Wang Hongde

Overview

Wang Hongde is listed in Volume 75 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, under the entry for the Wang clan. He belonged to the Bordered Yellow Banner's bondservants and his family had long resided in Shenyang. The original record does not specify the year of his arrival or his official position; the directly cited biographical information pertains to his descendants.

His son, Xiteku, served as a fourth-rank official; his grandson, Ula, served as a military officer during the compilation of the genealogy; Changbao and Fobao both served as assistant secretaries. His great-grandson, Jiqing, served as a secretary and was responsible for inspecting the salt administration in Hedong; Changzhu and Fuqing served as scribes; Yifulu, Yifuzhu, Changde, and Changtai were students of the Imperial Academy. The information on his descendants is particularly concentrated on their roles as guards in the banner garrisons, civil servants in government departments, and in salt administration, indicating the diversity of social roles recorded in the genealogy.

"Student of the Imperial Academy" refers to education and a qualification for officialdom, and should not be confused with those already appointed as secretaries or assistant secretaries. Ji Qing's responsibility for inspecting the salt administration cannot be reversed to refer to Wang Hongde's political activities; "Hedong Salt Administration" should not be directly interpreted as salt administration in all areas east of the Yellow River based on modern geographical impressions.