Xie Jiufeng

Overview

Xie Jiufeng is a figure from the Xie clan under Volume 77 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*. He belonged to the Plain Yellow Banner's bondservant banner, and his family had lived in Shenyang for generations; the year of their arrival is unknown. The genealogy records that his great-grandson Xie Xun served as a Qiduwei, and his great-great-grandson Xie Liang as a scribe, but it does not specify Xie Jiufeng's own official position. His original name, Jiufeng, is a part of his personal name and should not be interpreted as an official title or a banner unit.

The term "bondservant banner" indicates a specific organizational structure, while "Plain Yellow Banner" refers to the banner color. The Eight Banners not only organized armies but also managed household registration and corvée labor. Clerical officials and military officers jointly supported banner affairs. The cavalry captains were banner camp administrators, involved in troop recruitment and related military affairs; the bondservant cavalry captains were also responsible for the imperial guards, household registration, and salary management.

The Manchu official title for a scribe is *bithesi*, related to books and documents, primarily handling copying, registration, and official written affairs. It cannot be simply equated with a modern secretary, nor can Xie Liang be assigned to translate a particular type of memorial without checking the relevant authorities. Xie Xun and Xie Liang belong to the great-grandson and great-great-grandson generations, respectively. Their inclusion in the current list does not indicate that they were appointed in the same year. The family's banner affiliation, ancestral home, and the positions held by their descendants can be confirmed separately, but their birth and death dates and dates of submission are not yet found in this entry.