Wu Nehe

Overview

Wu Nehe was a member of the Kou De clan in the early Qing Dynasty. Volume 29 of the official Qing Dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records him as a member of the Plain White Banner, residing in the Yehe region. During the Tiancong reign, he led 72 men to surrender and was placed under the command of a zuoling (banner-company commander). Later records indicate his participation in the campaign against the Ula and the war against the Ming Dynasty, where he was promoted from Third-Class Baron and Third-Class Viscount to Third-Class Duke for his merits, eventually serving as a Commander-in-Chief. The biography concludes by noting that he currently belongs to the Mongol Banner of this banner; his early clan status and subsequent banner adjustments should be described separately.

The zuoling managed the basic household registration and military records of the Eight Banners, while the Commander-in-Chief was responsible for banner affairs. The titles of Duke, Viscount, and Baron were bestowed upon meritorious officials, differentiated by rank, and should not be considered equivalent to the imperial princes Beile and Beizi. His eldest son, Demutu, and other sons had separate military achievements and hereditary positions, which were repeatedly distributed and merged in the original genealogy. These should be understood according to the origins of each branch, and the merits of the sons' entry into the Central Plains should not be entirely attributed to the father.

Yehe is a historical geographical name. The present-day Tiedong District of Siping City has the Yehe Manchu Town and Yehe Ruins, which can provide a regional reference, but are insufficient to pinpoint the former residence of the Wunehe family. Tiancong was the reign title of Huang Taiji during the Later Jin period; the order of the surrender and the various battles in the original genealogy needs to be compared with the chronological records, and specific years cannot be supplemented based on the narrative order. The scope of the reorganization of the Mongol banners, the year of surrender, and the hereditary succession chain need to be verified.