Budala Clan

Overview

The Budala clan is a Manchu surname recorded in Volume 57 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Eight Banners Manchu Clans*, an official compilation from the Qianlong reign. They were originally from the Songhua River region. The genealogy lists three branches of the Bordered Yellow Banner: Lieketu, Namuqishan, and Liuku, but the year of their submission is unknown. Here, Songhua River is a general term for their historical ancestral homeland; the original text does not specify the three branches as belonging to the same village.

Keketu's grandson, Naliukan, served as a First-Class Imperial Guard; his great-grandson, Xizao, served as a Blue-Lanyard Imperial Guard. Namuqishan's grandson, Yikeshao, also served as a Blue-Lanyard Imperial Guard; Liuku's great-grandson, Aseli, served as a Military Commander. These official positions belonged to their respective descendants and cannot be written as the positions held by the three individuals who were the starting points of the genealogy. Imperial Guards were responsible for the emperor's close protection and escort duties; First-Class and Blue-Lanyard indicated different ranks. Military Commanders managed their assigned guards within the military organization.

These records indicate that several descendants of the surname entered the Imperial Guard and Protectorate system, but do not directly record their military merits, titles, or ranks. It cannot be concluded that all three branches belong to the same close ancestor, or that each position was inherited from father to son, simply because multiple members held guard posts. The specific villages along the Songhua River, the Manchu spelling of the surname, the connections between the branches, and the dates of appointment still need to be verified.