Wu Ka

Overview

Wu Ka was a member of the Huifa Nara clan of the Bordered Red Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. His family had lived in Huifa for generations and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. The official Qing Dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, Volume 24, records that his son, Shuose, served as a scribe, and his grandson, Daimida, served as a Qiduwei. A scribe is a transliteration of a Manchu official title, commonly written as *bithesi*, and involved in Manchu-Chinese writing, translation, and document processing. Specific duties and ranks varied depending on the government office. This entry does not specify which institution Shuose served in. A Qiduwei was a low-level military officer in the Eight Banners' cavalry battalion, assisting in the management, training, and military affairs of his subordinate soldiers. This role differed from that of a clerk, and Daimida's position cannot be interpreted as translation or scribe. The Bordered Red Banner indicates military and political affiliation, Huifa indicates the family's ancestral home, and the Nara clan indicates clan affiliation; these three elements together form the basis for identifying the person. The original genealogy briefly includes Wu Ka, only recording the positions held by two generations of his descendants, without listing Wu Ka's own official title, specific dates of submission, or battles. Furthermore, the fact that Shuo Se and Dai Mi Da are one son and the other grandson cannot be used to directly determine that they are father and son without access to genealogical records.