Zhuoluo

Overview

Zhuoluo was a member of the Koude clan, a bondservant family of the Plain Yellow Banner, in the early Qing Dynasty. Volume 29 of the officially compiled *the Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* records that his family originally resided in Yehe, and that they submitted to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. It primarily lists the positions held by his great-great-grandson and later descendants. Bondservants were a specific social group within the Eight Banners with a specific affiliation; the Plain Yellow Banner was a banner division, and their status cannot be simply translated as ordinary employees. Their personnel could undertake various tasks, including military affairs, supplies, and administrative duties.

His great-great-grandson, Feiyanggu, served as the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Department and concurrently as a zuoling (a military officer). Several other officials held positions such as Langzhong (a mid-level official), Hujunxiao (a military officer), Muzhang (a military officer), and Bitieshi (a clerk). The Imperial Household Department managed the imperial supplies, personnel, and finances. The Grand Steward oversaw all affairs of the department, the zuoling concurrently handled grassroots banner affairs, the Muzhang were involved in pastoral affairs, and the Bitieshi handled documents. Another great-great-grandson, Wu Sai, served as a Langzhong in the campaign against Chahar Burni, and was awarded the title of Yunqiwei (a military rank), which was inherited by his son, Shahun.

The fourth and fifth generation descendants held various official positions, including the head of the tea service, the head of the kitchen, the official in charge of sacrificial offerings, and the commander of the bondservant guards. These positions were related to the supply of tea and food, sacrificial offerings, and military affairs, and should not be confused with those of servants. The modern geographical reference point for Yehe is Yehe Manchu Town in Tiedong District, Siping City; the specific ancestral home requires further verification. The multi-generational connections, the herdsman organization, and the bondservant system need further investigation. Military merits of the descendants were not attributed to Zhuoluo himself.