Ebei

Overview

Ebei was a member of the Huifa Fuca clan of the Bordered Red Banner during the early Qing Dynasty, who submitted to the Qing during the Tiancong era. Volume 27 of the official Qing clan genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that he joined the Qing army as a zuoling (banner-company commander) after entering the Central Plains, and subsequently fought in Henan and Jiangnan. During the attack on Nan'an, he seized control of the city gates and entered the city. His hereditary rank was promoted from Yunqiwei (a military rank) to Qiduwei (a military rank), and through imperial decree and military merits in Guangdong and Guangxi, he was further promoted to First-class Qingche duwei (a military rank) concurrently serving as Yunqiwei, and appointed as Deputy Commander-in-Chief. zuoling was a grassroots banner officer, Deputy Commander-in-Chief was the military and political leader of the Eight Banners, and Yunqiwei, Qiduwei, and Qingche duwei were hereditary ranks for meritorious officials. Military rank and reward levels should be understood separately. Tiancong was the reign title of Huang Taiji before his entry into the Central Plains. After his third son, Warda, and subsequent relatives inherited the title, the imperial decree and subsequent military merits were revoked. The eldest son, Arhu, later fought in Baoji, Shaanxi, and died in battle in Changsha, receiving the rank of Third-class Qingche duwei. The younger brother, Mole, died in battle in Sichuan and Qinzhou, and was awarded the title of Independent Qiduwei and Yunqiwei. The father, son, and brother each had their own stories, and it is impossible to attribute them all to Ebei himself. The dates of succession and the original reference to "fourth brother" still need to be verified against the original printed source.