Taqibu
塔齐布 | |
---|---|
Jiangxi Province Jiujiang | |
Rank | Retainer → Third-class guard → Guerrilla → Vice general → Chief soldier → Provincial military commander of Hunan |
Taqibu (
History books describe Taqibu as "loyal and courageous",[1] "wise and brave",[2] his left arm tattooed with the words "loyalty to the country", and someone who can share the pain with the soldiers.[1] In his spare time, he often talked with the soldiers about his family, and he cried every time he remembered his mother.[2] When Taqibu was in combat, he carried a bow and arrows on his back, and two of his soldiers followed him with spears and lances, all of which were precise and accurate. In every battle, Taqibu went ahead on horseback, and he would save his friends when they were besieged,[1] which made him known as "Ta Luo" with Luo Zenan,[3] a Confucian general, in the Hunan army. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the eight banners could not be used for the environment, Taqibu and Wulantai, Dolong, Du Xing, Shu Bao, etc. were the only a few know how to fight the army and good at fighting the generals of the banners.[4]
Biography
Rise to power
Taqibu was born in one of the three camps outside the Beijing Banner Firearms Brigade, served as a retainer in his early years, and was later promoted to the third class guards.[5] In the early years of Xianfeng, Taqibu was selected to be sent out to the Green Standard in Hunan, serving as a military authority, and also as a guard of the Zuoying. Soon after, he was promoted to the rank of guerrilla for the defense of Changsha, and served as a general of the Chinese army.[5] At that time, Zeng Guofan was recruiting rural soldiers in his hometown in Hunan, and deployed his officers and soldiers for training every month. Taqibu accompanied him on every parade. Zeng Guofan discussed military affairs with him, and was surprised by his talent. He tested the troops under his command and found them to be particularly capable and neat.[5] He was angered by Qingde's jealousy, who instigated Bao Qibao, the governor, to humiliate Taqibu. Zeng Guofan wrote a letter to dismiss Qingde and recommended Taqibu, saying that his "loyalty and bravery can be put to great use, and if he fails to fight well in the future, he will be willing to share the blame".[5] Therefore, Taqibu was promoted to the rank of vice general, and also led the training army. The governor Zhang Liangji also recommended Taqibu as a vice-general.[5]
Fame in Xianfeng
In 1853, Taqibu fought against the bandits in Chaling and Anhua, and was awarded the title of
Battles
Since the Battle of Xiangtan, the Taiping Army retreated to
In the intercalary month of July, Taqibu, together with Luo Zenan and
In October, Taqibu and Luo Zenan attacked Tianjiazhen: Luo Zenan attacked Bangbishan, and Taqibu was in Fuchikou, separated by a small river. The two armies made a pontoon bridge to communicate with each other. The Taiping army fought with 10,000 men, Luo Zenan led Li Shubin to fight with them, and Taqibu fought against them across the harbor. The Taiping army also crossed the river from Tianjiazhen to attack the camp at Fuchikou, and was defeated by Taqibu.[7] Taqibu, Luo Zenan and other sailors planned to attack while Yang Zaifu and Peng Yulin division destroyed the Taiping army cross the river, but land forces from half of the mountain surged, and the two sides fought for a day and night, then the Taiping army abandoned the barricades and left, the Qing army attacked the Tianjiazhen. Taqibu was given a yellow waistcoat and the title of Cavalry Lieutenant.[7]
Thereafter, Taqibu and Luo Zenan crossed the river to Lianhua Bridge, encountering an ambush by the Taiping army, the advance troops were blocked and Taqibu beheaded the leader of the Taiping army in the battlefield, chasing them for 50 miles, and captured Guangji.[7] The Taiping generals Qin Rigang, Chen Yucheng and Luo Dazhang guarded Huangmei and deployed tens of thousands of troops in Xiaochikou, the Kong post, the Dahe port, Longtouzhai and other places.[7] Taqibu arrived at the Shuangcheng post and encountered the Taiping army attack, but the Qing army descended from the heights and defeated the Taiping army, and then defeated the Taiping army reinforcements at the Dahe port, killing more than 3,000 of the enemy.[7] The Qing army attacked Huangmei and the both sides fought. Taqibu was hit by flying stones, and his face bled, but still insisted on supervising the battle, and finally captured Huangmei. The Qing army took advantage of the situation to pursue the attack, Taqibu from the southwest, and then broke into the Kong post. The Taiping army was defeated and guarded Xiaochikou, and then divided their troops to run to Hukou, forming an angle with the Jiujiang defenders. Zeng Guofan arrived in Jiujiang with a navy, so Taqibu and Luo Zenan crossed the river and attacked.[7] In December, Taqibu's attack on the southwest gate of Jiujiang was unsuccessful, and Tong Tianyuan, the primus general of Taqibu, died in the battlefield. Coincidentally, the navy was also attacked by the Taiping army and lost some of its provisions.[7] Luo Zenan attacked the Xiaochikou station, and Taqibu personally led twenty brave soldiers to supervise the battle. The Qing army was outnumbered, so Taqibu retreated for the battalion to cover. There were three yellow-clothed Taiping soldiers who went to attack directly, so Taqibu rode in a horse and surrounded and killed one of them, took his horse, and the rest of them retreated and dispersed, and when the Qing army was riding along the river, Taqibu returned to the camp, and then it was already the third drum of New Year's Eve.[1]
Death
During the first month of the fifth year of the reign of Xianfeng (1855), Taqibu defeated the Taiping army of Jiujiang who attacked the city, killing more than 200 enemies and setting mines to trap and kill the Taiping army, and although he won a series of victories, he was unable to conquer the city of Jiujiang.[1] In March, the governor of Hunan and Guangdong, Yang Ju, was defeated by the Taiping army, and the Qing court lost Wuchang again, so Taqibu could only send troops and generals back to help. At that time, half of the sailors stayed at Poyang Lake and half of them went back to Hubei, while the land division stayed to attack Jiujiang, but its strength was weak, so the resistance of the Taiping defenders became more and more fierce.[1] In June, Taqibu and Zeng Guofan held a military meeting at the Qingshan and Zeng Guofan suggested that Taqibu should move his division to the east and attack Hukou, Dongliu, and Jiande, but Taqibu vowed to conquer Jiujiang.[1] However, the following month, when the siege of the military order came, Taqibu died of exhaustion in the army, at the age of thirty-nine. Zeng Guofan, greatly lamented the death of Taqibu.[1] The news reached Beijing, and the emperor Xianfeng issued an imperial edict in accordance with the general rank pension, and in the Hunan provincial city to build a special shrine, conferred posthumously to the devoted militar. In 1864 the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom fell, and the Qing court awarded Taqibu the title of third-class lieutenant position, enshrined in the Zhaozhong Ancestral Temple.[1]
After his death, Taqibu was buried in the Firearms Brigade. In the early years of the Republic of China, an official whose father had been promoted by Taqibu found his descendants and repaired his grave.[8]
Further reading
- 《清史稿·卷409》, by Zhao Erxun's Draft History of Qing.
References
In-text references
Sources
- 金启孮 (2009). 《金启孮谈北京的满族》 (in Chinese). 中华书局. ISBN 9787101068566.
- 孟森 (2010). 《清史讲义》 (in Chinese). 中华书局. ISBN 9787101069457.
- 台湾三军大学编 (1983). 《中国历代战争史(1-18)册》 (in Chinese). 军事译文出版社.
- 赵尔巽等 (1988). 《清史稿》 (in Chinese). 中华书局. ISBN 9787101007503.