Ma Dahan

Overview

Ma Dahan was a member of the Zhaojia clan of the Plain White Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. Volume 31 of the official Qing Dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that his family had lived in Macha for generations and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. His son, the Fifty-Seventh, served as a commissioned military officer in the Yunnan campaign, distinguishing himself at Shimenkan, Huangcaoba, and the city of Yunnan, earning the title of Yunqiwei (a military rank). After his death, the title was inherited by his second son, Sige. His eldest son, Waitu, served as an infantry officer.

The names Fifty-Seventh and Sige in this entry are personal names, not ages. The order of succession by the second son is based on the original text and cannot be changed to conform to the common assumption of eldest son inheritance. "Commissioned" indicates being entrusted with a duty; a military officer led the guards and undertook military duties such as guard duty. Yunqiwei was a hereditary title awarded for merit; inheriting the award did not automatically equate to assuming the commissioned position.

An infantry officer belonged to the infantry system; Waitu's appointment and his brother Sige's inheritance of the hereditary title are two separate events. Macha was the family's ancestral home, while various parts of Yunnan were the sons' battlefields; these two were not interchangeable. The battalion under his command, the 57 years of the war, and the modern location of Macha are pending verification. The military merits of his sons will not be attributed to Macha himself, and the original order will be retained.