Kuktaka

Overview

Kuktaka was a member of the Bayara clan of the Bordered Yellow 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 Hurha region for generations. During the Tiancong era, he led 130 men across the Changbai Mountains to surrender, and was awarded the rank of Third-class Qingche duwei. Tiancong was the reign title of Huang Taiji's Later Jin dynasty; the Changbai Mountains were a region he passed through during his surrender journey, and cannot replace the record of his ancestral home in Hurha.

He had no heir, and his brother's son, Basaha, inherited the title. Basaha was granted this title by imperial decree and participated in battles in Jingzhou, Hangzhou, Shandong, and Xinhui, Guangdong, earning the rank of Third-Class Baron. The rank of Qingche duwei and Baron were hereditary ranks; the granting of this title was influenced by both imperial decree and the successor's personal military achievements. The military exploits in Hangzhou and Xinhui cannot be attributed to Kuktaka himself.

Later, the title was inherited by Bantaha, Basali, and others. When the eldest brother inherited the title, the portion granted by imperial decree was deducted, retaining only the rank of Second-class Qingche duwei. Further details are found in the inheritance by the sixtieth and second brothers. "Older Brother," "Sixty," and "Second Brother" are all personal names mentioned in the entry and should not be used as generic terms or to indicate age. The kinship nodes in each succession should be determined separately. The modern correspondence of Hurha, the date of submission, the original printed source of names such as "Older Brother," and the complex order of inheritance need to be verified.