In the vast river of history, countless brilliant stars shine among them, their radiance transcending time and space, illuminating the way forward for future generations. In the late Qing Dynasty of China, there was such a legendary figure - Zuo Zongtang. His life is like a magnificent epic, worthy of our careful appreciation and interpretation.
Zuo Zongtang among the famous officials of the late Qing Dynasty: an underestimated shining star
When it comes to the "Four Famous Ministers of the Late Qing Dynasty", different opinions include names such as Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, Li Hongzhang, Hu Linyi, Peng Yulin, and Zhang Zhidong. However, the version that is more recognized by the academic community is Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, Li Hongzhang, and Zhang Zhidong. Among these famous ministers, Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang seem to have an unshakable status, like two towering peaks standing in the scroll of late Qing history.
In recent years, "Zeng Xue" has become popular, and Zeng Guofan has been revered to the level of almost a "saint", although in the eyes of some people, this evaluation may be overrated. What about Zuo Zongtang? Although he appears more frequently in Chinese high school history textbooks than Zeng Guofan (less than Li Hongzhang, but Li Hongzhang is often portrayed in a negative image), when people are asked about Zuo Zongtang's deeds, the vast majority of people may only answer "recovering Xinjiang". Obviously, Zuo Zongtang's image in public perception is relatively single and underestimated, and his real life is much richer than these few words.
Zuo Zongtang's Early Experience: Intertwined with Adversity and Talent
In 1812, Zuo Zongtang was born in Xiangyin County, Hunan Province, only one year younger than Zeng Guofan. Although he had a relationship of recommendation with Zeng Guofan, he never referred to Zeng Guofan as a "disciple" or "junior" like others, only as a "younger brother". This required great courage when facing the powerful Zeng Guofan at that time, which also shows Zuo Zongtang's unique personality traits.
Zuo Zongtang's youth was full of ups and downs, which can be regarded as a typical case of talent being unrecognized. He passed the local examination at the age of 20, which was a good start, but he failed to pass the imperial examination three times after that. After experiencing three failures in the imperial examination, Zuo Zongtang finally decided to give up the path of the imperial examination at the age of 26. At that time, he had neither fame nor property, and his future path seemed uncertain.
However, fate opened another door for him at the age of 21 - he became the son-in-law of the "reverse insertion door" and married Zhou Yiduan, a wealthy woman from Hunan. There are many speculations about this marriage. Zhou Yiduan's ancestors used to be the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, equivalent to the current deputy minister of the Ministry of Finance, while Zuo Zongtang's family was relatively ordinary. There is a saying that the two families were originally engaged in marriage, but due to Zuo Zongtang's unsuccessful imperial examination journey, their family was poor and unable to marry in a normal way, so they became the "reverse insertion door". However, in any case, after marriage, Zuo Zongtang's father-in-law and mother-in-law's family showed great respect and courtesy, which indirectly reflected that they valued Zuo Zongtang's outstanding talent. When Zuo Zongtang got married, he posted a couplet in his new house: "Without half an acre in his body, he worries about the world; after reading ten thousand volumes, he makes friends with the ancients." These short sixteen words not only showcase his broad-mindedness and ambition, but also foreshadow his extraordinary life.
Zuo Zongtang's Social Legend: Favorite by "Big V" Moments
When studying historical figures, the social communication of ancient people is often a fascinating topic, and Zuo Zongtang is a legend in this regard. Although he failed the Beijing examination three times, surprisingly, his fame spread throughout Hunan and even the whole country at that time. It can be said that before he became a "Big V" in the eyes of the public, he already had a Moments full of "Big Vs". Every move he made could attract the attention and appreciation of these "Big Vs".
He Changling was one of the earliest "Big Vs" who appreciated Zuo Zongtang. In 1830, He Changling, who was then the political envoy of Zhejiang, met Zuo Zongtang in Changsha at the age of 18. At that time, Zuo Zongtang was still a poor scholar, but He Changling highly praised him and "treated him as a national scholar". Zuo Zongtang was diligent and studious, often borrowing books from He Changling. He Changling personally went up the ladder to pick up the books for him without any annoyance. When Zuo Zongtang returned the books, he would also ask him in detail about his reading experience. This care and attention to the younger generation shows He Changling's recognition of Zuo Zongtang's potential.
