Yang Guli

Overview

Yang Guli, simplified as Yang Guli, was a member of the Nisha clan, belonging to the Bordered Red Banner. His family had lived in Nisha for generations and submitted to the Qing dynasty at its beginning. Volume 49 of the official Qing dynasty compilation, *the Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, explains that the surname Nisha originated from a place name, followed by records of the military achievements and changes in hereditary titles of Yang Guli's branch. Identifying this figure requires considering clan, banner affiliation, and the names of his descendants; one cannot simply group him with other famous generals based on similar pronunciation.

Yang Guli's son, Qihala, participated in the Battle of Yutai in Shandong as a non-official. He was the first to scale the city walls, earning the title of Yunqiwei (LongWei). He was promoted three times by imperial decree to the rank of Third-Class Qingche duwei. Qihala was later dismissed for some incident, but the court restored his Yunqiwei title for his meritorious service in the siege. His son, Changshou, inherited the title but was also dismissed. The genealogy records Changshou's grandson, Balibu, as the successor at that time. This involves different stages: granting, promotion, dismissal, restoration, and re-inheritance; it cannot be simply presented as a single, unchanging hereditary line of nobility. The titles of Yunqiwei and Qingche duwei were hereditary, and the original text does not specify whether Qihala initially held any actual military officer position. There are also records of Yang Guli's grandson, Yikeshan, holding a seventh-rank official position, and his great-grandson, Waliyashan, holding a military officer position. The specific reasons for the two punishments, the dates of their succession, and Nisha's status remain to be verified.