General Zeng Guofan

Marquess Zēng Guófán, (t.:曾國藩; s.:曾国藩; Wade-Giles: Tseng Kuo-fan, Courtesy Bóhán 伯函, Pseudonym: Díshēng 滌生; Posthumous name: Wenzheng 文正) (November 21, 1811 – March 12, 1872) was an eminent Han Chinese official of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. He served as Jin Shi under the Daoguang Emperor. He later raised the Xiang army to fight effectively against the Taiping Rebellion. He was known for his military skill and sometimes for his ruthlessness. Image File history File links Zeng_Guofan. ... Image File history File links Zeng_Guofan. ... Wang (King) and Huangdi (Emperor) The King or Wang (王 wang2) was the title of the Chinese head of state from the Zhou dynasty until the Qin dynasty. ... Traditional Chinese characters are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ... Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: 简体字; Traditional Chinese: 簡體字; pinyin: jiǎntǐzì; also called 简化字/簡化字, jiǎnhuàzì) are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... Cha can also refer to a Latin American dance, also called the Cha-cha-cha. ... Cha can also refer to a Latin American dance, also called the Cha-cha-cha. ... A posthumous name (Traditional Chinese: 諡號/謚號 Simplified Chinese: 谥号; Pinyin: shì hào; Romaji: shigō/tsuigō; Revised Romanization of Korean: siho) is a honorary name given to royalty in some cultures posthumously, that is, after the persons death. ... November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Joyce Rollins is a lesbian. ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in Leap years). ... 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Han Chinese (Simplified Chinese: 汉族; Traditional Chinese: 漢族; Hanyu pinyin: ) is a term which refers to the majority ethnic group within China and the largest single human ethnic group in the world. ... The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: qÄ«ng cháo; Wade-Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was a dynasty founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China, expanded into China proper and the surrounding territories of Inner... The Daoguang Emperor (September 16, 1782 - February 25, 1850) was the seventh emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1820 to 1850. ... Alternative meaning: Hunan Xiang (Chinese: 相) is the name of a Xia dynasty ruler who reigned during the third millennium BC. Categories: People stubs | China-related stubs ... The Taiping Rebellion (太平天國, 1851–1864) was the second bloodiest conflict in history[citation needed], a clash between the forces of Imperial China and those inspired by a Hakka self-proclaimed mystic named Hong Xiuquan, a Christian convert who had claimed that he was the new Messiah and younger brother of...

Early life

Born a native of Xiangxiang, Hunan (湘乡) in 1811, Zeng Zicheng (曾子城) was the grandson of Zeng Yiping, a prosperous farmer with social and political ambitions. He passed the prefectural examination in 1833, only a year after his father Zeng Linshu (c. Zhuting). He passed the provincial examination a year later, and by 1838, at age 27, he had successfully passed the metropolitan examinations, a prestigious achievement in China. He had earned the Jinshi degree, somewhat similar to a doctorate, which led to his appointment to the Hanlin Academy, a body of outstanding literary scholars in the country, whom performed literary tasks for the imperial court. It was at Hanlin where he changed his name to Zeng Guofan, which sounded more prestigious. Zeng served in Beijing for more than 13 years, and remained devoted to the interpretation of the Confucian Classics. He moved relatively quickly up the ranks, advancing to 2nd-Pin in five years. Hunan (Chinese: 湖南; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is a province of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting (hence the name Hunan, meaning south of the lake). Hunan is sometimes called 湘 (pinyin: Xiāng) for short, after the Xiang River which runs through the province. ... Joyce Rollins is a lesbian. ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Cha can also refer to a Latin American dance, also called the Cha-cha-cha. ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The imperial examinations (科舉, kējǔ) in dynastic China determined positions in the civil service, which had promoted upward mobility among the people for centuries. ... The Hanlin Academy (翰林院) was founded in China in the 8th century. ... China has a wealth of classical literature, both poetry and prose, dating from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (1122 BC - 256 BC) and including the Chinese classics texts, or Chinese canonical texts. ...

