Meng Ke

Overview

Meng Ke appears in Volume 77 of the official Qing Dynasty compilation, *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, under the entry for the "Meng Family." He belonged to the Plain White Banner's bondservant bannermen, and his family had lived in Shenyang for generations; the year of their submission is unknown. This entry does not specify Meng Ke's official position but preserves some of the positions held by his descendants. Therefore, one cannot infer that Meng Ke himself held the same position simply because his descendants served in the court or banner government agencies.

The original record states that his grandson, Laga, served as a pastoral chief, and his great-great-grandson, at the age of 75, served as a stable chief, and at the age of 60, a scribe. The numbers "75" and "60" appear in the context of individual names and should not be interpreted based on age or number. "Great-great-grandson" is a historical genealogical term for a great-great-grandson. Both pastoral chiefs and stable chiefs were involved in animal husbandry or stable management, but their responsibilities must be determined in conjunction with the specific government office. A scribe was a clerk in the government office and should not be confused with a stable chief.

This record shows that descendants of the same family could hold positions in different systems, reflecting the concise narrative characteristic of Qing Dynasty banner genealogies. The original text does not list the complete intermediate lineage from Laga to the 75th or 60th, nor does it specify the exact address of the Mengke family in Shenyang. When relevant details are insufficient, encyclopedias should accurately state the boundaries of the data to avoid expanding limited information on official positions into unsubstantiated family deeds.