Kurbu

Overview

Kurbu, mentioned in Volume 52 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* under the entry for the Kaldasu clan, belonged to the Bordered Red Banner and was originally from Ula. He submitted to the Qing dynasty during the Tiancong era. Tiancong was the reign title used by Huang Taiji, specifying the period of his ancestor's submission; the original text does not mention Kurbu's official position.

His grandson, Mangguchan, served as a cavalry commander in Sichuan, distinguishing himself in battles at Pingyang Pass and Panlong Mountain, and was awarded the title of Qiduwei and appointed zuoling (military commander). This title was later inherited by his son, Huntohe. Huntohe retired due to old age, and the title was then inherited by his son, Fushou. The original text also lists Kurbu's great-grandson, Weihe, as serving as zuoling at the time of compilation.

The cavalry commanders participated in the basic management and training of the banner troops, while the zuoling managed the population, land, and military registers of their jurisdiction. The title of Qiduwei was a hereditary honor, and the granting of the title and the appointment as zuoling are two separate records. The phrase "retired due to old age" has original textual basis and can be used for Huntohe, but it cannot be used to infer Kurbu's date of death. Kaldasu was a Manchu clan, Ula was their ancestral home, and the battlefields in Sichuan were experienced by their grandchildren. The specific geographical correspondence and the precise dates of the battles still need to be verified by specialized historical materials.