The more influential "Big V" than He Changling is Tao Shu. There were four shogunates in the late Qing Dynasty, and Tao Shu's shogunate was one of them. It can be said that the rise of Han officials and the establishment of the shogunate in the late Qing Dynasty began with Tao Shu. Tao Shu had a unique insight and cultivated and discovered a group of famous figures, such as Lin Zexu, Hu Linyi, Wei Yuan, Guan Tianpei, etc. His disciples were all over the world. In 1836, Tao Shu, who had already served as the governor of Liangjiang (equivalent to the military and political leaders of Anhui, Jiangsu, and Jiangxi provinces today), was interested in Zuo Zongtang, who was 24 years old at the time and had no achievements. Tao Shu's admiration for Zuo Zongtang reached an astonishing level. He disregarded his noble status (33 years older than Zuo Zongtang) and proposed to let his 7-year-old son Tao Bing marry Zuo Zongtang's eldest daughter and become in-laws with Zuo Zongtang. Faced with this honor, Zuo Zongtang was fearful and unable to accept it. However, Tao Shu firmly said, "Your future fame will be above mine!" This evaluation undoubtedly had high expectations for Zuo Zongtang.
In Zuo Zongtang's "Big V" Moments, Lin Zexu's influence is undoubtedly the greatest. In the winter of 1849, Lin Zexu, who resigned from his position as governor of Yunnan and Guizhou due to illness, passed by Changsha on his way back to Fujian and specifically summoned Zuo Zongtang, who was 37 years old. The two met on the boat and talked all night, focusing on the ambitions of Tsarist Russia and the Xinjiang issue. This meeting was of great significance. If Li Hongzhang was a disciple of Zeng Guofan, then Zuo Zongtang was more like inheriting Lin Zexu's mantle. Lin Zexu had a high evaluation of Zuo Zongtang. Shortly after the meeting, before his death, he asked his second son to report to the court and strongly recommended Zuo Zongtang, calling him "a genius who falls in love at first sight".
Zuo Zongtang's ideological transformation and emergence: the road of "applying to the world" begins
After becoming famous, Zuo Zongtang did not rush to pursue fame and fortune, but instead became more open-minded. Since giving up the imperial examination, he no longer limited himself to studying Confucian classics, but devoted his energy to studying Chinese history, geography, military, economy, water conservancy and other works, and began to study the theory of "applying it to the world". Throughout history, there have been few people who compare themselves to Zhuge Liang, and Zuo Zongtang is one of them. He called himself "Jin Liang", which shows his confidence in his own abilities.
However, Wolong will eventually come out of the mountains. In 1852, a Taiping Heavenly Kingdom uprising swept across China, becoming a turning point in Zuo Zongtang's life. That year, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom army besieged Changsha, and the Hunan provincial capital was in danger. Encouraged by friends such as Guo Songtao, Zuo Zongtang stepped forward at the invitation of Hunan Governor Zhang Liangji. At this time, Zuo Zongtang was already 40 years old and entered Changsha city in a unique way - being hung with a rope and put into the city. Zhang Liangji trusted Zuo Zongtang very much and entrusted him with all affairs, and Zuo Zongtang took on the heavy burden without hesitation. During the three months of being besieged in Changsha, he "dispatched military supplies day and night, prepared documents", and "planned defensive equipment". With his outstanding military talent and organizational ability, he successfully resisted the attack of the Taiping Army and led them to retreat northward. After this battle, Zuo Zongtang became famous and opened his road to counterattack.
Zuo Zongtang's career advancement: Rising through twists and turns
After the victory of the first battle, Zuo Zongtang's official career gradually became smooth. In 1854, he was invited by Hunan Governor Luo Bingzhang to serve in the Hunan Governor's Shogunate for the second time, which lasted for six years. During the Taiping Army's expedition to northern Hunan, Zuo Zongtang assisted Luo Bingzhang and demonstrated extraordinary political and military talents. He "cleared the four borders internally" and "assisted five provinces externally". Luo Bingzhang obeyed him. Although Zuo Zongtang was the shogunate, he actually exercised the power of governor. At that time, people commented: "Hunan cannot be without for a day, and Hunan cannot be without Zuo Zongtang for a day." At this point, Zuo Zongtang has become a somewhat famous "Little V", but he still needs a crucial opportunity to become a true "Big V".
