Lunbu Kese

Overview

Lunbu Kese was a member of the Zhaojia clan of the Plain Red Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. Volume 31 of the officially compiled *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* records that he was of the same clan as Shusai, residing in the Hupucha region, and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at its inception. His son, Kara, served as a military officer; his grandson, Shuose, served as an assistant secretary; his great-grandsons, Jintebu, served as a defense officer; Yintebu, served as Minister of Rites; Yilibu, served as a secretary; and Fulai, served as a clerk.

Military officers and defense officers participated in the military affairs of the banner garrisons; assistant secretaries and clerks handled official administration; the Minister of Rites was in charge of central rites; and the secretary was involved in written administration such as imperial edicts. The interpretation of each position depended on the specific institution to which they belonged. The simultaneous entry of family members into both the civil and military systems did not necessarily mean that these positions belonged to Lunbu Kese himself.

His great-great-grandson, Shidang'a, held the title of *juren* (a successful candidate in the provincial examinations); many of his descendants served as scribes (bithesi in Manchu), a type of official in charge of paperwork. The original genealogy also records that the clansman Andali served as a sixth-rank bondservant, and Yihan served as a military officer. Their descendants were later transferred to the bondservant ranks of this banner. "Juren" refers to a degree obtained through the imperial examinations, while "bondservant" is a subordinate status, both distinct from actual official positions. The scope of the transfer, the location of the Hupucha (a local administrative unit), and the years of the Juren examinations are yet to be verified.