Sengzhutali

Overview

Sengzhutali was a member of the Wusu clan of the Plain Blue Banner. Volume 37 of the official Qing dynasty genealogy, *the Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that he lived in the Changbai Mountains region and submitted to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty, belonging to the same clan as Lengzhu of the Hailan region. Sengzhutali is a complete personal name; his status as a monk cannot be inferred solely from the character "Seng" (Seng, meaning monk). Furthermore, the record of being from the same clan does not necessarily confirm their exact kinship.

His grandsons Nilonga, Huxili, and Bustai served as zuoling (zuoling (banner company commander), a military officer position); his great-grandson Shabai served as Guanglu Si Qing (Guang Lu Si Qing, Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices) and concurrently as zuoling; Bangniu Yin was awarded the rank of Qi Duwei (Qiduwei, a military officer title) for his service in Shandong. The Guanglu Si was responsible for banquets and sacrificial offerings, zuoling managed the basic organizational structure of the banner, and Qi Duwei was a hereditary title; the duties and nature of these three positions differed. The subsequent imperial edicts granting or deducting titles for Bangniu Yin should be described separately for each successor.

His great-great-grandson Hushibu participated in the Yunnan and Burma campaigns and was awarded the rank of Yunqiwei (Yunqiwei, a military officer title). His son, Arsai, died in battle in Huguang and was posthumously awarded additional ranks; his fourth-generation descendant, Burhai, also had military achievements in Jiangxi and Huguang, forming different branches of the family. Later generations also saw civil service positions or qualifications such as Left Censor-in-Chief, Censor, and Juren (successful candidates in the imperial examinations), but not all of these can be transferred to the ancestors' resumes. The location of the ancestral home in Changbai Mountain, the view of Diaowo City and Piaofeng Mountain, and the details of the succession of each branch need to be verified by the original inscriptions and archives.