Zhang Zhidong (1837-1909), known as Xiangtao, Hugong, and Baobing in the evening, was a famous politician, reformer, educator, and thinker in the Qing Dynasty, and a native of Xiangxiang, Hunan. He was born in the seventeenth year of Daoguang and died in the first year of Xuantong, and went through the five dynasties of Daoguang, Xianfeng, Tongzhi, Guangxu and Xuantong, and was one of the leaders of the Westernization Movement together with Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang. In the political arena of the late Qing Dynasty, Zhang Zhidong left a deep footprint, he held a number of important positions, such as the governor of Hubei and the governor of Huguang, and promoted a number of reform measures, which had an important impact on modern Chinese history.
Zhang Zhidong has been diligent and studious since he was a child, and he has been known as a talented man since he was a teenager. In the first year of Tongzhi (1862), he entered the bureaucratic system of the Qing Dynasty. Subsequently, he served in the Hanlin Academy, successively serving as a waiter, a waiter, and a waiter in the Ministry of Rites. In the process of the rise of the Qing School, Zhang Zhidong became one of the representatives of the Qing School and was known for daring to speak out. He advocated rectifying the rule of officials, reforming education, strengthening national defense, and resisting foreign aggression, and put forward many far-sighted and sagacious policy proposals.
In the tenth year of Tongzhi (1871), Zhang Zhidong served as the Sichuan academic administrator and began to implement educational reform. He advocated the application of the imperial examination system, advocated the abolition of the eight-strand text in the imperial examination system, promoted Western learning, and selected talents. During his time in Sichuan, he founded the Chengdu Zun Jing Academy, which cultivated a large number of outstanding talents.
In the second year of Guangxu (1876), Zhang Zhidong was transferred to Hubei and served as a scholar and politician in Hubei. He continued to promote educational reform, emphasizing practice and application, and selected a number of talented officials and teachers. He also attaches great importance to the development of industry, believing that “the foundation of prosperity and strength lies in work”. In Hubei, he actively promoted the Westernization Movement, introduced Western technology, and developed modern industry.
In the tenth year of Guangxu (1884), Zhang Zhidong was promoted to the governor of Huguang and took charge of local power. He continued to promote the Westernization Movement, founded modern enterprises such as Hanyang Iron Works and Hubei Weaving Layout, and promoted the development of China’s modern industry. At the same time, he also attached importance to military reform, building a new-style army, and improving combat effectiveness.
In the political struggle of the late Qing Dynasty, Zhang Zhidong, together with Li Hongzhang, the governor of Zhili, and Zuo Zongtang, the minister of Beiyang, were called the “Three Princes”, forming the three pillars of late Qing politics. Zhang Zhidong, Li Hongzhang, and Zuo Zongtang have different political views, but they share the same goal of safeguarding national interests and promoting reform. Zhang Zhidong advocated that “middle school is the body, and Western learning is for use”, emphasizing that on the basis of maintaining the feudal system, we should absorb advanced Western science and technology and culture in order to achieve national prosperity and strength.
In the twenty-sixth year of Guangxu (1900), the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China, and the Qing Dynasty suffered heavy losses. Zhang Zhidong, Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang jointly presided over the mutual protection of the southeast and safeguarded national sovereignty. After that, he actively supported the Guangxu Emperor to carry out the Wuxu Reform and promote political, economic, and cultural reforms. However, after the failure of the Wuxu Reform, Zhang Zhidong was implicated, but he remained a staunch supporter of reform.
In the first year of Xuantong (1909), Zhang Zhidong died of illness in Wuhan at the age of 73. His life was not only the glory of being an official, but also the hardships of implementing reforms. After his death, people commented on him: “There are parallel things in life, there are merits and demerits, good and evil, but his patriotism is evident.” ”
Zhang Zhidong’s political career is an important chapter in China’s modern history. He was both a leader of the Westernization Movement and a supporter of the Wuxu Reform. He was committed to the prosperity of the country, advocated educational reform, promoted the development of modern industry, and strengthened national defense. Although his reform measures were thwarted to a certain extent by conservative forces, he persevered and made a great contribution to the modernization of the country.
In Zhang Zhidong’s life and deeds, there are several aspects that are worth pondering:
One is his spirit of reform. Zhang Zhidong lived in the last years of the Qing Dynasty, which was a period of internal and external troubles and crises. During this period, Zhang Zhidong firmly advocated reform, and he believed that “those who change, the axiom of the world”. He not only advocated reform in theory, but also actively promoted it in practice. He founded businesses, developed education, reformed the military, and modernized the country. This spirit of reform still has important implications for us today.
The second is his patriotic feelings. Zhang Zhidong’s life was full of love for the country and loyalty to the nation. When the country was in danger, he stood up and actively participated in resisting foreign aggression and safeguarding national sovereignty. He advocated reform in order to make the country rich and strong and the nation rejuvenated. This kind of patriotic feeling should be learned by every Chinese.
The third is his pragmatic attitude. In the process of implementing reforms, Zhang Zhidong has always adhered to a pragmatic attitude. He held that reform must proceed from reality and cannot be divorced from reality. He advocated that “middle school should be the body and Western learning should be used,” that is, on the basis of maintaining the feudal system, we should absorb the advanced science and technology and culture of the West. This pragmatic attitude is also of great guiding significance for our work and life today.
