Wuling'a Clan

Overview

The Wuling'a clan is a Manchu surname recorded in Volume 56 of the officially compiled *Comprehensive Genealogy of Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, and their ancestral home was Balin. The main patriarch, Chokto, was a member of the Bordered White Banner, but the year of his submission is unknown. His grandson, Huibao, served as a military officer, participating in the battles of Zhejiang and Fujian, fighting at Taiping Mountain, and rescuing Quanzhou, capturing Luoyang Bridge and lifting the siege of Quanzhou. For his merits, he was awarded the rank of Qiduwei.

After Huibao's death, his son Mingzhi succeeded him. Mingzhi was dismissed from his post, and the position was then passed to his uncle's son, Suozhu. Here, "uncle's son" indicates the succession of the hereditary position by a collateral branch; it cannot be interpreted as Suozhu being Huibao's son. This passage also does not state that Chokto himself served as a military officer or obtained the rank of Qiduwei.

A military officer was a low-ranking military officer in the military system, responsible for both guard duties and accompanying the army on campaigns. The rank of Qiduwei was a hereditary title awarded for merit, reflecting military achievements and family inheritance, rather than being another name for a military officer. Wu Ling'a is a surname here, but the same character could also be a given name in other genealogical entries; the distinction must be made based on the title and context. The historical scope, date of submission, and kinship references of the Suozhu (a local deity) of Bahrain still require verification and are not yet directly equated with modern places of the same name.