Who are the four important ministers in the late Qing Dynasty?

Since 1840 Opium War, the Qing government in China has become increasingly decadent, squeezing the people at home, and those in power are not enterprising; It's really sad to cede territory and pay compensation to the outside world and humiliate the country.

In such a bad political environment at home and abroad, four outstanding ministers appeared in the late Qing Dynasty, including Zhang Zhidong, Zuo, Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang.

Zhangzhidong

Zhangzhidong statue

Zhang Zhidong (1837- 1909) was also called "handsome" because of his filial piety and Xiang Tao, so people called him "Zhang Xiangshuai" at that time. Zhang Zhidong was the leader of the Qing school in his early years and was later called the main representative of the Westernization School. In the late Qing education, it founded many schools, such as Qiangzi School (predecessor of Wuhan University), Sanjiang Normal School (predecessor of Nanjing University), Hubei Agricultural School (predecessor of Huazhong Agricultural University), Hubei Polytechnic School (predecessor of Wuhan University of Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan University of Science and Technology) and so on. Politically, it advocates that "middle school is the body and western learning is the use"; Hanyang Iron Works, Daye Iron Mine and Hubei Artillery Factory were established in industry, among which Hanyang Iron Works was the earliest government-run iron and steel enterprise in modern China and the first and largest iron and steel joint enterprise in China at that time. Since then, China's iron and steel industry has collapsed, and it is regarded by the west as a symbol of China's awakening.

Zuo Tang Zong

Zuo statue

Zuo (18 12- 1885), Han nationality, is a famous farmer in Hunan. In the late Qing dynasty, he was an important minister, strategist and politician, a famous soldier of Xiang army and one of the representatives of Westernization School. It has experienced important historical events such as the Hunan army's pacification of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the Westernization Movement, the pacification of the Shaanxi-Gansu rebellion, the recovery of Xinjiang, and the establishment of Xinjiang Province. After the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom suppressed, it advocated reducing staff and increasing salary and stepping up training. 1866 (five years of Tongzhi), Shangshu asked the bureau to supervise the construction and was approved for trial operation, that is, a shipyard was set up in Mawei, Fuzhou, and personnel were sent abroad to buy machines and ship slots, and Qiushitang Art Bureau (also known as Ship Administration School) was set up to cultivate shipbuilding technology and naval talents. A year later, Fuzhou Shipping Bureau (also known as Mawei Shipping Bureau) officially started construction, becoming the first new shipyard in China.

Zeng Guofan

Zeng Guofan statue

Zeng Guofan (181-18720), whose real name is Bo Han and whose real name is Sheng Di, is one of the most influential figures in the history of China. In the late Qing dynasty, he was the founder and commander-in-chief of Xiang Army. Military strategist, philosopher, politician, calligrapher and writer in Qing Dynasty, and founder of "Xiangxiang School" in late Qing Dynasty. Zeng Guofan pursued patience as the first priority in his life, advocated thrift in everything and was not proud of being an official. At Zeng Guofan's initiative, he built the first ship in China, founded the first ordnance school, printed and translated the first batch of western language books, and arranged the first batch of students studying in the United States. It can be said that Zeng Guofan was the pioneer of China's modernization. Historians have different views on Zeng Guofan, just as Zhang, a geek in the Revolution of 1911, had different views on Zeng Guofan. In the past century, many people praised Zeng Guofan, and many people scolded him. Chairman Mao once commented that it is better to be approachable than to be stupid. He took Ceng Wenzheng alone and watched him clean up the battle of Hongyang. It was perfect. If you change places with people today, can it be so perfect? (Excerpted from Mao Zedong's letter to li jinxi on August 23rd 19 17 (see Mao Zedong's Early Manuscripts, page 85, Hunan Publishing House, June 1990).

Li Hongzhang

Li Hongzhang statue

Li Hongzhang (1823- 190 1), a famous official in the late Qing Dynasty, whose real name was gradually Fu or [fú] and Shao Quan (all), was an official in his later years, and posthumous title was carefree. One of the main leaders of the Westernization Movement, a native of Hefei, Anhui Province, is often called "Li" internationally. Because of his second job, he is also called "Mr. Li Er" among the people.

Li Hongzhang was the founder and commander-in-chief of Huai Army and Beiyang Navy, the leader of Westernization Movement and an important official in the late Qing Dynasty. He established China's first Western-style Navy Beiyang Navy. He participated in a series of major historical events in his life, including the suppression of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, the suppression of the Nian Army Uprising, the Westernization Movement and the Sino-Japanese War. And signed a series of unequal treaties on behalf of the Qing government, such as the Vietnam Treaty, the treaty of shimonoseki, the Concise Treaty between China and France, and the Xin Chou Treaty. Japanese Prime Minister Hirofumi Ito regarded him as "the only person in the Qing Empire who was able to compete with the world powers", German Navy Minister Conal called him "Oriental Bismarck", and Empress Dowager Cixi regarded him as "the man who recreated Huang Xuan" and was also called "the four famous ministers of ZTE" with Zeng Guofan, Zhang Zhidong and Zuo. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the posts of teacher, jinyi, su, etc.

The world has different opinions about Li Hongzhang, more because he signed many unequal treaties on behalf of the decadent Qing government at that time. However, under the realistic background of China's backwardness at that time, he tried his best to safeguard China's interests and argued for it, but he had to accept the humiliating demands of the great powers because of his country's weakness.