Author: A well-known last feudal lord of the Liangshan Yi, Ling Guangdian

Ling Guangdian

The Ahou family, part of the Black Yi of Liangshan, belongs to the ancient Hou lineage. According to the Yi genealogy, the Yi people of Liangshan are divided into two major blood systems: the ancient Hou and the Qu Nie, which has led to the formation of hundreds of family branches today. The Ahou belong to the ancient Hou system, and after the generation of Mizer, they divided into independent family branches. Mizer had seven sons, among them Mizer Pusuo's descendants, currently only number over ten. Mizer Ahe's descendants became the 'Lowly Black Yi', while Mizer Shetie's descendants became White Yi. Mizer Shupu and Mizer Luopu's descendants became Han people, and Mizer Heju and Mizer Ziqiu's descendants became the well-known Ahou Black Yi of Liangshan.

Ling Guangdian while studying at the Nationalist Kuomintang Whampoa Military Academy

The Ahou Black Yi are numerous, internally united, fierce, and strong, which is unmatched by other Liangshan Yi family branches.

The ancestors of the Ahou people migrated to Liangshan relatively late and could not occupy good land, so they had to live in high mountainous areas. Production is backward in the high mountains, grain yield is low, and life is extremely poor. Each year, the grain is insufficient, so they have to forage for wild vegetables to stave off hunger. They often eat bamboo shoots and mix a type of tender grass known as 'Ge Guo' with their grain.

Ling Guangdian wearing a Nationalist Kuomintang medal

In the past, there were two famous sayings in Liangshan: 'When bamboo shoots are old, the Ahou people are hungry,' meaning the Ahou people have nothing to eat, and 'When the family cooks one pot, seven people from the Ahou family come to eat,' indicating their food predicament.

The head of the Ahou family branch in Liangshan is Ahou Rumuzi.

In 1950, he served as a member of the Xichang Military Management Committee and Deputy Commissioner of the Xichang Commissioner’s Office. From December 1954 to January 1967, he served as Vice Governor of the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. He held the position of representative in the first, second, and third National People's Congress; and was a member of the fifth and sixth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

When winter comes, the men of the Ahou family wander around visiting relatives to find food, freeing up some grain at home to support their wives and children. However, poverty has instead trained them to endure hardships, cherish each other, and unite. Because of their need for food, the Ahou people have been expanding into the territories of other family branches over the years.

In battles, due to the unity, bravery, and strong combat power of the Ahou people, they often achieve victories. They occupy the lands and property of others, which causes deep resentment among people from other families, who often use the saying, 'In the flock of birds, the crow is pleased when someone dies; among sentient beings, the Ahou's death brings joy to others,' to express their feelings.

Like other Yi people in Liangshan, the Ahou people also have an unwritten moral code and principles for conduct, known as Erde in Yi language, which means rules. The Ahou people believe that orphans and widows within the family should not be bullied, and they should not be neglected to the point of separation or death; otherwise, it would be a great shame for the family.

The family leader must be just and brave. In the event of war, besides planning and arranging, they must lead from the front in battle; when collecting funds within the family, they should take the lead in contributing; when guests come to the clan, besides providing according to the specifications, the headman's family must take the initiative to bear the responsibility; when sharing income among clan members, they should not take more than others. Therefore, many people are reluctant to take on the role of family head, as it can be quite disadvantageous.

When the leader mediates disputes, they must repeatedly seek the opinions of those present, including both parties involved, and finally gather their input to formulate a solution, achieving collective wisdom to ensure accuracy and avoid subjective actions. They say, 'A good leader must have three good assistants.'

Without harming fundamental interests, when the Ahou leader resolves disputes between their own people and others, they should allow others a slight advantage, while their own family members should make some concessions. They believe that only in this way can they demonstrate their impartiality and avoid favoritism.

Thus, when relatives or commoners, slaves, and children from the headman's family have disputes with outsiders, they do not wish to involve them in the resolution, seeking to avoid them to prevent suffering losses.

The Black Yi and children of the Ahou family can eat and drink together, with no difference in meals. After getting drunk, they can argue and fight, even catching the heavenly deity without being held accountable, which is absolutely not allowed in many other Yi areas. In other regions, there is a rule that states: 'If you catch the heavenly deity, you must compensate with nine head of cattle.' The matter is that serious; the heavenly deity refers to the long braid of hair left on the heads of Yi men, which is sacred and inviolable.

Those with long hair are like the kneeling figures unearthed from the Sanxingdui site.

For those who commit crimes and repeatedly fail to reform, endangering the lives and property of others, and incurring public resentment but not yet to the point of execution, they may have their eyes gouged out or Achilles tendons severed, rendering them disabled and unable to commit further evils. If it is a child committing evils, they will be tied up and handed over to the other party for disposition.

