Balda Clan

Overview

The Balda clan is a Manchu clan, simplified as Balda. Volume 49 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* explicitly states that Balda was originally a place name, hence the surname. The clan members resided in Balda and Feiyou City, among other places. Although the surname and place name are similar in form, they carry different meanings, and not all people residing in Balda can be automatically categorized under this surname.

The main figures in this volume are: Sha Jing'ali of the Bordered Red Banner, who lived in Balda and submitted to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. His fourth-generation descendant, Dandali, obtained a hereditary title through military achievements in sieges. His descendants experienced periods of imperial favor, including both increases and decreases in their titles. An appendix lists Kuahada of the Plain Yellow Banner, also from Balda, but who submitted during the Tiancong reign; and Yue Seng'a of the Bordered Red Banner, from Feiyou City, who served as a bondservant officer, but whose date of submission is unknown. These branches differ in time, ancestral home, and official positions. Tiancong was the reign title of Huang Taiji, and the position of Baoyi Canling was related to the management of the Baoyi Banner Army. It cannot be assumed that all members of the same clan with the same surname were Baoyi simply because one person held this position. Official genealogies provide branch directories and clues about appointments, but they do not prove that all branches are descendants of the same close ancestor. The original Manchu text, the location of Baerda, and the complete lineage still need verification.