Zhuerku

Overview

Zhuerku, simplified as Zhuerku, is a member of the Huerha clan recorded in Volume 48 of the Qing Dynasty's official genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*. He belonged to the Bordered Blue Banner and resided in Xibai for generations, submitting to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. This entry defines his identity through clan, banner affiliation, and ancestral home; he cannot be merged with other Zhuerkus from different clans simply because they share the same name.

The genealogy explicitly states that he was related to Kangkalai of Xindamo City in the Bordered Blue Banner and Nahantai of Huerha in the Plain Red Banner. The different ancestral homes and banner affiliations of these three branches demonstrate that family ties can transcend geographical and banner boundaries, but do not imply that the three were brothers. Zhuerku's son, Garzhu, served as a military commander; his grandson, Xing'an, served as a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works in Shengjing; and his great-grandson, Chang'an, served as a scribe. The position of military commander was a banner-based military post, while the Ministry of Works in Shengjing was a department established in the secondary capital, Shengjing, handling matters related to engineering projects; the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works in Shengjing cannot be directly equated with the same position in the Ministry of Works in Beijing by omitting the place name. Chang'an's scribes, known as bithesi in Manchu, were clerical officials responsible for copying and translation. The record details the different job positions held by three generations of descendants, but does not specify Zhurku's own official position. The geographical locations and terms of office of each Xibai remain to be verified.