This opportunity came from Zeng Guofan. In 1860, the talented and ambitious Zuo Zongtang got into trouble due to the framing of Fan Xie, the commander-in-chief of Yongzhou Town, and almost lost his life. He had no choice but to leave Luo Bingzhang's shogunate. At this time, the powerful Zeng Guofan reached out to him. Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang were both fellow villagers and old acquaintances, but Zuo Zongtang actually looked down on Zeng Guofan in his heart, thinking that he lacked both literary talent and military ability. Although Zeng Guofan had been to the Hanlin Academy, his literary talent was indeed average. The Xiang Army he founded also had setbacks when fighting against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and was even beaten to suicide. However, Zeng Guofan's most outstanding ability was in "recognizing people" and "employing people", and his vision and emotional intelligence were top-notch. Although there had been unpleasantness between the two, Zeng Guofan did have the favor of supporting Zuo Zongtang.
At that time, Zeng Guofan's shogunate was full of talents. With Zeng Guofan's influence, it was easy for him to suppress Zuo Zongtang, but he did not do so. On the contrary, Zeng Guofan recommended Zuo Zongtang many times. At first, Zeng Guofan recommended Zuo Zongtang for the position of prefect, but Zuo Zongtang did not accept it because of the small position. In 1861, the Xiang Army captured Anqing and prepared to besiege Jiangning, the headquarters of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The court ordered Zuo Zongtang to be sent to Sichuan to supervise military affairs, but Zeng Guofan believed that Zuo Zongtang was a talented man and that he should be allowed to take charge alone if he went to Sichuan. Therefore, Zeng Guofan let Zuo Zongtang form his own "Chu Army" and recommended him to be appointed as the governor of Zhejiang the following year. He also handed over all the Xiang Army on the From then on, Zuo Zongtang entered the sea like a dragon. In just four years, he led his army to sweep through Jiangsu and Zhejiang, wiped out the Taiping Army's Li Shixian faction, pacified the Nian Army and the Hui Rebellion, and became a true "Big V" due to his meritorious military service.
Zuo Zongtang's Highlight Moment: Recovering Xinjiang and Making a Name in History
Becoming a "Big V" is not the end of Zuo Zongtang's life. He has a greater mission waiting to be completed. From 1876 to 1880, Zuo Zongtang ushered in the highlight of his life - he personally led his troops to crusade against the Xinjiang rebellion, stationed troops in Xinjiang to deter Russia, and finally successfully recaptured Ili. Regarding Zuo Zongtang's great feat of quelling the Xinjiang rebellion and recapturing Ili, it contains countless hardships and wisdom. Detailed information can be further understood in relevant materials.
During the process of recapturing Xinjiang, Zuo Zongtang demonstrated outstanding military command ability. After watching the exercise of Zuo Zongtang's troops in Hami, Xinjiang, German technician Fogg from Shanghai Tailai Company commented, "If the Qing army fights against Russia in Ili, they will definitely win." It was under Zuo Zongtang's persistence and leadership that the Qing Dynasty recaptured about 1.60 million square kilometers of Chinese territory, which is equivalent to 8 Hunan provinces and accounts for about 1/6 of China's current land area. Some people believe that Zuo Zongtang is one of the generals who recaptured the largest land area in Chinese history.
After this incident, Zuo Zongtang finally became a famous "super big V" in history. Liang Qichao praised Zuo Zongtang as the "greatest person in the past 500 years". In 2000, the US Newsweek selected 40 wise celebrities from around the world in the past 1,000 years, and three Chinese people were selected, namely Mao Zedong, Genghis Khan, and Zuo Zongtang. Zuo Zongtang left a colorful mark in the sky of history with his life.