Sun Zhali

Overview

Sun Zhali was a member of the Songjia clan of the Plain Blue Banner. Volume 42 of the official Qing dynasty compilation, *the Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, records that the family originally resided in Dong'e, surrendering to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of the reign. His eldest son, Subahai, served as a zuoling (military officer). Sun Zhali is a personal name; the surname should be determined based on the Songjia clan's title, and should not be changed to the Han surname Sun simply because the first character is "Sun."

His second son, Surmai, joined the army from a non-military post, participating in battles at Lushun, Yizhou, and Yongping, earning the titles of Qiduwei, Third-Class Qingche duwei, and Baturu (a bravery honorific). He later managed zuoling. His military achievements and imperial decrees led to successive promotions in hereditary rank, eventually reaching the positions of Deputy Commander-in-Chief and Vice Minister of War. He died with the posthumous title of Diligent and Brave. Non-military post, title, hereditary rank, and actual rank are different types of records.

Surmai's position was later inherited by Suntaha, Suozhu, and Wuge. Suozhu's inheritance was deducted from the imperial decree's bonus. Wuge, after serving as Minister of Works, was convicted of a crime, and his nephew, Jiuzhu, inherited the position. Other descendants of Sun Zhali include Jiangning General, Chief Clerk, and Clerk. The Deputy Commander-in-Chief was a military officer of the Eight Banners, and the Vice Minister of War and the Minister of Works were in charge of different departments, so they cannot be considered alternative titles for the same rank. The electronic text includes place names in Jiaocheng County, Shandong, details of various battles and the dates of succession, and the ancestral home of Dong E, pending verification of the original printed edition and archives.