Dalai (Ujara clan member)

Overview

Dalai is a figure under the Ujara clan in Volume 30 of the *General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* from the Qing Dynasty. He belonged to the Plain White Banner, and his family had lived in the Ula region for generations. The original text records that he surrendered to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty and served as a military commander; this position belonged to Dalai himself. The genealogy does not provide a clear date of birth and death, nor does it record his military achievements, such as obtaining the rank of Qiduwei. Therefore, the hereditary titles and rewards of his descendants cannot be included in Dalai's personal resume.

His son, Bada, served as a Second-Class Imperial Guard. The genealogy then records that Suisun obtained the rank of Yunqiwei upon surrendering, and after capturing Renqiu County, he was granted the rank of Qiduwei, which was later inherited by his son, Orbo, and others. Orbo participated in battles near Jinzhou and after the Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains, and later received additional titles; the hereditary titles were passed down through collateral relatives. When Maitu inherited the title, the previously granted additional titles were removed, and he received new titles due to other military duties. The actions of "inheritance," "additional titles," and "removal" in the original text have different origins and time contexts, and cannot be compressed into the conclusion that someone held a fixed title throughout their life.

This genealogical record also lists family members who served as guards, assistant commanders, lieutenants, and scribes for many generations. The value of Dalai's account lies in helping to identify the military and political connections of the Ula-Ujala clan's Plain White Banner branch in the early Qing Dynasty; the fact that they lived in Ula and that their descendants served in Jingzhou or other places should not be confused with the subject's own migration experiences.