Erhetu

Overview

Erhetu: Erhetu is a member of the Huiluo clan in Volume 52 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*. He belonged to the Bordered Yellow Banner and lived along the Songhua River for generations, submitting to the Qing dynasty at its beginning. The Huiluo clan is listed as a Manchu surname in the original book, but the personal positions of his ancestors are not recorded; the main focus is on the military experiences of his grandson, Tuose.

Tuose participated in the Jiangxi campaign as a military officer, fighting against Li Maozhu's troops. Later, he participated in the battle against Hu Guobing's army at the gates of Yunnan, and was awarded the rank of Qiduwei for his meritorious service. His son, Subali, inherited the hereditary title, and the genealogy records that Subali served as a Cloud Banner Envoy at the time of compilation. The military and hereditary titles of the two generations must be separated; the Cloud Banner Envoy cannot be written as an official position of Tuose or Erhetu.

The Military Officer was a basic unit of the Imperial Guard, while the Qiduwei was a hereditary title based on merit. The Cloud Banner Envoy, however, served in the ceremonial guard system, and its organization differed from that of the Imperial Guard. The "Draft History of the Qing Dynasty" lists the Luanyi and Luanyu Guards as Yunhui Shi, which involves state ceremonies and regalia. Therefore, it cannot be interpreted as Yunqiwei based solely on the word "Yun" (cloud). The Songhua River is the original residence area, but the specific section of the river is unclear. Jiangxi and Yunnan are the places where the grandchildren went on expeditions; ancestral home, battlefield, and the institution where Subali served should be distinguished.