Entry into imperial politics

In 1843 he was appointed chief literary examiner in the province of Sichuan, and six years later was made Junior Vice-President of the Board of Rites (礼部侍郎). When holding the office of Military Examiner (1851) he was compelled by the death of his mother to retire to his native district for the regulation mourning. At this time the Taiping rebels were overrunning Hunan in their conquering career, and had possessed themselves of the cities and strongholds on both shores of the Yangtze River. By a special decree Zeng was ordered to assist the governor of the province in raising a volunteer force, and on his own initiative he built a fleet of war junks, with which he attacked the rebels. This force eventually became known as Zeng's famous Xiang Army. In his first engagement he was defeated, but his lieutenants were more successful. They recovered the capital, Changsha, and destroyed the rebel fleet. Following up these victories of his subordinates, Zeng recaptured Wuchang and Hanyang, near Hankow, and was rewarded for his success by being appointed vice-president of the board of war. 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Sichuan (Chinese: 四川; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ssu-ch`uan; Postal Pinyin: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in central-western China with its capital at Chengdu. ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Taiping Rebellion (太平天國, 1851–1864) was the second bloodiest conflict in history[citation needed], a clash between the forces of Imperial China and those inspired by a Hakka self-proclaimed mystic named Hong Xiuquan, a Christian convert who had claimed that he was the new Messiah and younger brother of... Afternoon light on the jagged grey mountains rising from the Yangtze River gorge The Yangtze River or Chang Jiang is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world after the Amazon in South America and the Nile in Africa. ... Changsha (Simplified Chinese: 长沙; Traditional Chinese: 長沙; pinyin: Ch ng shā; Wade-Giles: Chang-sha) is the capital of Hunan, a province of Southcentral China, located on the lower reaches of Xiangjiang river, a branch of Chang Jiang. ... Wuchang (Chinese: 武昌; pinyin: Wǔchāng) is one of the three towns, together with Hankou and Hanyang, which are included in modern day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, in China. ... Hanyang is also a former name of Seoul, South Korea. ... Hankou (漢口; pinyin: Hànkǒu; Wade-Giles: Hankow) is one of the three towns, together with Wuchang and Hanyang, which are included in modern day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, in China. ...

Fame and military campaigns

In 1853 other triumphs led to his being made a baturu (a Manchu order for rewarding military prowess), and to his being decorated with a yellow riding-jacket. Meanwhile, in his absence, the rebels retook Wuchang and burnt the protecting fleet. The tide quickly turned, however, and Zeng succeeded in clearing the country round the Poyang lake, and subsequently in ridding the province of Jiangsu of the enemy. His father died in 1857, and after a brief mourning he was ordered to take supreme command in Zhejiang, and to co-operate with the governor of Fujian in the defence of that province. 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Manchu (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: 满族; Traditional Chinese: 滿族; Hanyu pinyin: ) are a Tungusic people who originated in Northeastern Asia, collectively known in English as Manchuria. ... Lake Poyang (Chinese: 鄱阳湖; pinyin: ), located in Jiangxi Province, is the largest freshwater lake in China. ... Jiangsu (Simplified Chinese: 江苏; Traditional Chinese: 江蘇; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chiang-su; Postal System Pinyin: Kiangsu) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Zhejiang (Chinese: 浙江; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Che-chiang; Postal System Pinyin: Chehkiang or Chekiang) is an eastern coastal province of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Subsequently the rebels were driven westwards, and Zeng would have started in pursuit had he not been called on to clear the province of Anhui of rebel bands. In 1860 he was appointed Viceroy of Liangjiang (the provinces of Jiangxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu: 两江总督) and Imperial war commissioner. At this time, and for some time previously, he had been fortunate in having the active support of Zuo Zongtang, who at a later period recovered Kashgar for the emperor, and of Li Hongzhang. Like all true leaders of men, he knew how to reward good service, and when occasion offered he appointed the former to the governorship of Zhejiang and the latter to that of Jiangsu. In 1862 he was appointed assistant grand secretary of state. At this time the Imperial forces, assisted by the " Ever-victorious Army," had checked the progress of the rebellion, and Zeng was able to carry out a scheme which he had long formulated of besieging Nanjing, the rebel headquarters. While Gordon, with the help of Li Hongzhang, was clearing the cities on the lower waters of the Yangtze River, Zeng drew closer his besieging lines around the doomed city. Anhui (Chinese: 安徽; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: An-hui; Postal System Pinyin: Ngan-hui, Anhwei or An-hwei) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... For the butterfly, see viceroy butterfly. ... Jiangxi (Chinese: 江西; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chiang-hsi; Postal System Pinyin: Kiangsi) is a southern province of the Peoples Republic of China, spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south. ... Anhui (Chinese: 安徽; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: An-hui; Postal System Pinyin: Ngan-hui, Anhwei or An-hwei) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Jiangsu (Simplified Chinese: 江苏; Traditional Chinese: 江蘇; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chiang-su; Postal System Pinyin: Kiangsu) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. ... Portrait of General Tso, by Piassetsky, 1875 ZuÇ’ Zōngtáng (左宗棠) (November 10, 1812-September 5, 1885), spelled Tso Tsung-tang in Wade-Giles and known simply as General Tso to Westerners, was a gifted Chinese military leader born in Wenjialong, north of Changsha in Hunan province, during the... Location of Kashgar Kashgar (Uyghur: قەشقەر/K̢ǝxk̢ǝr; Chinese: 喀什; Hanyu Pinyin: , 39°28′N 76°03′E), is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Li Hongzhang (February 15, 1823 – November 7, 1901) was a Chinese general who ended several major rebellions, and a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire. ... The last major engagement of the Taiping Rebellion, in 1864, this battle occurred after the suicide of the king of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Hong Xiuquan. ... Li Hongzhang (February 15, 1823 – November 7, 1901) was a Chinese general who ended several major rebellions, and a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire. ...

