Niu Niu

Overview

Niu Niu (NiuYou), also known as Niu Niu (NiuNiu), appears in Volume 55 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* under the entry for Jing Yilu (JingYiLu). He was Jing Yilu's great-grandson and served as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Guangdong. This branch originally resided in Jilin and was part of the Bordered White Banner, later changing its affiliation from the Plain White Banner. The original text does not specify Niu Niu's exact birth and death dates or his appointment.

The Deputy Commander-in-Chief was a high-ranking administrative official in the Eight Banners, involved in banner affairs, military matters, and garrison duties. The provincial garrison system included different levels of officials such as General, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Assistant Commander, and Zuo Commander. The Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Guangdong is a clearly defined local appointment in this entry, not the Governor of Guangdong, nor can it be simply interpreted as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of all the armies in the province.

Hong'e was a Manchu clan, and the original text explains that its name originated from a mountain. Ancestral home in Jilin and service in Guangdong should be recorded separately. Jilin can be linked to the historical region of present-day Jilin City; one cannot change their ancestry to Guangdong simply because they served as an official there. Tongzhi Wuli once served as the Deputy Military Governor of Heilongjiang, a position held by another great-grandson, and is not evidence of Niu Niu's subsequent transfer. Niu Niu can also appear as a personal name elsewhere; identification requires combining clan, ancestors, and generations, and specific residence, term of office, and date of banner change to be verified by the records of the appointed official.