Qin Shide

Overview

Qin Shide is recorded in Volume 78 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, under the entry for the Qin family. The original text lists him as a bondservant under the Plain White Banner, whose family had lived in the Changbai Mountains region for generations, but the exact year of their arrival is unknown. The genealogy does not specify Qin Shide's own birth and death dates, official positions, or exact place of residence; existing direct information mainly focuses on his descendants' official positions.

His grandson, Yifune, served as a commander of the arrow-bearing corps. His great-grandson, Jilin, served as a stable master; Lao Ge served as an acting clerk when the genealogy was compiled; his great-great-grandson, Guanyinbao, served as a scribe; Fuxing served as a guard officer; and another person, whose given name is "Fifty-Nine," served as a ceremonial attendant. His fourth-generation descendant, Zhaltai, served as a scribe when the genealogy was compiled. The positions of commander of the arrow-bearing corps, stable master, and scribe respectively involved palace service, stable management, and clerical affairs, and cannot be simply categorized as ordinary military officers.

"Acting clerk" should not be written as a formally appointed clerk, and "Fifty-Nine" in this section is a name, not an age or serial number to be filled in. Changbai Mountain is the historical ancestral home recorded in genealogy books. It cannot be used to determine a certain modern county for Qin Shide, nor can the official positions of these descendants be written as his own official career.