Harsun

Overview

Harsun was a member of the Zakuta clan of the Plain White Banner. Volume 36 of the official Qing dynasty clan genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that he lived in Niya New Village, but the date of his submission is unknown. The village name is a record of the family's ancestral residence, and the Plain White Banner was one of the Eight Banners; the unknown date cannot be determined by supplementing it with records of submission from neighboring figures at the beginning of the dynasty.

His grandson, Suifulda, served as a Minister of the Imperial Guard; Aniu served as a First-Class Imperial Guard; his great-grandson, Sutai, served as a Second-Class Imperial Guard; Yilantai served as a Third-Class Imperial Guard; and Yierqiao served as a Commandant of the Imperial Guard; his great-great-grandson, Bursai, was a sixth-rank official. The title of Minister of the Imperial Guard was a title within the Imperial Guard system and should not be interpreted literally as a retired minister. Imperial Guards had different ranks, and Commandants of the Imperial Guard managed corresponding Imperial Guard units, which differs from a simple rank description of a sixth-rank official.

These titles represent the appointments of different descendants, not Harsun's own continuous promotions. The sixth-rank official cannot be subdivided into specific positions such as county magistrate or clerk, and a descendant's entry into the Imperial Guard system does not prove that their ancestor had any military achievements. Former and current officials should be understood according to the records at the time of the book's creation, not referring to their current position. The modern location of Niya New Village, the script form of "Yilantai," the terms of office of each Imperial Guard official, and the specific official names of Bulsa await verification from the original printed source and archives.