Nixi Li Clan

Overview

The Nixi Li clan is a Manchu surname recorded in Volume 58 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Eight Banners Manchu Clans*, an official compilation of the Qianlong Emperor's reign. Their ancestral home was Ningguta and Bayan Horo. Depugu of the Plain Red Banner resided in Ningguta and submitted to the Qing dynasty at its beginning; his grandson, Wenshu, served as a city gate officer. Fangkana, a bondservant of the Bordered Blue Banner, resided in Bayan Horo; the year of their submission is unknown, but his son, Laoge, served as a military officer.

A city gate officer was a military position related to the management of city gates, while a military officer was part of the Imperial Guard, responsible for commanding subordinate guards, providing personal protection, and accompanying troops on campaigns. These two positions are distinct. Depugu and Fangkana represent the starting point of the genealogy; the recorded official positions belong to their grandson and son and cannot be changed to reflect their own individual positions.

The term "bondservant" indicates a specific affiliation, not a general employment. Laoge's position as a military officer should not negate his family's bondservant background. It only explicitly appears in the Fangkana branch and should not be generalized to the Depugu branch of the Plain Red Banner. Ningguta, as a historical region and garrison name, must be understood according to its historical context; the original text is insufficient to directly identify a specific neighborhood within the city. Bayan and Luo also need to be identified independently. The relationship between the two branches, the specific positions of the city gate commanders, the subordinates of the bondservants, and the terms of office of the officials still need to be verified; we cannot rely on piecing together a father-son lineage based on the same surname.