Zeng Guofan 曾国藩

Zeng Guofan (26 November 1811 – 12 March 1872), birth name Zeng Zicheng, courtesy name Bohan, was a Chinese statesman, military general, and Confucian scholar of the late Qing dynasty. He is best known for raising and organising the Xiang Army to aid the Qing military in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion and restoring the stability of the Qing Empire. Along with other prominent figures such as Zuo Zongtang and Li Hongzhang, Zeng set the scene for the Tongzhi Restoration, an attempt to arrest the decline of the Qing dynasty. Zeng was known for his strategic pe****tion, administrative skill and noble personality on Confucianist practice, but also sometimes for his ruthlessness on the execution of his policies. He also exemplified loyalty in an era of chaos, but is also regarded as a precursor to the rise of warlordism.