23 Facts About Jiang Zhongyuan

Jiang Zhongyuan, courtesy name Changrui, was a scholar and soldier from Hunan who fought for the Qing and against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom during the Taiping Rebellion.

Jiang Zhongyuan was born on August 1,1812, in Xinning, Hunan.

Jiang Zhongyuan passed the provincial examination in 1837 and became a juren in 1837.

Jiang Zhongyuan then lived in Beijing for several years, passing a special examination in 1844 to receive the jinshi degree.

Jiang Zhongyuan then became an expectant director of district schools.

Jiang Zhongyuan did not travel to Beijing but instead returned home to mourn the death of his father.

Jiang Zhongyuan's volunteers were known as the Chu Yong and represented the first contingent of Hunanese to fight outside Hunan during the war.

Jiang Zhongyuan was able to win a battle in Guangxi and was promoted to the rank of first-class sub-prefect.

In 1852, when the Taipings threatened Guilin, Jiang Zhongyuan returned to service, leading 1,000 recruits from Xinning to the front.

Five miles north of Quanzhou, Jiang Zhongyuan dammed the Xiang River near the Suoyi ford and set an ambush for the Taiping navy.

The Taiping casualties were staggering; Jiang Zhongyuan's forces captured, burned, or sunk 300 boats and approximately 10,000 Taiping troops were killed.

Jiang Zhongyuan was less successful in stopping the Taiping's subsequent overland invasion of Hunan; while Jiang Zhongyuan was able to besiege some Taiping in Chenzhou for over a month, but the Taiping ultimately broke through and advanced to Changsha, the capital of Hunan.

Jiang Zhongyuan assisted in defending Changsha and the Taiping eventually abandoned their siege of the city, travelling northward along the Yangtze.

Jiang Zhongyuan remained behind to suppress small uprisings with his troops.

In 1853, Jiang Zhongyuan was promoted to intendant and then made provincial judge of Hubei.

Jiang Zhongyuan never reached his destination; in Jiujiang he learned of a planned Taiping attack on Nanchang, left to reinforce the city, and arrived one day before the Taiping.

Jiang Zhongyuan was besieged from June 22 until September 24,1853.

Jiang Zhongyuan then led a small force to Luzhou, the temporary capital of Anhui which was being threatened by the Taiping.

Outnumbered and insufficiently provisioned, Jiang Zhongyuan was unable to hold the city in the face of improved Taiping siege-mining.

Jiang Zhongyuan committed suicide by drowning on January 15,1854.

Jiang Zhongyuan was posthumously granted the rank of governor-general, granted two minor hereditary ranks, and canonized as Zhonglie.

The revised edition included a biography of Jiang Zhongyuan written by Guo Songtao.

Jiang Zhongyuan was said to be admired by his soldiers and has been characterized as being far-sighted, generous, brave and capable of brilliant leadership.