Antu

Overview

Antu: Antu is a figure listed in Volume 53 of the *the Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, under the Mu clan. He belonged to the Plain Yellow Banner, and his family had lived in Yehe for generations. He submitted to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty and once served as a fourth-rank official. His son, Erdehe, served as a Qiduwei (hereditary merit rank), and Sangtu served as a third-class imperial bodyguard; his grandsons, Guangdong and Maldu, both served as fourth-rank officials.

In the Qing dynasty, the basic official rank was nine grades, each with a principal and subordinate level. The term "fourth-rank official" in this entry only provides rank information, without specifying a particular position or principal/subordinate level. It cannot be directly used to refer to a fourth-rank military or civil post. Guangdong is a personal name in the continuous name record, listed alongside Maldu, and should not be misinterpreted as referring to a post in Guangdong Province or a geographical migration.

The Qiduwei (hereditary merit rank) participated in the management and training of the Eight Banners' grassroots soldiers, while the third-class imperial bodyguard belonged to the emperor's bodyguard system, involving night watch, duty shifts, and escort duties. These two positions were not the same. Ye Mu is a Manchu clan name, belonging to the Plain Yellow Banner, while Yehe is the family's ancestral home. The positions held by descendants cannot be transferred to Antu, nor can it be assumed that several fourth-rank officials inherited the same position. The specific official titles in Antu, the terms of office for each individual, and the original inscription of the name in Guangdong should still be verified.