Semuqili Clan

Overview

The Semuqili clan is a Manchu surname recorded in Volume 58 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, an official compilation from the Qianlong reign. They were originally from Heilongjiang. Daidali and Alang'a of the Bordered Yellow Banner both submitted to the Qing dynasty at its inception. Alang'a himself served as an infantry officer. The Daidali section primarily preserves the official positions of his descendants; these positions should not be attributed to Daidali himself.

Daidali's great-grandson, Wu Moshen, served as a zuoling (military commander). His great-great-grandson, Sulang'a, served as an infantry officer; Qishibao as a cavalry officer; and Ehene as a guard officer. His fourth-generation descendant, Shunke, was recorded as a second-class imperial bodyguard and then as a guard sergeant. The latter two titles respectively represent the rank of a guard and the management role of the troops; they can be attributed to the same person and should not be considered a non-existent complete official title like "second-class imperial bodyguard."

The zuoling managed the basic organization of the Eight Banners, with the infantry, cavalry, and guards each having their own organizational divisions. The imperial bodyguards were responsible for the emperor's close protection and escort, and the sergeant was a management role within this organization. The interpretation of the system can help understand Shunke's two identities, but it cannot be used to supplement the unrecorded terms of office or promotion order. The correspondence between the surname and other similarly written Manchu characters in the maternal archives, the specific ancestral home in Heilongjiang, and the dates of office for each person still need to be verified by cross-referencing the original printed text and resumes.