Statesman; born in the province of Ngan-hwuy,
China, Feb. 16, 1823; attained the highest percentage among 40,000 students in the imperial examinations when twenty years old; and was appointed a compiler in the Hanlin College and in the imperial printing-office.
He served with much distinction in the Taiping rebellion of 1860, having charge of the final campaign which crushed the revolt; was created viceroy of the United Countries in 1865; and conquered the Nienfei rebellion in 1868.
In 1870 he was appointed viceroy of Chih-Li and Senior Grand
Secretary of State, and the same year was divested of his various titles for not having assisted the general in command at the time of the
Tientsin massacre.
Soon afterwards, however, he was relieved of his punishment and was appointed Grand
Chancellor.
Subsequently he was appointed viceroy of the metropolitan provinces of Pechili, and so became virtually the chief administrator of the
Chinese Empire.
After the war between
China and
Japan he was a commissioner to negotiate peace, and after the allied army had rescued the foreign
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Li hung Chang. |
representatives in
Peking, in 1900, he was the chief plenipotentiary to arrange with the interested powers the details of peace
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392]
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Fac-simile signatures of Washington's life Guard (1). |
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393]
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Fac-simile signatures of Washington's life Guard (2). |
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and indemnity.
For two or three years prior to the
Boxer outbreak (see
China), and while
Great Britain and
Russia were striving for supremacy in their relations with
China, he was accused of being strongly pro-Russian.
In 1896 he visited the
United States, bearing a special message to the
President.
Earl Li, with Prince Ching, are the representatives of
China in the negotiations following the occupation of
Peking by the
European powers,
Japan, and the
United States.
