Shumari Clan

Overview

The Shumari clan is a Manchu surname recorded in Volume 57 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, compiled during the Qianlong reign. They were scattered throughout areas such as Hurha. Heshan, a member of the Bordered Blue Banner, resided in Hurha for generations, surrendering at the beginning of the dynasty. He himself served as a zuoling (military officer). His nephews, Fajina and Maitu, also served as zuoling, Erte as an infantry officer, and his grandsons, Arhai and Huazhan, served as Defenders. The genealogy uses "nephew" and "grandson" to indicate generational order within the clan and cannot be arbitrarily changed to "biological descendants."

Another branch, the Hele, belonged to the Bordered Red Banner and were bondservants. They resided in Wanbiantun, but the year of their surrender is unknown. Their sons, Manduli and Ente, served as Bondservant Grand Masters, Wandama as a Captain, and Walda as a seventh-rank official. Their grandsons, Sanzhu and Huangmao, served as Captains and Guards. Kongkai, a member of the Bordered Blue Banner, resided in Hailan, but the year of his surrender is also unknown. His grandson, Wushiliu, served as a Defender.

The zuoling managed the basic organization of the Eight Banners, while the Bondservant Grand Master managed the corresponding Bondservant organization. Bondservant was a specific subordinate status and not equivalent to a single occupation. The ranks of commander, defense officer, and infantry officer correspond to different duties within the military organization, while the specific duties of the seventh-rank official have not yet been explained. The original character "ShuZhuanLi" is retained in the mother treasury, but its correspondence with other variant characters, the location of Wanbiantun village, and the complete lineage of each branch still need to be verified.