Gan Jitai

Overview

Gan Jitai was a member of the Zhaojia clan of the Plain White Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. The official Qing Dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, Volume 31, records that his grandson, Wushiba, served as a city gate captain; his great-grandson, Zhekune, served as a defense officer; Huse served as a military officer; Sangge served as a scribe; and his great-great-grandson, Bash, served as a defense officer at the time of compilation. The appendix states that the family had lived in the Hupucha region and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. Wushiba here refers to a grandson's name, not his age at the time of his appointment.

The city gate captain served in the city gate defense system; the defense officer belonged to the banner's military affairs officers; and the military officer led his subordinate guards and was responsible for guard duties. Different titles correspond to different positions; one cannot directly rewrite a grandson's city gate officer as a military officer, nor can one assume that father and son inherited the same position simply because Zhekune and Bash both served as defense officers.

The scribe is a transliteration of the Manchu word *bithesi*, responsible for the writing and translation of Manchu and Chinese documents and daily administrative tasks—a clerical position. The original genealogy lists it alongside various military positions, showcasing the different appointments of the family's descendants. The location of Hupucha, the city gate, and the Sange document agency are pending verification. Gan Jitai's official position will not be filled in based on his descendants.