The Viceroy of Zhili, officially in Chinese as the Governor-General of the Directly Subordinate Province and Other Local Areas, in Charge of Military Affairs, Food and Wages, Management of Rivers and Governor Affairs, was one of eight regional Viceroys during the Qing dynasty. The Viceroy of Zhili had jurisdiction of military, civil, and political affairs over then Zhili Province (nowadays approx. Hebei, Beijing suburban, Tianjin). The Governor's Office sat in then Zhili Province's Baoding Prefecture City (nowadays Baoding City's Lianchi District).
The Viceroy of Zhili was an important post because the province of Zhili, which literally means "directly ruled," was the area surrounding the imperial capital, Beijing. The administrative centre was in Tianjin even though the provincial capital was in Baoding. The Viceroy's duties as well as responsibilities have never been defined entirely. Generally speaking, the Viceroy oversaw the military and civil affairs of Zhili, Shandong and Henan provinces. The Viceroy of Zhili was also highly influential in imperial court politics. The position was set up in 1648 and abolished in 1912.
History
The office was first created on 30 September 1649 during the reign of the Shunzhi Emperor, but was later abolished on 1 June 1658. On 23 November 1661, during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, the office was recreated, however abolished again later on 28 July 1669. After the Yongzheng Emperor restored it on 14 December 1724, the office had remained in place until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912.
From 1870 onwards, the Viceroy of Zhili concurrently held the position of "Beiyang Trade Minister" (); cf. "Nanyang Trade Minister" () held by the Viceroy of Liangjiang.
47 people had held the position from 1649 to 1912. Among them, the more notable ones included Tang Zhiyu, Fang Guancheng, Zeng Guofan, Ronglu and Yuan Shikai.
List of Viceroys of Zhili # Name Portrait Start of term End of term Notes Viceroy of Zhili, Shandong and Henan(1649–1658) 1 Zhang Cunren張存仁 30 September 1649 November 1651 Died in office 2 Ma Guanghui馬光輝 29 November 1651 8 April 1654 Left office due to illness 3 Li Zuyin李祖蔭 16 April 1654 4 February 1657 Reassigned to serve as Viceroy of Huguang 4 Zhang Xuanxi張懸錫 24 February 1657 1 June 1658 Demoted and dismissed from office on 29 June 1658 Viceroy of Zhili(1661–1665) 5 Miao Cheng苗澄 23 November 1661 4 July 1665 Dismissed from office Viceroy of Zhili, Shandong and Henan(1665–1669) 6 Zhu Changzuo朱昌祚 13 July 1665 8 January 1667 Dismissed from office 7 Bai Bingzhen白秉貞 27 January 1667 30 September 1669 Dismissed from office on 28 July 1669 Viceroy of Zhili(1724–1912) 8 Li Weijun李維鈞 14 December 1724 26 September 1725 Dismissed from office Cai Ting蔡珽 26 September 1725 Stand-in as the Secretary of Defence 9 Li Fu李紱 1 October 1725 16 January 1727 Reassigned to serve as Right Vice Secretary of Works Yi Zhaoxiong宜兆熊 16 January 1727 23 June 1728 Stand-in as the Viceroy of Huguang Liu Shishu劉師恕 16 January 1727 8 March 1729 Stand-in as the Right Vice Secretary of Rites He Shiji何世璂 23 June 1728 4 March 1729 Stand-in as the Right Vice Secretary of Personnel Yang Kun楊鯤 24 February 1729 1 July 1729 Stand-in as the Governor-General of Zhili Tang Zhiyu唐執玉 1 July 1729 27 October 1731 Stand-in as the Left Censor-in-Chief Liu Yuyi劉於義 27 October 1731 2 September 1732 Stand-in as the Secretary of Justice Li Wei李衛 2 September 1732 September 1732 Acting Viceroy of Zhili 10 Li Wei李衛 September 1732 29 November 