Singde ranks as one of the great poets of the Ch'ing period, especially in the writing of tz'ŭ in which he followed patterns set in the period of the Five Dynasties (907–960). The tragic and passionate mood of much of his poetry, and his premature death, invite comparison with the T'ang poet, Li Ho 李賀 (790–816), or with John Keats. It is said that his poems were inspired by his frustrated love for a cousin who was taken to the Palace and whom he therefore could not marry.
Singde's eldest son, Fuge 富格 (or 福哥, 1675–1700), was selected to serve Emperor Shêng-tsu as a page, but died before he could rise to a higher position. Fuge left a son, Jandai 瞻岱 (1700–1741?, posthumous name 恭勤), who served as provincial commander-in-chief of Chihli (1737–38) and of Kansu (after 1738). Singde's second son, Furdon 富爾敦, was a chin-shih of 1700.
Singde is remembered for his part in bringing about the release of the exiled poet, Wu Chao-ch'ien 吳兆騫 (T. 漢槎, 1631–1684), a native Wu-chiang, Kiangsu, who became a chü-jên 1657 at the provincial examination in Nanking. Later in that year one of the chief examiners was accused of corruption, and the successful candidates (also under suspicion for irregularity) were examined in Peking. Though an able writer, Wu was for some reason adjudged unworthy of chü-jên degree and was exiled to Ninguta in Manchuria. He reached his destination in 1659 and endured there an exile's life for twenty-two years. Occasionally he corresponded with old friends, among them the above-mentioned Ku Chên-kuan and Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh. In 1676 Ku wrote a poem which he dedicated to his friend in exile. Singde read it and was so moved that he promised to work for Wu's release—the method used was to make public Wu's merits as a writer. The commission which went to Kirin in 1677 to locate the highest peak of the Ch'ang-pai shan (see under Sabsu) brought back a long poem by Wu eulogizing the mountain as the place where the Ch'ing Imperial Family had originated. This poem was presented to the throne. Other poems by Wu were edited and printed by Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh under the title, 秋笳集 Ch'iu-chia chi, 4 chüan. It was not difficult then for Singde's father to persuade the Emperor to release the exile, and in 1681 he was given his freedom. Singde helped further to rehabilitate Wu by engaging him to teach his brother, K'uei-hsü [q. v.], who later studied under Cha Shên-hsing [q. v.]. The poet's wife had voluntarily joined him in exile in 1661, and while there gave birth to a son, Wu Chên-ch'ên 吳桭臣 (T. 南榮, b. 1664), who in 1726 re-edited his father's works in 8 chüan—likewise with the above-mentioned title, Ch'iu-chia chi. This son was the author of a descriptive account of Ninguta, entitled 寧古塔紀略 Ninguta chi-lüeh, printed about 1721.
[Nien-p'u by Chang Jên-chêng in Kuo-hsüeh chi-k'an (Sinological Journal), vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 741–90; 1/489/26b; 3/327/40a; Ssŭ-k'u, 6/7a, 21/5a, 183/6a; Tung-hua lu, Ch'ien-lung 101/8a; Hu Shih wên-ts'un (see bibl. under Li Ju-chên) 1st series, vol. 3, p. 196; Ninguta chi-lüeh; Shêng-yü [q. v.], Hsüeh-chi hsün-pei lu, 13/3a; Su Hsüeh-lin, "A Study of Two Tz'ŭ Writers of the Ch'ing Period" (in Chinese), Quarterly Journal of Liberal Arts, Wuhan University, vol. 1, no. 3; Kao-tsung shih-lu (see under Hung-li), 136/13a.]
SO-ê-t'u. See under Songgotu.
SONGGOTU 索額圖 (H. 愚庵), d. 1703 ?, official, the "Sosan" of Jesuit accounts, was a member of the Hešeri clan and of the Manchu Plain Yellow Banner. His ancestors once lived at Duyêngge (都英額), but later made their home with the Hada nation (see under Wan), either as captives or to gain protection. His grandfather, Šose 碩色 joined the forces of Nurhaci [q. v.]. Šose's younger brother, Hife 希福 (d. 1652, posthumous name 文簡), was versed in Mongol and Chinese as well as in Manchu, and served Nurhaci in a literary capacity. In 1636 Hife was appointed one of the first Grand Secretaries of the Ch'ing Dynasty, but was discharged in 1644 for having antagonized Tantai (see under Yanggûri). After the downfall of Dorgon's [q. v.] faction in 1651, he was again made a Grand Secretary and in 1652 was given the hereditary rank of a viscount of the third class.
Songgotu's father, Soni 索尼 (d. 1667, posthumous name 文忠), served chiefly as a secretary, but also took part in many military campaigns. About the year 1636 Soni began to serve as a secretary in the Board of Civil Office. He was loyal to Fu-lin [q. v.], and in 1651 plotted with Suksaha (see under Oboi) and the eunuch, Wu Liang-fu (see under Fu-lin), to overthrow Dorgon's clique. For his support of Fu-lin, he was rewarded by being made an earl and by appointment as minister of the Household and a member of the Council of princes and high
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