Matanga

Overview

Matanga was a member of the Wuya clan of the Plain Yellow Banner. Volume 29 of the official Qing dynasty compilation, *the Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, states that he was the grandson of Banbuda, the uncle of Ebogen, and is listed under the Wuya clan section of the Hada region. This relationship belongs to a collateral branch of the clan, and Matanga cannot be directly changed to Ebogen's grandson; his personal era should be understood in conjunction with records from multiple generations, rather than solely based on the title of the "Early Qing Dynasty" chapter.

His eldest son, Sentehe, served as a third-class imperial bodyguard in the campaign against Taizhou, Zhejiang. He died in battle and was posthumously awarded the title of Yunqiwei, which was inherited by his son, Laige. Imperial bodyguards participated in the emperor's guard and may have been ordered to accompany the army; Yunqiwei was a hereditary title, awarded as a posthumous reward. Laige also served as a fourth-rank official in charge of ceremonies, a position later inherited by his brother, Zhisangge. The appointment of an official in charge of ceremonies and the inheritance of a hereditary title are not the same thing.

His second son, Samuha, served as Minister of Works; his third son, Hushitu, served as Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; later descendants included the Governor of Sichuan, a Councilor of the Court of Transmission, a student of the Imperial Academy, and a *juren* (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations). The Ministry of Works managed engineering and other administrative affairs; the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was in charge of national sacrifices; the governor was responsible for local administration; and students of the Imperial Academy and those who passed the imperial examinations were qualified in education and the civil service examinations. The dates of the eldest son's war, the succession of each branch, and the names of the fifty-eight and sixty-four individuals are yet to be verified; all official positions were assigned according to their generations.