Zongde

Overview

Zongde is a member of the Plain White Banner under the Zong clan, as recorded in Volume 78 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*. His family had long resided in the "Hupuqin region," and the year of their submission is unknown. He once served as a pastoral chief. This book is an official genealogy compiled during the Qianlong reign. This volume lists these families as Han Chinese surnames within the Manchu banner system; the origin of the surname should not be confused with the banner registration.

A pastoral chief was an official in charge of livestock management, not a general term for "herdsmen's leaders." The *Draft History of the Qing Dynasty* lists pastoral chiefs separately in the official systems of the Imperial Stables and Princes' Mansions: the Imperial Stables were responsible for imperial horse administration, while the Princes' Mansions' pastoral chiefs were responsible for cattle and horse breeding. The ranks of these institutions differed; therefore, when the original entry only stated "pastoral chief," it was impossible to specify Zongde's affiliated institution and specific rank.

Zongde's son, Qishi, served as a storehouse manager, and his grandson, Huashan, served as a third-class imperial bodyguard. Seventy is a surname. The treasury manager was responsible for managing the treasury. The third-rank imperial guards were palace guards with different ranks. Imperial guards were responsible for duties such as palace duty, guarding, and escorting, and were not the same type of position as the treasury manager or the storekeeper.