Selected Writings of Zeng Guofan -(Annotated Edition)

Author: Zhu Dong'an
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: Zeng Guofan is one of the most famous figures in modern Chinese history. He suppressed the Taiping Rebellion, saving the Qing Dynasty; yet the military system he established also accelerated its downfall. Admired as a "statesman of profound learning and great vision, loyal to the nation, resilient in spirit, with virtue rivaling Zhuge Liang and achievements surpassing Xiao Cao, whose writings are worthy of Han Yu and Ouyang Xiu, truly a celebrated minister and general of the dynasty's revival," he was condemned by some as the architect of the "local execution system," the promoter of the "taxation on goods," the one who "attacked China with foreign powers," the one who slaughtered compatriots to curry favor with foreigners, and a "chief culprit," a "traitor" infamous for generations, and a "cruel executioner" or "Zeng Butcher." The famous democratic revolutionary Zhang Taiyan once remarked: "Praised, he is a sage minister; condemned, he is the chief perpetrator." "To call him a hero is not in vain," yet he was also labeled a "people-destroying traitor," a stain that "even sons and grandsons cannot erase in a hundred generations." Was he a hero? A villain? Right? Wrong? Let the people judge.
This book selects 93 articles from different periods and genres of Zeng Guofan's writings, covering most of his important works. Each article is followed by an introduction and annotations. It provides profound and insightful analysis, as well as accurate and objective evaluations of Zeng Guofan's life, the formation and development of his thoughts, his personnel strategies, his historical role, and his merits and faults.
During his lifetime, Zeng Guofan was enfeoffed as a marquis and appointed as a minister, enjoying the glory of the Manchu elite. After his death, he left behind no property, land, gold, or treasures for his descendants, but instead a vast collection of books and a famous will. After long deliberation, he summarized his life's lessons into four principles and wrote them down neatly, instructing his son to hang them in the main hall and recite them daily, to abide by them unswervingly, and to pass them down through generations.