Liu Sicheng

Overview

Liu Sicheng appears in Volume 76 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners* under the entry for the Liu family. He is recorded as a member of the Plain Red Banner's bondservant administration, whose family had lived in Tieling for generations, and who submitted to the Manchus during the Tiancong era. This submission date is derived from the genealogy's terminology and cannot be further specified in the unverified year of the Tiancong era. This entry does not record Liu Sicheng's official position or birth and death dates, leaving more specific information about his appointments to his descendants.

His son, Liu Zongmeng, served as a prefect; his grandson, Liu Guofu, served as a secretary; and Liu Guopin served as a scribe. His great-grandson, Liu Ci, was a candidate for a commander at the time the genealogy was compiled, and Liu Zhong was a sixth-rank bondservant. A prefect was a local official position; a secretary and scribe were involved in ministerial or clerical affairs; a sixth-rank bondservant was related to the Eight Banners' bondservant system, and "candidate for commander" could not be directly equated to an officially appointed commander.

Liu Sicheng's appearance as an ancestor in the genealogy primarily verifies his banner affiliation, ancestral home in Tieling, the period of submission, and the official positions held by his descendants. It is wrong to write Liu Zongmeng's position as prefect or Liu Guofu's position as doctor as Liu Sicheng's own resume, nor can it be assumed that these people were brothers simply because they were listed as "great-grandson".