Zuo Zongtang
Zuo Zongtang, also known as General Tso, was a prominent Chinese military leader and Confucian scholar born into a gentry family. He played a significant role during the Taiping Rebellion from 1850 to 1864, where he led military efforts against the rebels in his home province and recruited volunteer forces in Jiangxi and Anhui. His leadership and military successes earned him titles such as earl and marquis as he served in various governor roles, notably in Zhejiang and later in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Zuo's campaigns also included the suppression of the Nian Rebellion and a prolonged conflict against Muslim rebels across northwest China, which contributed to the Qing dynasty's territorial integrity. His strategic victories, particularly in Xinjiang, led to diplomatic gains when Russia returned the Ili region to China in 1881. Despite his request for retirement in 1882 due to health concerns, Zuo was tasked with quelling further unrest. He held multiple influential positions until the late 1880s, reflecting his enduring significance in Qing military history.
Zuo Zongtang
Military leader
- Born: November 10, 1812
- Birthplace: Xiangyin, China
- Died: September 5, 1885
- Place of death: Fuzhou, China
Also known as: Tso Tsung-T’ang
Born: November 10, 1812; Xiangyin, China
Died: September 5, 1885; Fuzhou, China
Principal wars: Taiping Rebellion, Nian Rebellion, Muslim rebellions in northwest China
Military significance: Zuo was the chief military leader who suppressed the Taiping, Nian, and other rebellions in China.
Born into gentry, Zuo Zongtang became a Confucian scholar. During the Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864), Zuo led the fight against the rebels in his native province. He also recruited a volunteer force to battle the Taipings in Jiangxi and Anhui provinces (1860). As governor of Zhejiang province (1862–1863) and governor general of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces (1863–1866), he continued fighting the Taipings, earning the title of earl. In 1866, Zuo was appointed governor general of Shaanxi and Gansu provinces to quell Muslim rebellions. Diverted on his way, Zuo led the troops that destroyed the Nian Rebellion (1853–1868) in east-central China. From 1868 to 1878, he fought the Muslim rebels in Shaanxi, Gansu, and Xinjiang, receiving the title of marquis. During this time, he successfully argued for funds for his campaigns over Li Hongzhang, who advocated strong coastal defense. Zuo’s victories in Xinjiang caused the Russians in 1881 to give back Ili, a region in western Xinjiang they occupied in 1871. Recalled to Beijing, he was given several prominent positions. In 1882, he asked to retire because of ill health and age, but the government refused, sending Zuo to suppress a rebellion in Shangdong. In 1884, Zuo was given complete control over the military and appointed governor of Fujian as war approached with France over Annam (Vietnam). Before Zuo reached Fujian, the fighting had stopped.
Bibliography
Chen, Gideon. Tso Tsung T’ang. New York: Paragon Book Reprint, 1968.
Chin, Shunshin. The Taiping Rebellion. Armonk, N.Y.: M. E. Sharpe, 2000.
Fields, Lanny B. Tso Tsung-t’ang and the Muslims in Northwest China, 1868–1880. Kingston, Ontario, Canada: Limestone Press, 1978.
Hummel, Arthur W., ed. Eminent Chinese of the Ch’ing Period, 1644–1912. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1944.