Tule Shen

Overview

Tule Shen was a member of the Bayara clan of the Plain White Banner. Volume 38 of the official Qing dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that he lived in the Songhua River region and submitted to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty, originally serving as a zuoling (banner-company commander). Bayara is a Manchu surname listed in this volume; the Songhua River was his ancestral home; the Plain White Banner was one of the Eight Banners; and zuoling was the specific official in charge of managing the lower-level banner units.

His eldest son, Chong'an, participated in battles in Datong, Korea, Jinzhou, and Shandong as a zuoling, earning the title of Yunqiwei (a military rank). Later, through military merit and imperial decree, he was promoted to First-class Qingche duwei, serving as both a Canling (military officer) and zuoling, before retiring due to old age. Cai Zhu and Zhong Shenbao succeeded him. When Seketu inherited the position, the imperial decree's bonus was deducted, but he retained the title of Qiduwei and First-class Qingche duwei. Canling and zuoling were substantive positions, while Qingche duwei and other ranks were hereditary titles, and must be explained separately.

Tule Shen's brother's son, Jing Gulda, had a separate branch with military merit and hereditary titles, and cannot be included in Chong'an's branch. In the later generations, "Nanjing" refers to the name of the grandson who served as a second-class bodyguard and lieutenant commander, and "Monk" is the name of the successor, and should not be taken as the city of origin or the status of a monk. The ancestral home on the Songhua River, the lineage of the Jinggulda branch, and the dates of each succession and retirement need to be verified with the original printed source and archives.