Li Hongzao (李鴻藻) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Li Hongzao as an official, scholar, statesman, and teacher. This record brings together 29 passages from 4 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Li Hongzao	李鴻藻	Li Hongzao
Given	Hongzao	鴻藻	Hongzao
Given	Hongzao	鴻藻
Courtesy	Lansun	蘭孫	Lansun
Surname	Li	李	Li
Personal name	Li Hongzao	李鴻藻	Li Hongzao
Personal name	Li Hongzao	李鴻藻
Posthumous	Wenzheng	文正	Wenzheng

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0028, qingshigao:450:s0047
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · qingshigao:467:s0002

Roles

Official
Scholar
Statesman
Teacher

Life and dates

Death

Age: Value: 78 · Reckoning: sui · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 光緒二十三年 · Western Year: AD 1897
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0082, qingshigao:436:s0083

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 二十三年前後 · Western Year: AD 1897
Explicit event contextual date · qingshigao:467:s0051
Source Date: Text: 光緒二十三年 · Western Year: AD 1897
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0082
Source Date: Text: 光緒二十年 · Western Year: AD 1894
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0077
Source Date: Text: 光緒二年 · Western Year: AD 1876
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0061
Source Date: Text: 光緒十三年 · Western Year: AD 1887
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0068
Source Date: Text: 同治七年 · Western Year: AD 1868
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0044
Source Date: Text: 同治元年 · Western Year: AD 1862
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0034
Source Date: Text: 同治十一年八月庚申 · Western Year: AD 1872
Explicit · qingshigao:193:s0140, qingshigao:193:s0145
Source Date: Text: 同治十一年壬申 · Western Year: AD 1872
Explicit event contextual date · qingshigao:193:s0140, qingshigao:193:s0145
Source Date: Text: 同治十三年 · Western Year: AD 1874
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0059
Source Date: Text: 同治十年 · Western Year: AD 1871
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0054
Source Date: Text: 同治十年七月乙卯 · Western Year: AD 1871
Explicit · qingshigao:193:s0129, qingshigao:193:s0134
Source Date: Text: 同治四年 · Western Year: AD 1865
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0037
Source Date: Text: 咸豐二年 · Western Year: AD 1852
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0029
Source Date: Text: 咸豐十年 · Western Year: AD 1860
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0031
Source Date: Text: 德宗嘗詢 · Western Year: AD 1887
Explicit event contextual date · qingshigao:450:s0047

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Child of Birth mother of Li Hongzao
Kinship Term: birth mother / 本生母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son
Child of Mother of Li Hongzao
Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: uncertain · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son
Parent of Li Kunying (焜瀛)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Parent of Li Yuying (煜瀛)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son

Career and standing

Label: Left Censor-in-Chief / 都察院左都御史 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 同治十年 · Western Year: AD 1871
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0054
Label: Left Censor-in-Chief / 左都御史 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 同治十年七月乙卯 · Western Year: AD 1871
Explicit · qingshigao:193:s0129, qingshigao:193:s0134
Label: Grand Councilor / 軍機 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 同治四年 · Western Year: AD 1865
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0037
Label: Han Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate / 都察院漢左都御史 · Action: held · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 同治十一年壬申 · Western Year: AD 1872
Explicit event contextual date · qingshigao:193:s0140, qingshigao:193:s0145
Label: Han Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate / 都察院漢左都御史 · Action: transferred · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 同治十一年八月庚申 · Western Year: AD 1872
Explicit · qingshigao:193:s0140, qingshigao:193:s0145
Label: Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent / 太子太傅 · Action: posthumously-granted
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0084
Label: posthumous title Wenzheng / 諡文正 · Action: posthumously-granted
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0084
Status: mourning · Action: entered
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0039

Places and affiliations

Polity: Qing / 清 · Relation: served
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0028
Place: Gaoyang, Zhili / 直隸高陽 · Relation: native-of
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0028
Place: Zhengzhou / 鄭州 · Relation: posted-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 光緒十三年 · Western Year: AD 1887
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0068

Learning and skills

Credential: Presented Scholar / 進士 · Action: earned · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 咸豐二年 · Western Year: AD 1852
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0029
Belief: Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism / 程硃 · Relation: adherent-of
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0086

Works and attributed material

Kind: memorial · Role: author
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0044, qingshigao:436:s0051
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Emperor Tongzhi (同治帝)
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0089

