Zeng Guofan: Encyclopedia - Zeng Guofan

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.

Zeng Guofan - 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.

Zeng Guofan - 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.

Zeng Guofan - 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.

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.

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.

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.

Zeng Guofan - 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.

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.

Zeng Guofan - 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.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Zeng Guofan", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki