Zhang Xi

Overview

Zhang Xi was a member of the Wanyan clan of the Bordered Red Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. Volume 28 of the officially compiled *the Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* records that he was of the same clan as Xilaba, residing in the Wanyan region for generations, and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at its inception. The original genealogy primarily recounts the family's military achievements through the accounts of his two sons and their descendants; these accounts should be read separately from Zhang Xi's own identity.

His eldest son, Sarna, participated in the capture of Hejian Prefecture as a non-official, being the first to scale the city walls before dying in battle. He was posthumously awarded the title of Qiduwei (hereditary merit rank), which was inherited by his son, Balin. Balin had no heir, so his brother, Geshitu, inherited the title. His second son, Yaxing'a, participated in battles in Henan and Jiangnan, being the first to scale the city walls during the attack on Kunshan County. For his merit, he was awarded the title of Yunqiwei (hereditary merit rank), and later, by imperial decree, was promoted to Third-Class Qingche duwei (hereditary merit rank). "Non-official" was not a military rank, while Qiduwei (hereditary merit rank), Yunqiwei (hereditary merit rank), and Qingche duwei (hereditary merit rank) were all hereditary titles.

After Yaxing'a had no heir, his brother's descendants retained the title. Later, the hereditary titles were merged, and Geshitu inherited the title, becoming a First-Class Baron. Geshtu died in battle in Wenzhou and was posthumously awarded the title of Yunqiwei. The merging, bestowal, and inheritance of these titles involve rewards from different sources and cannot be interpreted as several people holding the same official position. The dates of the battles in Hejian and Kunshan, as well as the order of merging, are yet to be verified, and the ancestral home remains to be investigated.