Muxitun

Overview

Muxitun was a member of the Wanyan clan of the Bordered Red Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. Volume 28 of the officially compiled *General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* explicitly states that he was the younger brother of Xilaba. He submitted to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the reign and later served in the campaign against Tieshan as a non-official, dying in battle and receiving the posthumous title of Qiduwei. "Non-official" was a designation for someone within the banner who did not hold a corresponding official position; it did not imply detachment from the banner system, nor did it negate his participation in military activities.

The title of Qiduwei was hereditary, and the posthumous conferment differed from his actual military rank during his lifetime. His son, Humin, inherited the title, which then passed to Huleng'e. Huleng'e received an imperial edict granting him the title of Yunqiwei but resigned due to illness. When the title was passed to Chengge, the additional conferment was removed, but the Qiduwei title was retained. Chengge had no heir, so his uncle's son, Changde, succeeded him. This process included conferment based on military merit, imperial edicts, and succession by collateral relatives.

The biography also records that Antaxi, a descendant of Muxitun's younger brother Yanbusun, served as an acting military officer in the campaign against Xiamen and was posthumously awarded the title of Qiduwei after his death. His son, Danai, also distinguished himself in the Yunnan campaign. The term "acting officer" indicates that he was appointed to perform his duties and cannot be removed as a formal appointment. The events in Xiamen and Yunnan pertain to the descendants of the younger brother's branch of the family and are not part of Muxitun's military record. The timing, specific location, and lineage of the Tieshan battle remain to be verified.