Bushan

Overview

Bushan was a member of the Zhangjia clan, a bondservant of the Plain Yellow Banner. Volume 40 of the official Qing dynasty genealogy, *The Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that he lived in the Zhangjia area of ​​Ma'erdun for generations, surrendering during the Tiancong era and originally serving as a herdsman. Tiancong was the reign title of Huang Taiji's Later Jin dynasty, indicating his surrender occurred before the Qing dynasty entered the Central Plains; Zhangjia was his surname, and the Plain Yellow Banner and bondservant status respectively indicate his banner affiliation and specific subordinate status.

A herdsman was an official in charge of pastoral affairs. The specific institution and livestock under his jurisdiction need to be determined based on his resume; one cannot simply assume he was a herdsman based on the word "herdsman," nor should one directly assume he was in charge of national horse administration. Bondservant status does not equate to the absence of an official position; the original genealogy clearly states his position as herdsman, and his status and actual duties should be described together.

His son, Shuose, served as a Yunhui Shi (Cloud Banner Envoy). Yunhui Shi was an official in the Qing dynasty's ceremonial and imperial carriage system, and should not be confused with Yunqiwei: the former was a substantive title, while the latter was a hereditary one. The father, the shepherd, and the son, the cloud-bearer, belonged to two different generations, which does not constitute a personal transfer record for Bushan, nor does it prove that the father and son belonged to the same institution. The location of Ma'erdun Zhangjia, the specific institution of the shepherd, the term of office of the cloud-bearer, and the affiliation of the bondservants are pending verification from the original printed source and archives.