Tao Na

Overview

Tao Na was a member of the Wuzhala clan of the Plain Blue Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. Volume 30 of the official Qing Dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that his family originally resided in Saharcha and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. His grandson, He Heli, served as a commissioned military officer in the campaign against Chahar Burni, and also participated in battles in Zhejiang, Fujian, and Yunnan, earning the rank of Qiduwei. After his death, this rank was inherited by his uncle's descendant, Heshan. These achievements belong to his grandsons, not Tao Na's own resume.

The term "commissioned" indicates that he was entrusted with a duty. A military officer led his subordinate guards and was responsible for military duties such as guard duty. A Qiduwei was a hereditary title awarded for merit. These three ranks cannot be combined into one military officer rank. His grandson, Wudase, served as a city gate captain; his great-grandson, Duerbende, served as a defense officer; and Mokene served as an assistant instructor. Later generations also held positions such as Langzhong, Yuanwailang, Zhongshu, and Jiansheng.

The city gate captain was responsible for city gate defense; the assistant instructor belonged to the official school system; Langzhong and Yuanwailang handled administrative matters; and Jiansheng was an educational qualification. Civil and military positions and educational status were respectively presented as family appointments. The modern location of Saharcha, the teaching institution, the kinship chain of Heshan and the war years are pending verification, and the original genealogy and the nature of the positions are all preserved.