Huang Guilan (黃桂蘭)

Overview

Huang Guilan was a Qing military commander.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 1884 光緒十年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 458, passages 37, 41, 43
AD 1883 光緒九年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 458, passages 8, 28, 37
AD 1884 十年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 444, passage 192
AD 1884 十年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 463, passage 19

Key source chapters

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 444 Volume 444 Biographies 231: Huang Tifang, Zong Shibaoting, Zong Shishengyu, Zhang Peilun, Deng Chengxiu, Xu Zhixiang 1 passage
Draft History of Qing, Chapter 458 Volume 458 Biographies 245: Xu Yanxu, Tang Jiong, He Jing, Zhang Zhaodong 7 passages
Draft History of Qing, Chapter 463 Volume 463 Biographies 250: Tang Jingsong, Liu Yongfu 3 passages

Career and standing

Brigadier 提督
AD 1883 光緒九年 · Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 458, passage 8

Places and affiliations

Polity Qing · Relation Active in
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 458, passage 8
Polity Qing 清 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 444, passage 192

Events and relationships

Allowed his troops to plunder Vietnamese civilians
AD 1884 光緒十年 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 458, passage 43
Commanded the left army in the defense of Bac Ninh
AD 1883 光緒九年 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 458, passage 28
Held troops and ruined campaign
AD 1884 十年 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 444, passage 192
His force collapsed at Bac Ninh and fled to Thai Nguyen
AD 1884 光緒十年 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 458, passage 37

Assessments and attributes

Assessment extravagant, boastful, and unreliable · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 458, passages 31, 35, 41
Assessment misused troops and ruined the campaign · Mode named-source-report Source Person Id Deng Chengxiu (鄧承修)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 444, passage 192

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 444Volume 444 Biographies 231: Huang Tifang, Zong Shibaoting, Zong Shishengyu, Zhang Peilun, Deng Chengxiu, Xu Zhixiang · 1 passage

Open chapter

十年，越事益壞，首劾徐延旭、唐炯失地喪師，趙沃、黃桂蘭擁兵僨事，宜肅國憲。 In the tenth year, as Vietnam deteriorated, he was first to impeach Xu Yanxu and Tang Jiong for losing territory and armies, and Zhao Wo and Huang Guilan for misusing troops and ruining the campaign—urging that national law be enforced.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 458Volume 458 Biographies 245: Xu Yanxu, Tang Jiong, He Jing, Zhang Zhaodong · 7 passages

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會南定陷，朝命出鎮南關，與提督黃桂蘭、道員趙沃籌防，未行，越官劉永福戰勝懷德府紙橋，狀其績以上。 When Nam Dinh fell, the court ordered him to take command at Zhennan Pass and work out defenses with Brigadier Huang Guilan and Circuit Intendant Zhao Wo. Before he marched, the Vietnamese commander Liu Yongfu defeated the enemy at Paper Bridge in Hoa Duc prefecture and sent up a report of his victory.

於是令左軍黃桂蘭、右軍趙沃協防其地。 He then ordered Huang Guilan's left wing and Zhao Wo's right wing to defend the place together.

然沃等皆寡識，桂蘭尤侈汰，與越官張登壇日事宴樂。 Yet Zhao Wo and his fellows were shallow men, and Huang Guilan was especially extravagant. He and the Vietnamese official Zhang Dengtan spent their days in feasting and pleasure.

桂蘭復希風指，侈談部下能戰，延旭益信之，遂六上書請戰。 Huang Guilan again tried to read his commander's mind and boasted of his men's fighting power. Yanxu believed him all the more and six times memorialized asking permission to give battle.

十年，法軍陷扶良，三路攻北寧，桂蘭潰奔太原。 In the tenth year the French took Phu Luong and attacked Bac Ninh on three fronts. Huang Guilan's force collapsed and fled toward Thai Nguyen.

初，延旭之任西撫也，未及兩月，亦知桂蘭等未可恃。 When Yanxu first took up the governorship of the western provinces, he had known within two months that Huang Guilan and his like were not to be trusted.

而桂蘭等且縱兵剽奪，越民不堪命，忿滋甚。 Yet Huang Guilan and his men still let their troops loot and pillage until the Vietnamese could bear no more and their anger grew fierce.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 463Volume 463 Biographies 250: Tang Jingsong, Liu Yongfu · 3 passages