1738 Retired due to illness Tang Zhiyu唐執玉 19 February 1733 April 1733 Stand-in as the Secretary of Justice Sun Jiagan孫嘉淦 29 November 1738 6 December 1738 Stand-in as the Secretary of Personnel 11 Sun Jiagan孫嘉淦 6 December 1738 26 September 1741 Reassigned to serve as the Viceroy of Huguang 12 Gao Bin高斌 26 September 1741 19 June 1745 Promoted to Secretary of Personnel Liu Yuyi劉於義 28 February 1745 Stand-in as the Secretary of Personnel 13 Nasutu那蘇圖 19 June 1745 18 August 1749 Died in office Chen Dashou陳大受 1749 Stand-in as the Secretary of Personnel and Assisting Grand Secretary 14 Fang Guancheng方觀承 18 August 1749 25 September 1768 Retired due to illness Omida鄂彌達 30 October 1755 Stand-in as the Secretary of Justice Yang Tingzhang楊廷璋 25 September 1768 27 September 1768 Stand-in as the Secretary of Justice 15 Yang Tingzhang楊廷璋 27 September 1768 26 November 1771 Reassigned to serve as the Secretary of Justice 16 Zhou Yuanli周元理 26 November 1771 27 April 1779 Dismissed from office Ying Lian英廉 27 April 1779 29 April 1779 Stand-in as the Secretary of Revenue 17 Yang Jingsu楊景素 29 April 1779 27 January 1780 Died in office 18 Yuan Shoutong袁守侗 27 January 1780 13 January 1782 Left office for filial mourning Zhou Yuanli周元理 27 January 1780 Acting Viceroy of Zhili Ying Lian英廉 13 January 1782 Stand-in as the Grand Secretary 19 Zheng Dajin鄭大進 13 January 1782 25 November 1782 Died in office 20 Yuan Shoutong袁守侗 25 November 1782 16 June 1783 Died in office Liu Yong劉墉 16 June 1783 Stand-in as the Secretary of Works 21 Liu E劉峨 16 June 1783 10 April 1790 Demoted to serve as Left Vice Secretary of Defence 22 Liang Kentang梁肯堂 10 April 1790 20 February 1798 Promoted to Secretary of Justice 23 Hu Jitang胡季堂 20 February 1798 24 November 1800 Left office due to illness Yan Jian顏檢 24 November 1800 Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili 24 Jiang Sheng姜晟 5 December 1800 19 July 1801 Dismissed from office and arrested Xiong Mei熊枚 19 July 1801 Stand-in as the Left Vice Secretary of Justice 25 Chen Dawen陳大文 20 July 1801 3 May 1802 Left office due to illness Xiong Mei熊枚 3 May 1802 Stand-in as the Left Censor-in-Chief Yan Jian顏檢 9 May 1802 Stand-in as the Provincial Governor of Henan 26 Yan Jian顏檢 27 September 1802 4 July 1805 Demoted to a zhushi () Xiong Mei熊枚 4 July 1805 Stand-in as the Secretary of Works 27 Wu Xiongguang吳熊光 4 July 1805 12 December 1805 Reassigned to serve as the Viceroy of Liangguang Qiu Xingjian裘行簡 6 November 1805 Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili Qiu Xingjian裘行簡 12 December 1805 Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili and acting Vice Secretary of Defence Qin Cheng'en秦承恩 8 November 1806 Stand-in as the Secretary of Justice Wen Chenghui溫承惠 23 November 1806 Stand-in as the Provincial Governor of Fujian 28 Wen Chenghui溫承惠 16 October 1807 5 November 1813 Dismissed from office Zhang Xu章煦 10 October 1813 Stand-in as the Secretary of Works Zuo Wenning左文寧 9 December 1813 Stand-in as the Left Vice Secretary of Personnel 29 Na Yancheng那彥成 5 November 1813 24 July 1816 Dismissed from office 30 Fang Shouchou方受疇 24 July 1816 29 January 1822 Left office due to illness Changling長齡 29 January 1822 18 February 1822 Stand-in as the Viceroy of Shaan-Gan Tu Zhishen屠之申 18 February 1822 Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili Songyun松筠 18 January 1822 Stand-in as the Secretary of Personnel 31 Yan Jian顏檢 29 January 1822 15 May 1823 Reassigned to serve as Vice Secretary of Storage () 32 Jiang Youxian蔣攸銛 15 May 1823 7 December 1825 