Du Liang

Overview

Du Liang was a member of the Zhangjia clan, a bondservant of the Bordered Blue Banner. Volume 40 of the official Qing dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that he lived in Aijiabao and submitted to the Qing during the Tiancong era. Here, Du Liang is a personal name and cannot be simply changed to the Han surname Du based on the first character of his name. Aijiabao was his ancestral home, and the Bordered Blue Banner and bondservant status respectively indicate his banner affiliation and specific subordinate status.

Boatservant were a group within the Eight Banners with specific subordinate relationships and cannot be simply compared to ordinary employees in modern times. Some bondservant in the Qing dynasty actually held official positions; therefore, their status and official rank must be described separately. It cannot be assumed that being a bondservant meant they did not hold military positions, nor can all bondservant be automatically classified as personnel of a specific agency of the Imperial Household Department.

The original genealogy records that Du Liang's great-grandson, Wu'er, personally served as a military officer. The position of military officer was part of the military establishment, managing relevant personnel and military affairs; it was a substantive position, not a hereditary title. This posthumous position did not belong to Du Liang himself. His submission during the Tiancong era predates the Qing's entry into the Central Plains, so his status at that time cannot be inverted using later fixed official systems. The modern location of Aijiabao, its specific affiliation with the bondservant, Wu Erqin's work unit and term of office, and its complete lineage are yet to be verified.