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Zuo Zongtang

Late Qing commander and governor-general who founded the Mawei shipyard and, as imperial commissioner, recovered Xinjiang outside Ili and proposed making it a province

Also known as Zi Jigao · Yi Deng Ke Jing Bo · Wen Xiang · Shangan Zongdu

Zuo Zongtang, courtesy name Jigao, came from Xiangyin in Hunan. He gained the provincial degree in 1832 but failed the metropolitan examination three times. He ran military business for the Hunan governor Luo Bingzhang, then raised troops under Zeng Guofan and fought in Jiangxi and Zhejiang, becoming Earl Kejing of the first rank for retaking Zhejiang in 1864. In 1866 he founded the shipyard at Mawei near Fuzhou and moved to the Shaanxi-Gansu governor-generalship, campaigning against the Western Nian and the Muslim risings there. Named imperial commissioner for Xinjiang in 1875, he recovered every city except Ili within two years, was raised to marquis and proposed turning the region into a province. In 1880 he advanced from Suzhou to Hami taking his own coffin with him. He later served as grand councillor and governor-general at Nanjing, directed Fujian's defence in the war with France, and died at Fuzhou in 1885 under the posthumous name Wenxiang, a year after Xinjiang became a province.

Life and times

Dates 1812 CE–1885 CE

EraQing
  1. 1861Self-Strengthening MovementTook partage 49
  2. 1866Zuo Zongtang Founds the Fuzhou Shipyardage 54
  3. 1876Zuo Zongtang Reconquering XinjiangTook partage 64
  4. c. 1876Zuo Zongtang Plans the Xinjiang Campaignage 64
  5. 1876Liu Jintang Takes Gumujiage 64
  6. 1876Qing Forces Recover Urumqiage 64
  7. 1876Manas Siege Ends Northern Campaignage 64
  8. 1877Battle of Dabanchengage 65
  9. 1877Recovery of Turpanage 65
  10. c. 1877Recovery of the Southern Xinjiang Citiesage 65
  11. 1878Qing Forces Recover Most of Xinjiangage 66