Kaifei

Overview

Kaifei, also known as Kaifei, appears in Volume 53 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, under the section on the Emotuo clan. Belonging to the Bordered Yellow Banner, their ancestral home was Nimacha. They submitted to the Qing dynasty during the Tiancong era and served as a zuoling (military officer). Their son, Sangge, served as a Second-Class Imperial Guard; Mushu served as an Imperial Censor; and their grandson, Mudeng, served as an assistant department director (*yuanwailang*). Their great-grandson, Qingming, served as a Colonel of the Infantry during the compilation of this work, and Mulu served as a Bitieshi (a type of official).

*Tiancong* was the reign title of Huang Taiji during the Later Jin period, limiting the historical context of their ancestor's submission and not applicable to all their descendants' official appointments. zuoling managed the households, land, and military registers within their jurisdiction; Second-Class Imperial Guards were part of the emperor's personal guard; Imperial Censors were supervisory officials; assistant department director (*yuanwailang*)s were administrative officials; and Colonels of the Infantry participated in infantry management—each position had a distinct function.

The Manchu term for Bitieshi is *bithesi*, related to *bithe* meaning "book" or "document," and involved in written administrative affairs. The Emotuo clan was a Manchu clan, and both their ancestral home and the Kaifei branch refer to Nimacha, although the original text does not specify the exact village location. The son's appointment as an inspector cannot be interpreted as the father's role as a military officer, and the positions of the descendants as infantry officers cannot be traced back to their ancestral home. Existing records show that the family participated in various civil and military positions, but the specific government offices, terms of office, and complete kinship connections are unclear and require further verification.