A Brief Discussion On Zhang Zhidong Mufu

In this thesis, a comprehensive study on Zhang Zhidong Mufu is done, with a concurrent comparison with Zeng Guofan Mufu. It consists of four parts. The first part studies the basic conditions of Zhang Zhidong Mufu; The second part probes the relations between Zhang Zhidong and his private bureaucracy; The third part analyses the similarities and differences between Zhang Zhidong Mufu and Zeng Guofan Mufu; The fourth part makes separated forms showing some information about the personnel of Zhang Zhidong Mufu, one of which is about the civil and the other is about the foreign. In this thesis, it points out that the background of Zhang Zhidong's private bureaucracy was varied and the relations between Zhang Zhidong and his private bureaucracy were gradually from Guest-Host to Principal-Subordinate, but some characteristics of traditional Mufu still remained. While Zhang Zhidong followed some characteristics of Zeng Guofan Mufu, he made some reforms about the system of Mufu. Compared with Zeng Guofan Mufu, there were more foreigners and eccentric talents in Zhang Zhidong Mufu, but for the limit of age, the private bureaucracy who were recommended for high posts by Zhang Zhidong were far less than the ones by Zeng Guofan.