Entu

Overview

Entu was a member of the Wentehe clan. Volume 50 of the official *Comprehensive Genealogy of Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* records that he belonged to the Plain Yellow Banner, residing in Zhusheli for generations, and submitted to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. This volume lists Wentehe as an independent Manchu surname, recording individuals from different banners and ancestral homes separately; therefore, the Zhusheli branch should be identified separately from the Jiyang branch of the same surname.

Entu's son, Malongwu, served as a Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet and concurrently as Vice Minister of Rites; his great-grandson, Qishi, served as a Second-Class Imperial Bodyguard; and his great-great-grandson, Zhanshao, served as a scribe. The Inner Cabinet was the central institution in the Qing dynasty handling important documents, edicts, and memorials, and Grand Secretaries within it were responsible for clerical and administrative duties. The Vice Minister of Rites recorded in the genealogy is a concurrent position and should not be separated into two separate career paths. Imperial Bodyguards were responsible for guarding and accompanying the emperor, and Second-Class was one of their ranks.

The title "Biteshi" is a transliteration of a Manchu official title, written in Manchu as "bithesi," and is related to writing and documents. Their work included copying, translating, and handling official documents; the specific government office they served in cannot be determined solely by the title. The official positions held by three generations of descendants demonstrate this family's involvement in central government document and guard duties, none of which were held by Entu himself. The specific terms of office for Zhusheli Diwang and Malongwu's concurrent titles still need to be verified.