Benzhu

Overview

Benzhu is found in Volume 61 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*. The original record states he was a bondservant of the Bordered Red Banner, but the year of his arrival is unknown. It clearly records his experience as a former military officer. Benzhu's entry also preserves the specific positions of three generations of his descendants, thus providing a clearer record of the individual and family than appendices that simply record names and banner affiliations.

His son, Yazhu, served as a ceremonial officer; his grandson, Shelengtai, served as a military officer; his great-grandsons, Shuanglu and Chelu, both served as ceremonial officers, and Dezhu served as an astronomical student at the time the genealogy was compiled. The position of military officer was related to the Eight Banners' military organization, while ceremonial officer was a ceremonial post; astronomical student was related to the study of astronomical and calendrical institutions or the corvée system. Therefore, it cannot be directly stated that Dezhu also served as a military officer, or that a ceremonial officer was a military officer.

The genealogy uses "former" and "current" to distinguish the positions held at the time of compilation, and cannot all be converted to lifelong positions in today's sense. Benzhu's own record as a military officer and the positions held by his descendants, such as Yazhu, Shelengtai, and Shuanglu, should be stated generation by generation. The original text does not record the birth and death years of Benzhu, the specific place of his official post, or whether his descendants' positions were hereditary, so these should remain unknown.