Reassigned to serve in the Imperial Cabinet 33 Na Yancheng那彥成 7 December 1825 25 March 1831 Dismissed from office Mingshan明山 22 December 1827 26 December 1827 Stand-in as the Secretary of Justice Tu Zhishen屠之申 26 December 1827 18 May 1829 Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili Songyun松筠 21 May 1829 Stand-in as the Secretary of Rites Wang Ding王鼎 25 March 1831 Stand-in as the Secretary of Revenue 34 Qishan琦善 25 March 1831 14 April 1837 Left office for filial mourning Mujangga穆彰阿 14 April 1837 Stand-in as the Grand Secretary Qishan琦善 25 July 1837 28 September 1840 Reassigned Nergingge訥爾經額 28 September 1840 26 February 1841 Stand-in as the Viceroy of Shaan-Gan 34 Nergingge訥爾經額 26 February 1841 6 October 1853 Dismissed from office 35 Guiliang桂良 6 October 1853 21 January 1857 Promoted to Grand Secretary of the Eastern Cabinet () Tan Tingxiang譚廷襄 21 January 1857 26 April 1858 Stand-in as the Provincial Governor of Shaanxi 36 Tan Tingxiang譚廷襄 26 April 1858 26 July 1858 Dismissed Ruilin瑞麟 26 July 1858 Stand-in as the Secretary of Rites 37 Qingqi慶祺 26 July 1858 25 March 1859 Died in office Wenyu文煜 25 March 1859 Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili 38 Hengfu恒福 25 March 1859 26 February 1861 Left office due to illness Wenyu文煜 26 February 1861 14 February 1863 Stand-in as the Provincial Governor of Shandong Chonghou崇厚 14 February 1863 20 April 1863 Stand-in as the Left Vice Secretary of Defence 39 Liu Changyou劉長佑 14 February 1863 29 November 1867 Dismissed from office Guanwen官文 29 November 1867 6 September 1868 Stand-in as the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Hall () 40 Zeng Guofan曾國藩 6 September 1868 29 August 1870 Reassigned to serve as the Viceroy of Liangjiang 41 Li Hongzhang李鴻章 29 August 1870 26 April 1882 Left office for filial mourning Zhang Shusheng張樹聲 19 April 1882 13 July 1883 Stand-in as the Viceroy of Liangguang Li Hongzhang李鴻章 13 July 1883 23 September 1884 Acting Viceroy of Zhili 42 Li Hongzhang李鴻章 23 September 1884 28 August 1895 Reassigned to the Imperial Cabinet Wang Wenshao王文韶 13 February 1895 28 August 1895 Stand-in as the Viceroy of Yun-Gui 43 Wang Wenshao王文韶 28 August 1895 23 June 1898 Promoted to Secretary of Revenue Ronglu榮祿 15 June 1898 23 June 1898 Stand-in as the Grand Secretary 44 Ronglu榮祿 23 June 1898 25 September 1898 Recalled to the capital Yuan Shikai袁世凱 25 September 1898 Stand-in as an acting Vice Secretary 45 Yulu裕祿 28 September 1898 27 July 1900 Died in office Tingyong廷雍 9 August 1900 Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili 46 Li Hongzhang李鴻章 8 July 1900 7 November 1901 Died in office Zhou Fu周馥 7 November 1901 Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili Yuan Shikai袁世凱 7 November 1901 9 June 1902 Stand-in as the Provincial Governor of Shandong 47 Yuan Shikai袁世凱 9 June 1902 4 September 1907 Promoted to Secretary of Foreign Affairs Wu Chongxi吳重熹 18 October 1902 Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili Yang Shixiang楊士驤 5 September 1907 23 July 1908 Stand-in as the Provincial Governor of Shandong 48 Yang Shixiang楊士驤 23 July 1908 28 June 1909 Died in office Natong那桐 28 June 1909 Stand-in as the Grand Secretary and Assisting Minister of Foreign Affairs 49 Duanfang端方 28 June 1909 23 January 1910 Dismissed from office Cui Yong'an崔永安 23 January 1910 Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili 50 Chen Kuilong陳夔龍 23 January 1910 3 February 1912 Left office due to illness Zhang Zhenfang張鎮芳 3 February 1912 Acting Viceroy of Zhili
References