Pei Dengju

Overview

Pei Dengju was an ancestor of the Pei family, a Manchu clan during the Qing Dynasty. Volume 78 of the official genealogy of the Eight Banners Manchu Clans, compiled during the Qianlong reign, records that his family had lived in Shenyang for generations, belonging to the Bordered Yellow Banner's bondservant bannermen. The year of their submission is not recorded. Shenyang is present-day Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, an important political center that emerged after the Later Jin Dynasty moved its capital. "Living in" indicates the family's former residence, but does not necessarily prove that Pei Dengju was born there.

"Banners" here refers to an organizational category within the bondservant system, not a musical band. The bannermen of the three banners under the Imperial Household Department were established alongside the Manchu bannermen and stewards, with corresponding positions for population registration, corvée labor, and military management. Therefore, their bannerman status and their Bordered Yellow Banner affiliation should be stated simultaneously, and it is inappropriate to define this person as a member of a Manchu surname solely based on their inclusion in the genealogy.

The original text lists his great-grandson Haoshan as having served as an assistant minister, and his great-great-grandson Pei Xingshu as a scribe. Yuanwailang was a common title for staff members in the Imperial Household Department and other ministries, and their duties were determined according to the specific institution. Bitieshi was responsible for drafting and copying documents. The original text does not list the offices where the two men served, nor does it record Pei Dengju's official position, so it is impossible to add his descendants' positions to his resume.