Baiyinchali

Overview

Baiyinchali is a member of the Tuketan clan, recorded in Volume 54 of the official Qing dynasty genealogy book, *the Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*. He belonged to the Plain White Banner and was a bondservant (baoyi). His family had lived in Burhatu for generations, and the year of his submission to the Qing dynasty is unknown. He once served as an Inner Steward (NeiGuanLing). His son, Zhekune, also served as an Inner Steward; his grandsons, Guoxing'e, served as assistant department director (*yuanwailang*) (YuanWaiLang), Neqing'e as Minister (LangZhong), and Nesuken as Inner Steward.

The Inner Steward was an official within the Imperial Household Department system responsible for managing a specific population and related affairs. The Inner Steward's office was involved in the management of palace duties and warehousing. The successive appointments of fathers, sons, and grandsons to this position indicated a connection between the family and the palace service organization; it cannot be simply written as a hereditary Inner Steward position without verification of the vacancy records. Bondservants (BaoYi) were a specific subordinate status and not synonymous with the official position of Inner Steward.

His great-grandson, Piange, served as a Mingzan (MingZan); his great-great-grandson, Shengde, served as a Bitieshi (shi); and Yongde served as a Blue-Lanyard Guard (ling shiwei). The chanting and singing of praises were part of the rituals. The scribes, known as "bithesi" in Manchu, handled written matters. The Blue-feathered Guards were of the guard rank and their titles could not be interchangeable. "Tuktan" refers to a Manchu clan, and "Bulhatu" to their ancestral home. Descendants held their own positions, but the original text does not specify each person's location, term of office, or the modern location of Bulhatu; further verification is needed.