Netu

Overview

Netu was a member of the Sakda clan of the Plain White Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. Volume 35 of the official Qing Dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that his family originally resided in Hetu Ala and submitted to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. His grandsons Sunchaqi, Xunta, and Wahali served as cavalry captains; his great-grandson Anbulu served as Minister of Justice; Changlu was a deputy Qiduwei; and others held positions such as Assistant Secretary and Principal Secretary. Acheng'a also distinguished himself in the campaign against the Dzungars.

There was a difference in the nature of the positions held by cavalry captains and deputy cavalry captains. The Minister of Justice was in charge of criminal law, while Assistant Secretaries and Principal Secretaries handled government administration. Acheng'a, as Deputy Commander-in-Chief, was awarded the title of Yunqiwei (a military rank) during a campaign and later served as Commander of the Imperial Guard. His son, Ajintai, inherited the position after his death. The Deputy Commander-in-Chief managed banner affairs, the Commander of the Imperial Guard oversaw military and political orders, and Yunqiwei was a hereditary title.

His fourth-generation descendant, Saha, served as a scribe; his fifth-generation descendant, Guo Ermin, was a hereditary scholar. Clerical positions and educational qualifications for officialdom should not be confused with current official titles. The ancestral home of Hetu Ala and the places where his descendants went to war are described separately. The positions of his grandson and great-grandson are not attributed to Nateu himself. The basis for the location, the year of Acheng Azhan, and the eligibility of those born under hereditary privilege is pending verification. The original deputy positions and generational order are retained.