Zhan Tai

Overview

Zhan Tai was a member of the Sikterli clan of the Plain White Banner. Volume 34 of the official Qing dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that his family originally resided in Guaercha, but the year of their submission is unknown. His son, Qilanbu, served as a military officer in Jiangxi and died in battle at Jianchang Prefecture, receiving the posthumous title of Yunqiwei (a military rank). This title was inherited by his son, Wuge, and grandson, Duersai. The death in battle refers to his son's experience and cannot be rewritten as Zhan Tai himself dying in battle.

The military officer led his subordinate troops and was responsible for military duties such as guard duty. Yunqiwei was a hereditary title awarded for merit, signifying a posthumous reward. Wuge here is a personal name, not the number of five heirs; the inheritance of the reward by descendants does not automatically prove succession to the position of military officer. These two systems must be understood separately.

The original genealogy also records that Zhan Tai's brother, Wenbu, served as a Xiaoqixiao (a military rank), and Wenbu's grandson, Emina, also served as a Xiaoqixiao, belonging to the brother's branch and not Zhan Tai's biological grandson. The Plain White Banner provides information on its affiliation within the Eight Banners system, while Guarcha provides information on its ancestral home region. Jianchang Prefecture in Jiangxi Province is the son's battlefield, not his ancestral home. The modern location of the ancestral home, the date of death, and the intermediate lineage between the two branches are yet to be verified; the exact date remains unknown.