The Late Qing Dynasty Political Situation And Zhang Yinhuan

Zhang Yinhuan(1837-1900) is a native of Nanhai County,Guangdong Province. Failing to become a Xiucai through the magistrate’s exam, he managed to buy the rank of magistrate. While staying in Shandong as an expectant magistrate, Zhang Yinhuan began to work in the governor government owing to the recommendation of his uncle Li Zongdi. Successively appreciated by Governor Yan Jingming and Ding Baozhen, Zhang Yinhuan was promoted to the rank of circuit intendant because of his merits in suppressing Nien Rebellion and conserving river dikes. During the years under the reign of Emperor Guangxu, Zhang Yinhuan helped Li Hongzhang to solve the Margary affair, twice entered Zongli Yamen, became ambassadors to USA, Peru and Spain, and took part in the Sino-Japanese Negotiations of 1894-1895. Because of his great contributions, Zhang Yinhuan was promoted to higher ranks such as vice-president of the Board of Rites,vice-president of the Board of Revenue and vice-president of the Board of Civil Office.During the period of Wuxu Reformation, Zhang Yinhuan supported Empera Guangxu to make reforms and had close relations with Kang Youwei,thus he was arrested and sentenced to banishment to Xinjiang after the Wuxu Coup broke out.In 1900,when the Boxer Movement took place,an edict was sent to Xinjiang Governor to have Zhang Yinhuan executed.From 1875 to 1898,esp from 1894 to 1898,Zhang Yinhuan took part in the Qing Dynasty’s main political activities and foreign affairs,his influence was so great that he was called as "the backstage manipulator from Jiawu to Wuxu".Although there are already many studies on Zhang Yinhuan,most of them focus on his activities in the Sino-Japanese Negotiations of 1894-1895,his role in protecting Chinese laborers abroad,his suspicion of taking bribes in the Lvda Lease Treaty Negotiations and his role in Wuxu Reformation.There are still much capacity in the studies on Zhang Yinhuan’s solving local foreign affairs,maintaining relation with high officials in the royal court,and his influence over Late Qing Dynasty political situation.Zhang Yinhuan is not only a diplomatic official,he has very complex relative network,which can greatly influence his diplomatic thoughts and strategies.If enough research can be made on this aspect,we can not only strengthen the study about Zhang Yinhuan,but also get a more distinct understanding over Late Qing Dynasty’s social nature,thus can understand more clearly the relation between official’s individual fate and the country’s political situation.This essay can be divided into 7 chapters:the 1st chapter is to make a general introduction about the main idea;the 2nd chapter is to describe his early career;the 3rd chapter is to analyze the evolution of the relationship between Zhang Yinhuan and Li Hongzhang;the 4th chapter is an analysis of Weng Tonghe and Zhang Yinhuan;the 5th chapter tries to explain the mutual utilization of Zhang Yinhuan and Kang Youwei;the 6th chapter is to analyze Late Qing Dynnasty’s political structure and the relation between Empress Dowager Cixi and Zhang Yinhuan;the 7th chapter is a conclusion of the whole essay.While investigating Zhang Yinhuan’s career and main political and diplomatic activities,this essay mainly tries to analyze his influence over the evolution of Late Qing Dynasty political situation.Based on many previous research results,this essay’s conclusion is:although Zhang Yinhuan was not a Xiucai and just got official rank through donation,he had super talents and great courage to take burdens. Zhang Yinhuan played a certain role in the Late Qing Dynasty’s political,diplomatic,economical and cultural fields, thus he made some contributions in preserving China’s rights and interests. But he was surrounded by complicated political situation:in the royal court there were conflicts between Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi,in the government there were contradictions between Li Hongzhang and Weng Tonghe. He could not get rid of any side,so he led a very contradictory life:every side respected him because of his talents and trying to make use of him;every side also hated him because of his talents,having no fixed character and moral, and just striving for temporary personal interests. When Zhang Yinhuan was drawn helplessly into the vortex of the imperial family affairs and Late Qing Dynasty’s state affairs, his outstanding ability created lots of public critics and private hatred,which inevitably brought him into the tragic fate of being killed in Xinjiang.As an important person in Late Qing Dynasty’s political and diplomatic fields, Zhang Yinhuan should be judged from the specific times in which he lived. He should not be criticized or praised unlimitedly,but his helplessness and pains need more analysis and understanding. Only in this way can we get rid of some vague impression and get a clearer knowledge of the evolution of Zhang Yinhuan and Late Qing Dynasty political situation.