Aona

Overview

Aona was a member of the Yangjia clan. Volume 54 of the officially compiled *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* records that he belonged to the Plain White Banner, residing in Hurhajiang, and submitted to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. Hurhajiang here refers to the historical geographical name of the family's ancestral home, not Aona's surname; it should be recorded separately from the ancestral homes of other branches of the same surname, such as Fola and Nimacha.

The genealogy records that Aona's great-grandson, Niyalaku, served as a military officer; his great-great-grandson, Guanbu, served as a military officer; Niuniu and Biantu served as infantry officers; Chanbu served as a secretary; his fourth-generation descendant, Baiertai, served as a cavalry officer; and Hushimu once served as a scribe. These materials span multiple generations, including both military and administrative positions, and cannot be compressed into a single list of Aona's individual official positions.

The military officer position emphasized military organization and guard duties; the infantry officer position was within the infantry system; the cavalry officer position belonged to the basic military management of the Eight Banners; the secretary was a clerical position in ministries and other government offices; and the scribe handled copying, translation, and other document processing. The Manchu official title *bithesi* is related to writing documents, which helps to understand that "bithesi" was not a profession of ordinary calligraphy. The specific yamen (official residence) to which Hurhajiang Wang and Chanbu belonged, as well as the dates of their appointments, still need to be verified.