Dai Tong

Overview

Dai Tong was a member of the Sakda clan of the Plain Red Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. The official Qing Dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, Volume 35, records that his grandson Apudali served as a Guardsman, his great-grandsons Wantai and Gulma Hong also served as Guardsman, Burshan served as a Cavalry Commander, his great-great-grandson Xunda served as a Guardsman, and his fourth-generation descendant Balantai served as a Deputy Infantry Captain. The end of the list states that the family had lived in the Sakda region and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at its beginning. The individual generations listed cannot be compressed into the same generation.

The Guardsman led his subordinate guards and was responsible for military duties such as guard duty. The Cavalry Commander was in charge of his subordinate cavalry. The Deputy Infantry Captain was an officer within the infantry system. Different battalions and the word "Deputy" affect the understanding of responsibilities; several titles cannot be changed to represent the same type of general, nor can the fact that multiple people served as Guardsmans be used to presume that the same position was continuously hereditary.

The Plain Red Banner was one of the Eight Banners, and military affairs, bannermen's household registration, and soldier registration were organized under the banner system. Dai Tong's banner affiliation and ancestral home have supporting evidence, but his personal official position cannot be determined by later generations. The location of Sakda, the garrison locations of various camps, and the connections of the four generations are yet to be verified. The original genealogy and the status of the original positions should be understood according to the time of compilation.