Guo Luo Clan

Overview

The Guo Luo clan is a Manchu surname recorded in Volume 58 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, an official compilation from the Qianlong era. Their ancestral home was in Zhanhe and Hada, Changbai Mountain. Jia Qiaozi, a bondservant of the Bordered White Banner, resided in Zhanhe, Changbai Mountain; he himself held the position of Grand Bondservant, and his grandson, Hedase, held an eighth-rank official position. An Bulu, a bondservant of the Bordered Blue Banner, resided in Hada; he himself served as a military officer, his son, Alzhan, was a first-class bodyguard, his grandson, Fo, was a military officer, and his great-grandson, Huase, was a third-class bodyguard. Both branches submitted to the Qing dynasty at the beginning of its rule.

Boatsership refers to a specific organizational affiliation; the Grand Bondservant managed the corresponding ranks. Bodyguards were subordinate to the government, and military officers managed their assigned guards. The term "military officer" should be retained in its original form, without arbitrarily adding "valiant cavalry" or "military officer." The placement of "Fo" in the grandson's name does not indicate religious affiliation.

The eighth-rank official position only records the rank; Hedase's specific duties are not yet clear. Although both branches are recorded as bondservantes, this does not presume they belonged to the same princely residence or the same administrator. Information regarding their different banner colors and ancestral homes must still be recorded separately. The historical scope of Zhanhe in Changbai Mountain, the specific organization of the military academy, the affiliation of the prefecture, and the relationship between the two branches' genealogies still need to be verified. Modern waterways with the same name should not be used to directly replace ancient village sites.