Ahou people are not allowed to provoke disputes or infringe upon others without reason. For small branches or families within the clan that are on the verge of extinction, as long as there is one person remaining, their property must not be infringed upon; even if the branch becomes extinct, inheritance must still be distributed according to the order of closeness.

If there are mutual killings within the clan, the killer must pay with their life according to clan rules. If it is a case of accidental killing, the individual is expelled from the clan and ordered to leave the territory. Upon departure, they may only take their wife, children, and clothing, and are not allowed to take slaves, land, livestock, or other property; all belongings left behind belong to the family of the deceased.

In the past, an incident occurred: Ahou Jiluoshe's A Tie, while farming buckwheat, accidentally stepped on and killed a child sleeping in the buckwheat pile, resulting in a fatal incident. After repeated discussions among the clan, it was treated as an accidental killing, and he was ordered to leave the territory. A Tie wandered to the current Liangshan Prefecture, Mianzhu County, Lugu Town, where he eventually got married and settled down. His descendants changed their surname to Jiluoshe, with the Han surname Wang, and they still live in the Lugu Town and Manshui Bay area of Mianzhu County.

In war, they also have a set of rules. Parents often tell their children that those from the Ahou family who die heroically in battle are praised, while those who are cowardly like chickens are not only laughed at by others but also bring shame to their parents, who say, 'The Ahou family has millions, and they will never run out; they are not afraid of others seeking revenge.'

The Ahou family does not hold grudges against the individuals from other families when clan members are killed in battle. However, if the enemy employs assassination or surprise attack methods to kill, they must harbor deep hatred and seek revenge.

Before going into battle, a Monger meeting is held, which is a conference. First, the leader gives a motivational speech explaining the reasons for going to battle, what preparations are needed, what to pay attention to, such as the carrying and equipping of weapons, food supplies, clothing, banners, etc., and announces the date of departure. Most of the time, after the Monger meeting, they will line up for inspection, and warriors will speak, urging everyone to advance bravely, support each other, obey commands, and not abandon the bodies of fallen clan members. Then, they will check the preparedness and issue orders to either split routes or concentrate for departure.

The Ahou people pay great attention to their appearance in battle; their clothing must be new and embroidered, adorned in gold and silver, wearing helmets, masks, and arm guards; horses must also be decorated with floral saddles, blue back pads, and floral bridles, with banners at the front of the formation, wearing red and green brocade or blankets supported by bamboo circles to create a tent-like structure. From a distance, they are very conspicuous, making it easy to expose their targets. However, the Ahou people say, 'This can deter the opponent, making them afraid, and because the target is large, the enemy will aim inaccurately and fire, making it harder to hit.'

Injured soldiers in battle take pride in being wounded from the front of their abdomen or chest, and regardless of whether they are injured or dead, they must be carried back and taken care of. If the wound is on their back, it is regarded as a sign of having turned to flee, bringing shame upon the clan, leading to disregard, and they may not even be carried away.

When attacking, if they hear the enemy's gunfire, they are not allowed to lower their heads or bend their waists. If they bend down or even tilt their heads, others will scold them: 'You who eat pig's meat, which bullet do you want to give away?' It is considered honorable to advance with a proud chest.

The combat personnel of the Ahou Black Yi are all Black Yi men, generally not allowing White Yi to serve as combatants. They also say, 'This is our Black Yi matter, not your affair.' Some believe that if a Black Yi is killed by a White Yi, it is a disgrace, and their soul ascends to heaven, with ancestors not accepting them. If a White Yi wants to participate in battle, they must request permission from the Black Yi leader. If granted, it is considered an honor. Generally, White Yi only perform logistical work, carrying food, leading horses, lifting stretchers, shouting encouragement, etc.

During battles, it is forbidden to harm women or capture the slaves of the opponent. This is a commitment to the ancient teachings, such as 'those who harm women have dirty hands,' 'women do not kill, magpies do not catch chickens,' and 'rushing torrents do not wash away slaves, towering cliffs do not drop slaves.'

No matter how intense the war becomes, regardless of the casualties or the depth of the feud, once the farming season begins, both sides agree to a temporary ceasefire.

In ancient times, there were also rules against intentionally destroying crops and seedlings during battles and prohibiting setting fire to houses late at night. The reason is simple: farming cannot stop for war, as women, children, and the elderly unrelated to the conflict would starve to death; actions like trampling on seedlings or setting fires at night are easy to commit but are against natural justice. If everyone does this, no one can survive.

There is a Yi proverb: 'While someone is killed on the ridge, someone can be protected below.' This means that in places where conflicts or disputes arise, even on the battlefield where knives and guns are drawn, if there is a neutral person of status or a woman who intervenes to mediate for protection, they should be given respect and an opportunity.

There is also a saying: 'Only dogs bite those who come to their door.' This means that heroes are distinguished on the battlefield, and those who come to their territory due to visiting relatives or other reasons, even if they are enemies, cannot be harmed; otherwise, they would be ridiculed as 'only knowing how to bark at their own door like a dog.'