Songqin

Overview

Songqin was a member of the Zhangjia clan of the Bordered Yellow Banner. Volume 40 of the official Qing dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records him as the grandson of Zakdan Bayan, the eldest son of Mudu Bayan, whose family had lived in Feiyalang'a for generations. He submitted to the Qing dynasty during the Tiancong era. Tiancong was the reign title of the Later Jin dynasty under Huang Taiji, predating the Qing's entry into the Central Plains. Here, Songqin is a personal name and cannot be literally interpreted as an entry for musical instruments or art.

His great-grandson, Dasu, participated in the battles of Pi Island, Jinzhou, the entry into the Central Plains, and Sichuan as a military commander, earning the rank of Qiduwei. He was later repeatedly promoted through military merit and imperial favor, eventually rising to the position of Grand Minister of the Interior. A military commander was a military officer, a Grand Minister of the Interior belonged to the Imperial Guard system, and Qiduwei and Qingche duwei were hereditary titles; these three should not be interpreted as the same title.

Dasu was once stripped of his hereditary title, but later, in recognition of his service, he was reinstated as a First-class Qingche duwei, which his son, Daxi, inherited. This is a record of the restoration of official positions after the punishment; it cannot be written as the hereditary position remaining unchanged from beginning to end. Da Xi's succession does not necessarily mean he took over as Grand Minister. The genealogy also includes titles such as Langzhong, Zhongshu, and Bitieshi for later generations. The date of restoration, the reason for the punishment, the lineage of each branch, and the details of Fei Yalang Adiwang need to be verified against the original engraving and archives.