Zhaolei Clan

Overview

The Zhaolei clan is a Manchu surname listed in Volume 61 of the official genealogy of the Manchu clans of the Eight Banners, compiled during the Qianlong reign. They originally resided in Macha. The year of Yala's submission to the Bordered White Banner is unknown. He himself served as a Bondservant Grand Master, his son Kanzhuhu also served as a Bondservant Grand Master, his grandson Garzhu served as a Military Officer, his great-grandsons Garhan and Sele served as Bondservant Grand Masters, and his great-great-grandson Guanbao served as a Military Officer.

The Bondservant Grand Master managed the corresponding Bondservant organization and affairs, while the Military Officer Commander oversaw the subordinate guards, undertaking tasks such as guard duty and accompanying the troops on campaigns. The original genealogy listed these two positions separately among the descendants of the same clan, demonstrating the connection between Bondservant organization management and military guard service, but these should not be changed to the same civil or military title.

Yala's Banner affiliation is written as Bordered White Banner, and his position as a Bondservant Grand Master is clearly recorded. The main text should record both of these pieces of information; one should not arbitrarily add a title to create a complete Bondservant Banner affiliation format not present in the original text, nor should one assume that simply having served as a Bondservant Grand Master means that all members of the clan are permanently affiliated with the same organization. The fact that several generations held the same official position does not automatically prove that father and son inherited the same post. The specific settlement of Macha, the commanders or captains under each of the bondservants, the Manchu surnames, and the dates of their appointments still need to be verified, and the original text does not provide a complete account of the migration process.