Zenbulu

Overview

Chanbulu was a member of the Wuya clan of the Plain Red Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. Volume 29 of the official Qing Dynasty compilation, *the Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records him as a native of Haksan, who once served as a seventh-rank official. His son, Aptu, served as a Vanguard Commander; his grandson, Kucha, served as a Secretary; his great-grandson, Niuniu, served as a Bitishi (scribe); Sebohe served as an Assistant Secretary during the compilation; and his great-great-grandson, Wushiqi, served as a Cavalry Commander. This group's conclusion indicates their submission to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty.

The seventh-rank official only indicates the official's grade. In the Qing Dynasty, the nine ranks each had different levels of authority and duties. Without a specific position in the original text, it's impossible to classify a family member as a single civil or military official. The Vanguard Commander led vanguard military affairs, while the Cavalry Commander belonged to a different battalion system. Secretary and Assistant Secretary were administrative positions at the bureau level; it's inaccurate to categorize all descendants of the family as the same type of military official.

The Bitishi is a transliteration of the Manchu word *bithesi*, responsible for the copying and translation of Manchu and Chinese documents and administrative tasks. Niuniu held this position, but it doesn't necessarily mean he was a private secretary to a relative. Fifty-seven here refers to the name of a great-grandson, not his age or number. The positions of Haksanwang, Chanbulu, and other officials of the seventh rank, as well as the various clerks and civil servants, are yet to be verified. The original genealogy retains the positions held by multiple generations separately, and it is not appropriate to write Chanbulu's official career.