Xikede Clan

Overview

The Xikede clan is a Manchu surname recorded in Volume 60 of the official genealogy of the Manchu clans of the Eight Banners, compiled during the Qianlong reign. They originally resided in Guarcha. The year of Maktu's submission to the Plain White Banner is unknown. He himself served as a garrison commander, his son Mala served as a Blue-Lantern Guard, and his grandson Cunge served as a Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard. The entry ends with "Now belonging to the Mongol Banner of this banner."

The original genealogy lists Xikede as a Manchu surname while retaining information about its Mongol Banner affiliation. This illustrates that clan classification and actual banner organization need to be understood separately. One cannot simply delete the Mongol Banner affiliation based on the title, nor can one change the original surname classification solely based on the banner affiliation. The scope referred to in the last sentence should be verified in conjunction with the original printed edition and compilation materials, and should not be infinitely expanded to include the entire surname.

A garrison commander was a military officer of the Eight Banners, a Blue-Lantern Guard belonged to the emperor's guard and escort system, and a Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard held a deputy position within the Imperial Guard organization. The three generations of the family held different official positions, indicating that the same position was not automatically inherited; the word "deputy" should not be omitted to indicate a full position. The specific location of Guarcha, the process of its reassignment or banner reorganization, its Manchu surname, and the terms of office of the three individuals still need to be verified. The lack of a known year of submission is a limitation of the genealogical records themselves, and the time of its migration cannot be inferred from the Mongol banner divisions.