Dasu

Overview

Dasu appears in Volume 57 of the Qing Dynasty's *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, under the entry for the Bali clan, originally written as "Dasu". His banner affiliation was the Plain Red Banner, and his family had lived in the Zhelu region for generations, being listed among those who surrendered during the Tiancong era. This entry does not record Dasu's specific official position; therefore, his banner affiliation, historical residence, and related lineage can only be confirmed from the original text, and his birth and death dates or official career cannot be supplemented.

The volume records that his great-grandson, Xiteku, served as a Langzhong (a mid-level official); his great-great-grandson, Muertai, served as a Hujunxiao (a military officer); Bashi served as a Xiaoqixiao (a cavalry officer); and Cunzhu served as a Bitieshi (a scribe). His fourth-generation descendant, Bomin, served as a Xiaoqixiao when the genealogy was compiled, and Fubao served as a Hujunxiao at that time. Langzhong and Bitieshi were administrative positions, while Hujunxiao and Xiaoqixiao appeared within the Eight Banners military administration system. The parallel listing of these positions indicates that the historical material primarily focuses on the distribution of official positions among this branch of descendants.

"Formerly serving" indicates that he was no longer in that position when the genealogy was compiled, while "currently serving" reflects his status at that time and should not be interpreted as an absolute lifelong tenure. The original place name "Zhelu" requires further geographical verification and cannot be simply assumed to have a modern equivalent based on its literal meaning. For Dasu, the most reliable approach is to appropriately distinguish between the facts recorded in the genealogy and the institutional background, and not to substitute the general history of the Eight Banners for the information of the subject.