Tan Yu

Overview

Tan Yu was a bondservant (BaoYiQiGu) of the Plain Yellow Banner during the Qing Dynasty, and his family had lived in Shenyang for generations. Volume 78 of the official genealogy of the Eight Banners Manchu Clans, compiled during the Qianlong reign, records that he served as an Assistant Minister (YuanWaiLang), but the year of his surrender is unknown, and the institution and term of office are not specified. The Plain Yellow Banner was one of the Upper Three Banners; "bondservant bannerman" refers to the status of those serving the imperial family and cannot be interpreted as ordinary civilian or a professional musician.

An Assistant Minister (YuanWaiLang) was a position in the ministries and departments of the Imperial Household Department during the Qing Dynasty, sharing the affairs of their respective offices with other officials such as Directors (LangZhong) and Principals (ZhuShi). Due to the different divisions of labor in different government offices, this title alone cannot determine whether Tan Yu was in charge of finance, criminal cases, or public works.

The original text also records that his son, Keshitu, served as a Commandant of Ceremonial Guard (ZhengYiWei), and his grandson, Keshike, served as a Qiduwei (XiaoQiXiao). The Commandant of Ceremonial Guard was an official of the Imperial Guard, responsible for managing the emperor's ceremonial procession and carriages; the Qiduwei was a military position within the Eight Banners, involved in the management of their subordinate officers and soldiers. The positions held by the father, son, and grandson involved government administration, ceremonial duties, and flag affairs, respectively, and cannot be combined into the experiences of Tan Yu alone. The original text also provides no evidence of military exploits or hereditary appointments.