Huqiu

Overview

Huqiu was a member of the Huihe clan of the Bordered Red Banner. The official Qing dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, Volume 39, records that he lived in Nimacha. At the beginning of the dynasty, he led 300 households to surrender, was awarded the title of Qiduwei, and was assigned a zuoling (military command) to manage them. The 300 households refer to the number of households, not 300 soldiers; Nimacha is a place name in this entry, and the Huihe clan's affiliation cannot be changed simply because another Nimacha clan existed.

After his death, his nephew, Gujine, inherited the title. Gujine died in battle against Yehe, and his younger brother, Yilemu, inherited it. Yilemu was awarded the title of Third-class Qingche duwei for his service in Jinzhou. Qiduwei and Qingche duwei were hereditary titles, while zuoling was a substantive administrative position within the banner. New military achievements of later generations should be separated from existing inheritances; the death in battle against Yehe should not be recorded as Huqiu's own fate.

Later, the hereditary title was passed down through Gente, Haoshan, Chanqibu, Hetu, and finally to Zhaqin. When Zhaqin inherited the title, the portion granted by imperial decree was deducted, but he retained the rank of Third-class Qingche duwei and was appointed as a zuoling (banner-company commander), indicating that the rank and actual position were recorded separately. The original genealogy also lists the positions of other descendants as zuoling, guards, and military officers, which cannot all be combined into one person's experience. The location of Nimacha, the date of submission, and the kinship milestones of each succession need to be verified against the original engraving and archives.