Luocha Clan

Overview

The Luocha clan is a Manchu surname listed in Volume 60 of the official genealogy of the Manchu clans of the Eight Banners, compiled during the Qianlong reign. They were originally from the Solon region. The year of Gulengtai's submission to the Qing Dynasty is unknown; he himself served as a Second-Class Imperial Guard, and his son, Luo Mida, served as a Military Commander. The passage connects these two positions through their father-son relationship, illustrating the situation where a family member entered different guard and military/political systems.

A Second-Class Imperial Guard was a rank within the emperor's personal guard, personal attendant, and retinue system. A Military Commander commanded their assigned guards, undertaking duties such as personal guard duty and accompanying the emperor on campaigns. These are not abbreviations for the same position, and Luo Mida's position as Military Commander cannot be interpreted as a direct inheritance of his father's Second-Class Imperial Guard position.

Solon is recorded as the ancestral home in the genealogy, while Luocha is the surname. The Qing Dynasty's Eight Banners system refers to their affiliation; these pieces of information cannot be substituted for each other. This passage clearly classifies Luocha as a Manchu surname, but it does not provide the original Manchu characters, the meaning of the surname, or a specific village; it cannot be interpreted as other familiar words based on the Chinese characters, nor can it be combined with a person of the same name. The dates of appointment, specific banner or battalion system, scope of Solon Ancient Land, and process of submission of Gu Lengtai and his son are still pending investigation. The original text does not record military merits, hereditary titles, or hereditary qualifications.

The genealogy places Gulengtai in the Plain White Banner.