Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/131

Rh saulted. After a few months of fruitless fighting an attempt was made to negotiate peace with the rebels (January 1854) through the mediation of Alphonse de Bourboulon 蒲步龍 (b. 1809), French minister to China. The proposal of an armistice was rejected by Liu Li-ch'uan and the minister's effort was opposed by England as violating the neutrality of foreigners in China. Therefore the war was resumed in February. In April the English and American consuls, irritated by the encroachment of rebel troops upon territory set aside for their use by treaty, appealed to the taotai and then to the governor to remove the offending forces. Seeing that the latter was unable to resolve the situation, the consuls of the two nations with a few hundred troops and several cannon drove the rebel forces across Defense Creek. This engagement is known as the "Battle of Muddy Flat" (April 3, 1854). The actual retaking of the walled city was a long and difficult matter. For this delay the Imperial Government placed the blame partly upon France who had supplied the insurgents with munitions and provisions. The emperor dismissed the governor of Kiangsu and appointed in his place (July 1854) Chi-êr-hang-a, who had been promoted (February 1854) to acting financial commissioner of that province. The new governor's policy was to seek the assistance and co-operation of the Western powers in Shanghai. Though England and America declined to help, preferring to remain neutral, France, after long negotiations between Bourboulon and Chi-êr-hang-a, changed her policy from one favoring the insurgents to one opposing them in order to shorten the war and make it possible to resume trade. By the permission and help of the French a long rampart was built to cut off communications between the insurgents and the foreign settlement. With the consent of the American minister this rampart was later lengthened in order to complete the isolation of the rebels. Thereafter the latter were harrassed by shortage of provisions. Their continual sorties and the erection of a fortress above the rampart irritated the French who after December 9, 1854 took part in the conflict against them. They were attacked by the Imperial forces from all sides, and with the aid of French troops, the walled city of Shanghai was eventually taken from the hands of the rebels on Chinese New Year's Day, February 17, 1855. The leader, Liu Li-ch'uan, was killed. After three days Chi-êr-hang-a entered the city to restore peace and was rewarded with the button of the first rank.

The occupation of Shanghai by the Small Sword Society from September 1853 to February 1855 resulted in the diminution of Chinese authority in the city in three ways: (1) in the absence of properly constituted Chinese officials the collection of customs duties at that port fell into the hands of Westerners, (2) the influx of Chinese refugees into the "area reserved for foreign trade and residence" gave rise to a municipality under foreign control which rejected Chinese authority even over the native population, except as a mixed court preserved the theory of Chinese jurisdiction, and (3) Westerners claimed the power to garrison and administer this cosmopolitan foreign settlement which was regarded as neutral territory to which, since the Battle of Muddy Flat, Chinese armed forces have never been permitted to enter.

No sooner had Chi-êr-hang-a restored peace and order in Shanghai than he was appointed aide to Hsiang Jung with orders to recover Chin-kiang―a necessary step if Nanking, the final goal, were to be retaken. After repeated attacks lasting for a year Chinkiang was still firmly in the grip of the Taipings. In 1856, when his force was êngaged in relieving a neighboring town which was in peril, Chi-êr-hang-a was defeated by the Taiping forces under and  and was killed in battle. He was granted the posthumous rank of governor-general and the hereditary rank of Ch'ing-ch'ê tu-yü of the first class, and was canonized as Yung-lieh 勇烈.

[1/101/4a; 2/43/15a; 5/56/13a;, Shanghai hsien-chih (1871); Millac, Arthur (pseud.), Les français à Changhai en 1853-1855, (Paris, 1884); Maybon, Ch. B. et Fredet, Jean, Histoire de la Concession Française de Changhai (Paris, 1929); Morse, H. B., The International Relations of the Chinese Empire, vol. II, pp. 13ff. (London, 1918); 上海市通志館期刊 Shanghai-shih t'ung-chih-kuan Ch'i-k'an, no. 2 of the second year, pp. 327-50; Hsiao I-shan 蕭一山, 近代秘密社會史料 Chi-tai pi-mi shê-hui shih-liao, chüan 2 (Peiping, 1935); Ts'ao Shêng 曹晟, 紅亂紀事草 Hong-luan chi-shih ts'ao and other items in the 上海掌故叢書 Shanghai chang-ku ts'ung-shu (1935).]

2em

 CHI Tsêng-yün 嵇曾筠 Jan. 6, 1671–1739, Jan. 26, official, was a native 119