Surji

Overview

Surji was a member of the Songjia clan of the Plain Blue Banner, grandson of Sun Zhali, and eldest son of Surmai. Volume 42 of the official Qing dynasty compilation, *the Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that he participated in the battles before and after the conquest of China as a vanguard bodyguard, fighting outside Shanhaiguan, in Ansu, and Zhengding. Later, during the attack on Tingzhou in Fujian, he was the second to scale the city walls, earning the title of Yunqiwei (LongWei, a military rank), and was promoted to Qiduwei (LongDuWei, a military rank) by imperial decree.

Vanguard bodyguard was a military post, while Yunqiwei and Qiduwei were hereditary titles. Being the second to scale the city walls was a specific military achievement. Surji had no heir, so his third brother, Santaha, inherited the position; Santaha also had no heir, so it passed to his fifth brother, Weng'eruo. The succession involved brothers, not just father and son, and these steps cannot be omitted.

Weng'eruo distinguished himself in many places in Yunnan, serving as vanguard commander and lieutenant commander. After retiring due to illness, his son, Eqi, inherited the position, but the imperial decree's additional grant was deducted, leaving him Qiduwei and Yunqiwei. Eqi later retired as a physician, and his brother, Etuo, inherited the position and became a commander. The electronic text contains a variant reading of "Third-Class Qingche duwei" in the section on the conferment of military merits by Weng Erluo. This needs to be verified against the original text and is not intended as a standard title. The military merits in Yunnan belong to his brother, not to Surgi himself. The original texts of each appointment and conferment, along with the dates of succession, are pending verification.