Saikana

Overview

Saikana, listed in Volume 53 of the *General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* under the entry for the Busai clan, belonged to the Bordered White Banner. His family had lived in Yehe for generations and submitted to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. He himself participated in the campaign against Chahar Burni as a military commander, distinguishing himself in the Battle of Dalu and earning the title of Yunqiwei (a military rank). He later became a deputy commander-in-chief. His hereditary title was inherited by his son, Samuqika, who had served as a second-class imperial bodyguard.

The military commander supervised the military, the deputy commander-in-chief participated in banner affairs, military personnel, and garrison management, and Yunqiwei was a hereditary title for meritorious service. These three titles respectively indicate the actual military rank and the bestowed rank. Samuqika's appointment as a second-class imperial bodyguard is another official record; inheriting the title of Yunqiwei did not equate to succeeding his father as deputy commander-in-chief.

Another son, Naqika, served as governor of Huguang; Cheerhe served as a defense official; and Zhaierhe served as a principal clerk. His grandson, Yongtai, served as a censor; other descendants served as treasurers, scribes, and secretaries. The governor managed the administration of a province, while the censors participated in the review, approval, and rejection of opinions. The fact that many members of a family held civil or military positions did not automatically equate to the position of Saika. Busai was a Manchu clan, and the ancestral home of the Yehe people differed from the battlefield of Dalu; the terms of office and dates of battle for each position still require further verification.