Zheng Ming

Overview

Zheng Ming was a member of the Bordered Yellow Banner (Baoyi) in the Qing Dynasty. His family had lived in Shenyang for generations, but the year of their submission is unknown. The official genealogy of the Manchu clans of the Eight Banners, Volume 77, under the entry for the Zheng family, records that his grandson Zheng Guoshu was a student (ShengYuan) at the time of compilation, and his great-grandson Zheng Ren was also a student. While they are grandson and great-grandson respectively, the original text does not provide a complete lineage confirming them as direct father and son.

A student (ShengYuan) was a qualification in traditional schools and the imperial examination system, usually equivalent to a Xiucai (XiuCai). The "Draft History of the Qing Dynasty" explains the institutional background of schools, examinations, and the student system; obtaining student status did not equate to passing the provincial or metropolitan examinations, nor did it guarantee an official position such as county magistrate. Therefore, Zheng Guoshu and Zheng Ren should be described as descendants with qualifications in schools and the imperial examinations, not as known officials.

The title "Banggu" (QiGu) refers to a branch of the Baoyi (BaoYi) organization, distinct from the Han Chinese Banner system. Therefore, the Zheng family's Han surname cannot be directly equated with Han Chinese Banner registration. The Bordered Yellow Banner was one of the Upper Three Banners, and its bondservants had backgrounds serving the Imperial Household Department; this identity information helps to understand the records of banner family members having both Chinese names and school qualifications.