User:Billallen37
Li Xiucheng | |
|---|---|
 Li Xiucheng | |
| Nickname(s) | Philanthropist |
| Born | 0 December 1823 invalid month invalid day Teng (藤縣), Guangxi, Qing Empire |
| Died | 7 August 1864 (aged 41) Jiangning, Nanjing, Qing Empire |
| Allegiance | Qing Empire (to 1849) Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (to 1864) |
| Years of service | 1852–1864 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Battles/wars | Eastern campaign
Western campaign
|
| Awards | Loyal King |
Li Xiucheng (Chinese: 李秀成; pinyin: Lǐ Xiùchéng; 1823 – August 7, 1864) was an military commander during the Taiping Rebellion, he borned in a poor peasant family, and known as the Loyal King (忠王)during his military tenure. This title was given because a general form Qing tried to bribe him to kill the leader of the Taiping Rebellion-Hong Xiuquan, but he refused and told it to Hong Xiuquan. Bedsides, his loyalty led Taiping's forces to make a lot of military victories under Hong Xiuquan's Taiping Administration. He was executed by Zeng Guofan after a interrogation in 1864. Li was the most important general during the latter part of the Taiping Rebellion.
Notable victories against the Qing military forces[edit]
Second rout of the Jiangnan Army Group[edit]
The Army Group Jiangnan (江南大營) was an important Qing's army barracks in Nanjing. Li Xiucheng tried to besieged it and let the Qing's army starve out. This circumvent used twice by Li Xiucheng, besides; in the second encirclement, the Qing army commanded 200,000 soldiers to fight with Taiping forces from March 1858, but they were routed by Li Xiucheng in May 1860. After that, Li went on to occupy all of Jiangsu provinces except Shanghai.
The Two Attacks on Shanghai[edit]
- Battle of Shanghai (1861) (the second time)
Escaped from Suzhou: Sadness[edit]
Li Xiucheng's palace in Suzhou is the only one from the Taiping Rebellion that exists today. In July 1863, Li ordered his daughter's husband, Tan SauGuan, to take over control of Suzhou. But Li Hongzhang lead the Why Army combined by the "Ever Victorious Army," which, having been raised by an American named Frederick Townsend Ward, was placed under the command of Charles George Gordon. With this support, Li Hongzhang gained numerous victories leading to the surrender of Suzhou.
Determining battle: lead defend capital Nanjing[edit]
Chiang Donkey[edit]
The Chiang Donkey (蔣驢子) was Li Xiucheng's stable manager. Before the fall of Nanjing after three months in 1864, Li Xiucheng took his wealth, including much treasure, to Chiang Donkey and asked Chiang to take it out of Nanjing quickly and wait for Li Xiucheng somewhere. Chiang promised and took treasure by 20 horses and cows car, but Li was executed at last. Thus, Chiang Donkey became rich in Nanjing after the civil war.
Writing[edit]
In Zhong Prince Li Xiucheng Describes Himself (《忠王李秀成自述》), the autobiographical account of a prince of the Heavenly Kingdom written shortly before his execution (Pseudohistory saying Li was suicide admitted by Zeng Guofan gave Li a sword because Zeng respected Li, even Li Hongzhang had been read this describes and praised Li Xiucheng was a hero on a letter to Zeng).
Li's sword[edit]
When Li withdrew from Suzhou, his sword—the symbol of his power—was given to his young brother Li Shixian. Li Shixian took this sword but lost and was captured by Charles George Gordon in Liyang.
When Charles George Gordon came back to the UK with Li's sword, he gave it to Queen Victoria's cousin's brother, chief commander of the military the Duke of Cambridge. Who gave the sword to his brother's daughter.
On the 30. August 1961 a professor of history at the University of London discovered this sword. He was very excited, certain that the sword had belonged to the great revolutionary Li Xiucheng.
In 1981, this sword was returned to China and is currently stored in the National Museum of China.
Children[edit]
Son
- Li Ronfar Battle of Shanghai (1861)
Li Xiucheng had three daughters, their husbands were Taiping generals:
Sources[edit]
Tiān Guó Zwi(天國志)
Category:1823 births
Category:1864 deaths
Category:Executed Chinese people
Category:Chinese Hakka people
Category:Military leaders of the Taiping Rebellion
Category:People executed by the Qing Dynasty
Category:People from Wuzhou
Category:19th-century executions