Qiba

Overview

Qiba is a biographical entry for the Qijia clan preserved in the *Complete Genealogy of the Eight Banners Manchu Clans*. Volume 44 of the electronic text refers to him as "Qiba," belonging to the Bordered Red Banner, originating from Qijia Camp, and submitting to the Qing during the Tiancong era. Official Qing dynasty genealogies state that Qijia was originally a place name, from which the surname originated, and the clan resided in Yehe and Qijia Camp, among other places; this record links the origin of the surname to the ancestral homeland.

Tiancong was the reign title of Huang Taiji during the Later Jin dynasty. Therefore, this entry can be placed within the context of submission before the Qing's conquest of China, although the exact year is not given. Qiba's son, Baitang, served as a ceremonial official, and his great-grandson, Lizhu, served as a secretary during the compilation of this work. Ceremonial officials were responsible for guiding the etiquette of their subordinates, while secretaries handled departmental affairs; these were respectively ceremonial and administrative positions.

"Baitang" follows "his son" in this entry and should be treated as a personal name. It cannot be directly interpreted as a type of service member simply because it resembles other terms used for official duties. Lizhu is a great-grandson, not a biological grandson. The genealogy does not list the middle father and son in each generation. When compiling the genealogy, the original generational relationship can be retained. Qiba's official position, the current location of Qijia Camp, and the residence under Baitang are pending verification. The original name is retained and will not be uniformly changed without verification.