Ese Clan

Overview

The Ese clan is a Manchu surname recorded in Volume 58 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, an official compilation of the Qianlong Emperor's reign. Their ancestral home was in Dong'e and Saharcha. Wu Cheng'e of the Plain Blue Banner resided in Dong'e for generations, surrendering to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty; his son, Lao Yatu, served as a cavalry captain. Danong'a, a bondservant of the Plain Blue Banner, resided in Saharcha for generations; the year of his surrender is unknown, but it is noted that he was transferred from the Bordered Yellow Banner bondservant status, representing a change in banner affiliation from another branch.

Danong'a's great-grandson, Shushu, served as treasurer; Zhekune served as a third-class imperial bodyguard; his fourth-generation descendant, Suozhu, served as a cavalry captain; Hutu served as a captain; and Malang served as a scribe. His fifth-generation descendant, Yarhatu, served as a secretary; and Zhalhatu served as a guard captain. The treasurer was responsible for managing the treasury; the secretary and scribe handled government administration and paperwork; and the guards, captains, cavalry captains, and guard captains belonged to different guard and military-political organizations.

The fact that they belonged to the Plain Blue Banner does not erase Danong'a's status as a bondservant, his original background as belonging to the Bordered Yellow Banner, or the fact that his reassignment was transferred to Wu Cheng'e. Each official position must be attributed to a specific descendant and cannot be compiled into Danong'a's personal resume. The date of reassignment, the institution under the treasury, the specific ancestral homes of Dong'e and Saharcha, and the blood ties between the two branches still need to be verified through archival research.