Sun Chaochen

Overview

Sun Chaochen appears in Volume 79 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, under the entry for the Sun clan, and is recorded as a member of the Bordered White Banner, residing in Liaoyang. The original text states that the year of his arrival is unknown, and does not record Sun Chaochen's official position or birth and death dates. What is currently known is the official position of this branch of the family from his great-grandson down for several generations.

His great-grandsons Andali and Jindali both served as military officers. Sengbao served as a scribe when the genealogy was compiled. His great-great-grandson Piantu served as a master of ceremonies, Sanyatu as a military officer, Baiyatu as a cavalry officer, and Guanyinbao as a lieutenant colonel. His fourth-generation descendant, Qifu, served as a scribe at that time. Although military officers, cavalry officers, and lieutenant colonels all involve the military system, their positions and subordinate relationships differ, and they cannot be combined into a single record of a person's continuous promotion.

"Master of Ceremonies" is a separate title for ceremonial affairs and should not be mistaken for a military position. Sun Chaochen's banner affiliation is described as Bordered White Banner, without mentioning "bondservant" under his entry. Therefore, the "bondservant" label cannot be arbitrarily added simply because of the different statuses of neighboring members of the Sun family. Furthermore, the genealogy does not confirm that the aforementioned individuals of the same generation were brothers.