Bai Yan

Overview

Bai Yan was a member of the Li Jia clan, a bondservant of the Bordered Blue Banner, in the early Qing Dynasty. The official Qing Dynasty compilation, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, Volume 33, records his ancestry as being from Hetu Ala. His great-grandson, Lai Si, served as a cavalry commander, and his great-great-grandson, Liu Shiba, served as a guard commander during the compilation, while Yingzhu served as a scribe. The conclusion states that he submitted to the Qing Dynasty during the Tiancong era. The character "Bai" is preserved in the maternal archives, and Liu Shiba is the name of the great-great-grandson, not his age.

Boatservant (Baoyi) were a specific social group within the Eight Banners with a specific affiliation. The Bordered Blue Banner was their respective banner, not simply equivalent to modern employees or directly designated members of the Upper Three Banners of the Imperial Household Department. The cavalry commander led their assigned cavalry, the guard commander was responsible for the military affairs of their assigned guard, and the scribe handled paperwork; these three titles pertained to different positions.

*Tiancong* was the reign title of Huang Taiji during the Later Jin Dynasty, providing the historical context for his submission. Hetu Ala was his ancestral home; his descendants' military and clerical positions do not necessarily indicate Bai Yan's official rank. The different positions held by grandchildren do not automatically lead to hereditary succession. The specific village of ancestral home, the affiliation of the bondservant, the Yingzhu clerical office, and the original name are yet to be verified.