Aida

Overview

Aida was a member of the Fucha clan, a bondservant of the Plain White Banner, during the early Qing Dynasty. His family had lived in Suwan 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 27, records that his son Abu served as a zuoling (banner-company commander), and his grandson Maikan served as Ku Zhang (treasurer). Many generations of his descendants held various military positions, including Shepherd, Chief of the Imperial Kitchen, Treasurer, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, and other military posts. His fourth-generation descendant, Qilahun, participated in the naval battles in Zhejiang and Fujian as a Guardsman, and was awarded the title of Yunqiwei (a military rank) for his merits. He later served as Guardsman Commander and Assistant Secretary, a hereditary position inherited by his son Wuli. Bondservants were a specific status within the Eight Banners. Ku Zhang and Treasurer were related to the management of the treasury; Shepherd was involved in livestock herding; and Chief of the Imperial Kitchen was involved in the food service system. They cannot be collectively referred to as ordinary guards. Guardsman and Guardsman Commander were military positions; Assistant Secretary was a department-level administrative official; and Yunqiwei was a hereditary position. A single person could hold multiple positions and receive different rewards. Jingwen, a sixth-generation descendant, served as a probationary official in the Hanlin Academy, and Changrui, an eighth-generation descendant, served as a student, both belonging to the educational and civil service training system. Aida's own official position is not recorded; his descendants and those with the same name should be identified according to their banner affiliation and ethnicity. The specific institutions to which he belonged and his term of office as a bondservant still require further verification.