Xiteku

Overview

Xiteku appears in Volume 57 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, under the entry for the Meng'esuo clan. He was a member of the Plain Blue Banner, and his ancestral home was in "Hunchun." He was included in a group of individuals who surrendered at the beginning of the dynasty, but the genealogy does not record his official position or the exact date of his surrender.

The official appointments preserved in the original book are concentrated among Xiteku's descendants: his great-grandson Mahai served as a defense officer; Axitan served as a secretary; Wangjia served as a military officer; Boshi served as an infantry officer; and Tundai served as a guard of the imperial guard. His great-great-grandson Seshika served as a treasurer; and Dalishan served as a guard officer when the genealogy was compiled. The positions of secretary, treasurer, and officers in different military units represent different duties and cannot be combined into a single resume showing continuous promotions.

The phrase "guard of the imperial guard" in the original text is a clue to an official title whose historical form should be preserved; it should not be replaced with a modern artillery officer position without verification. Hunchun is also a historical and geographical term used in genealogy books. It can provide clues about the ancestral home in Northeast China, but it cannot be used to locate the specific village of the Xiteku family.