Deng Yuankui

Overview

Deng Yuankui is a figure from the Deng clan section of Volume 77 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*. He belonged to the Bordered Yellow Banner and was a bondservant under the Guanling (GuanLing) branch. His family had lived in Tieling for generations, but the year of their submission is unknown. The genealogy records that his great-grandson, Bage, and great-great-grandson, Shuangxi, both served as scribes; however, it does not record Deng Yuankui's own official position. These two names correspond to descendants from different generations.

Tieling is a historical city in present-day Liaoning Province. "Original residence" indicates the family's original place of residence, not necessarily the location where descendants held office. "Bordered Yellow Banner" refers to the banner color, and "under the Guanling" indicates affiliation and organizational structure; "under the Guanling" does not refer to an official position within the Imperial Household Department. During the Qing Dynasty, the Imperial Household Department managed corvée labor and palace supplies through Guanling and related officials. Banner affiliation in this system had both organizational significance and influenced the service relationships of personnel.

"Biteshi" was a clerical official, transliterated from Manchu as bithesi, related to "bithe" meaning book or document. Their duties involved copying, registration, and written affairs. Different government offices may have different requirements for Manchu and Chinese languages. The records of two generations of scribes indicate that someone in the family participated in the official document work, but the repeated titles cannot be used to infer automatic hereditary succession, or to consider Bag's original position and Shuangxi's current position at the time of compilation as being in office at the same time.