In July 1864 Nanjing fell into his hands, and he was rewarded with the rank and title of Marquess, First Class (一等候) and the right to wear the double-eyed peacock's feather (双眼花翎). After the suppression of the Taiping Rebellion, the Nian Rebellion (捻軍起義), closely related to the former movement, broke out in Shandong, and Zeng was sent to quell it. Nanjing (Chinese: 南京; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Nan-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Nanking), is the capital of Chinas Jiangsu Province and a city with a prominent place in Chinese history and culture. ... The Nien Rebellion was an uprising that took place in northern China from 1851-1863. ... Shandong (Simplified Chinese: 山东; Traditional Chinese: 山東; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Shan-tung) is a coastal province of eastern Peoples Republic of China. ...

Success did not, however, always attend him on this campaign, and by Imperial order he was relieved of his command by Li Hongzhang, who in the same way succeeded him in the viceroyalty of Zhili, where, after the massacre of Tianjin (1870), Zeng failed to carry out the wishes of his Imperial master. Instead of the desired policy towards foreigners, Zeng took on a more diplomatic stance. After this rebuff he retired to his viceroyalty at Nanjing, where he died in 1872. Not to be confused with the unrelated province of Hubei Hebei (Chinese: 河北; pinyin: Hébĕi; Wade-Giles: Ho-pei; Postal System Pinyin: Hopeh), is a northern province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

Family & Personal

Zeng was a voluminous writer. His papers addressed to the throne and his literary disquisitions are held in high esteem by the scholars of China, who treasure as a memorial of a great and un-corrupt statesman the edition of his collected works in 156 books, which was edited by Li Hongzhang in 1876. Zeng enjoyed reading greatly, and held a special interest in the 23 Histories, and other classics. He was also a dedicated poet. 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

Unlike his contemporaries, Zeng was officially married only once, to a woman of the Ouyang family when he was in his late teens. His wife was known to be a capable woman. He had 3 sons and 5 daughters with her, and two of his eldest children died young. His eldest son, Zeng Jize, went on to become a famous diplomat in late-Qing history. Ouyang, (also OYoung, Owyang, Au Yong, Auyong, Au Yeung, Au Ieong) (Simplified Chinese: 欧阳, Traditional Chinese: 歐陽) is one of the most common two-character Chinese surnames in the world, although for a surname, it falls out of the top two hundred as documented by...

His younger brother, Zeng Guoquan, is an ambitious general in the Xiang Army. He later is appointed Viceroy of Liangjiang (the provinces of Jiangxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu: 两江总督) in 1884.

Opinion & Legacy

Zeng Guofan's legacy in history is two-fold. He is either criticized as a traitor of the Chinese people, or seen as a hero in preserving order and stability. Many in China and abroad admire his ability to successfully survive in the ruthless Late-Qing bureaucracy. Some have blamed Zeng for all the civilian losses and damages done from the Taiping Rebellion, others criticize him for being too friendly with certain foreign ideas. Since the Cultural Revolution, the criticism of Zeng gradually began to disappear. Chinese author Tang Haoming published in 1992 his three-book trilogy Zeng Guofan, a novelization of Zeng's life during and after the Taiping Rebellion. This trilogy characterized Zeng as a common person, but had adopted a much more positive view of Zeng. Both Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek have praised Zeng's ability in military and political affairs. Especially in recent years, Zeng Guofan's life and his works have been the topic of many new publications. Zeng's leadership and military skills had been used by many as a new field of thought aiding in business or bureaucratic dealings. The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: qīng cháo; Wade-Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was a dynasty founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China, expanded into China proper and the surrounding territories of Inner... The Taiping Rebellion (太平天國, 1851–1864) was the second bloodiest conflict in history[citation needed], a clash between the forces of Imperial China and those inspired by a Hakka self-proclaimed mystic named Hong Xiuquan, a Christian convert who had claimed that he was the new Messiah and younger brother of... A poster during the Cultural Revolution. ... (help· info) (December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976; Mao Tse-tung in Wade-Giles) was the chairman of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China from 1943 and the chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China from 1945 until his death in 1976. ... Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975) was a Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) after the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925. ...

External links

• Supressor of the Taiping Rebellion: Hakka Zeng Guofan
• Tang Haoming's Three-Book Trilogy of Zeng Guofan's life 《曾国藩》 (Chinese)