Gahuda

Overview

Gahuda was a member of the Wentehe clan. Volume 50 of the officially compiled *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* records that he belonged to the Bordered Blue Banner, residing in Zhusheli, and submitted to the Qing dynasty at its beginning. The Wentehe clan is a Manchu surname listed independently in this volume; individuals in the genealogy should be identified according to their banner affiliation, ancestral home, and kinship.

This entry records that Gahuda's great-grandson, Esu, served as a second-class guard, and Yaqin as a third-class guard; his fourth-generation descendant, Yinbu, served as a military officer in campaigns in Yunnan and Guizhou, repeatedly distinguishing himself in battle, and later died in battle at Qinzhou, posthumously awarded the title of Qiduwei and concurrently a Yunqiwei. Yinbu's son, Shuose, inherited the position; after Shuose left no heir, it passed to a son of his paternal uncle, Yazhu, and then Yazhu's son, Qishenbao, who served as the Deputy Commander of Jiangning at the time the genealogy was compiled.

Guards and bodyguards should not be confused: the former, within the official system of princely residences, performed duties such as escorting, while the latter belonged to the emperor's bodyguard system. The position of Guardsman was a low-ranking military officer in charge of the Guards, while the Deputy Commander of Jiangning was a high-ranking military officer stationed with the Eight Banners. The title of Qiduwei together with one Yunqiwei constituted hereditary merit ranks, not an operational posting. The genealogy also records that Yaha served as an assistant department director (*yuanwailang*) and Tuoheqi as a Ceremonial Officer, indicating that their descendants held positions spanning both administrative and ceremonial duties within the prefecture. The location of Zhusheli, the war situation in Qinzhou, and the affiliated institutions of each position still require verification.