion of bondservants to civil servants and the subsequent entry of several generations of descendants into high-ranking military positions, banner garrisons, and clerical posts.