Bālǐkū

Overview

Ba Liuku 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*, lists him among the branches that submitted to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty, noting that his family resided in Shuhede City in the Changbai Mountains. The character "Liu" is retained according to its original entry. Shuhede City was the name of his ancestral home; it cannot be interpreted as a private residence or fiefdom simply because it shares the same name as the person Shuhede. His fourth-generation descendant, Muertai, served as a Xiaoqixiao (Lian Qi Xiao), and his fifth-generation descendant, Yiling'a, served as Yunhuishi (Lian Hui Shi). Xiaoqixiao was an actual position within the corresponding banner system, responsible for personnel and military affairs; Yunhuishi belonged to the Qing dynasty's ceremonial and imperial carriage affairs system, distinct from the hereditary military title of Yunqiwei (Lian Qi Wei). Although both titles contain the character "Yun" (Lian), they cannot be combined into the same title. Ceremonial official positions need to be understood in conjunction with the arrangements for court assemblies, sacrifices, and travels, rather than simply as military commanders based on their literal meaning. The two descendants spanned the fourth and fifth generations, and their positions were not part of Bailuku's continuous career; their banner affiliation would not automatically change simply because their descendants were appointed as ceremonial officials. The modern location of Shuhede City, the institution to which the Yunhui Envoy belonged and their term of office, the original inscribed characters of their names, and the complete lineage are yet to be verified.