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: appointee · Action: appointed · Other Person Id: Pang Zhonglu (龐鍾璐) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 同治十年七月乙卯 · Western Year: AD 1871
Explicit · qingshigao:193:s0129, qingshigao:193:s0134
Kind: military · Role: advisor · Action: proposed-unified-command-against-Nian · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 同治七年 · Western Year: AD 1868
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0044, qingshigao:436:s0045, qingshigao:436:s0046, qingshigao:436:s0047, qingshigao:436:s0048, qingshigao:436:s0049, qingshigao:436:s0050, qingshigao:436:s0051, qingshigao:436:s0052
Kind: political · Role: recommender · Action: recommended · Other Person Id: Li Henian (李鶴年)
Explicit · qingshigao:450:s0047
Kind: political · Role: office-holder · Action: transferred · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 同治十一年八月庚申 · Western Year: AD 1872
Explicit · qingshigao:193:s0140, qingshigao:193:s0145
Kind: engineering · Role: supervisor · Action: Yellow-River-repairs-at-Zhengzhou · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 光緒十三年 · Western Year: AD 1887
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0068, qingshigao:436:s0069, qingshigao:436:s0070, qingshigao:436:s0071, qingshigao:436:s0072, qingshigao:436:s0073
Relation: teacher-of · Person Id: Emperor Tongzhi (同治帝)
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0032, qingshigao:436:s0087
Relation: successor-of · Person Id: Pang Zhonglu (龐鍾璐)
Strongly inferred · qingshigao:193:s0129, qingshigao:193:s0134

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: deeply filial; frugal; upheld principle on the Grand Council · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0086, qingshigao:436:s0091
Assessment: long enjoyed uniquely lofty favor on the Grand Council · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0200

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 193Volume 193 Tables 33: Ministers of Boards and Courts Chronological Table 8 Lower · 2 passages

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龐鍾璐七月乙卯遷。李鴻藻左都御史。 On the yimao day of the seventh month, 龐鍾璐 was transferred. 李鴻藻: Left Censor-in-Chief.

李鴻藻八月庚申遷。桑春榮左都御史。壬戌遷。胡家玉左都御史。 On the gengshen day of the eighth month, 李鴻藻 was transferred. 桑春榮: Left Censor-in-Chief. On the renxu day, was transferred. 胡家玉: Left Censor-in-Chief.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 436Volume 436 Biographies 223: Shen Guifen, Li Hongzao, Weng Tonghe, Sun Yuwen · 25 passages

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李鴻藻，字蘭孫，直隸高陽人。 Li Hongzao, courtesy name Lansun, was from Gaoyang in Zhili.

十年，上擇儒臣為皇子師，大學士彭蘊章以鴻藻應。 In 1860 the emperor sought Confucian scholars to tutor the princes; Grand Secretary Peng Yunzhang recommended Hongzao.

遭母憂，皇太后懿旨，援雍正、乾隆年大臣孫嘉淦等故事，命鴻藻開缺守孝，百日後仍授讀，兼參機務。 When his mother died, the Empress Dowager cited precedents from the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns involving ministers such as Sun Jiagan and ordered Hongzao to leave office for mourning, but after a hundred days to resume tutoring the emperor while continuing to serve on the Grand Council.

鴻藻懇終制，不允。 Hongzao pleaded to observe the full mourning term, but was refused.

鴻藻連疏稱疾，遂得賜告，卒終制始出。 Hongzao repeatedly memorialized that he was ill and was granted leave; he did not return until he had completed the full mourning period.

七年，捻擾畿疆，鴻藻方里居，以各路統兵大員事權不一，疏請特派親王為大將軍，坐鎮京師，以固北路； In 1868, while the Nian rebels threatened the capital region, Hongzao was at home on leave; noting that commanders along the various fronts lacked unified authority, he memorialized that a prince of the blood be appointed grand general, stationed at the capital to secure the northern approaches;

鴻藻亦言：「粵、捻初平，回氛方熾，宜培養元氣，以固根本。 Hongzao also argued: "The Taiping and Nian rebellions have only just ended and Muslim unrest is still fierce; the court should conserve its strength and shore up its foundations.

旋崩，自劾輔導無狀，罷弘德殿行走。 the emperor soon died; Hongzao impeached himself for failing as tutor and was dismissed from Hongde Hall.

時崇厚與俄擅定伊犁約，鴻藻堅持不可，爭於廷。 When Chonghou signed the Ili treaty with Russia on his own authority, Hongzao firmly opposed it and argued the matter at court.

鴻藻謫遷內閣學士。 Hongzao was demoted to grand secretary of the Grand Secretariat.

十三年，河決鄭州，上命鴻藻馳往督辦。 In 1887 the Yellow River burst its banks at Zhengzhou; the emperor ordered Hongzao to hurry there and supervise the works.

先是河道總督李鶴年、河南巡撫倪文蔚議於西壩興工，鴻藻至，仍之。 Canal director Li Henian and Henan governor Ni Wenwei had already decided to begin work on the western embankment; when Hongzao arrived, he continued their plan.

上以鴻藻督率無方，革職留任； The emperor found Hongzao's supervision inadequate and ordered him dismissed from office while retaining his duties;

並奪李鶴年河道總督，命鴻藻暫行署理。 Li Henian was stripped of the canal directorship and Hongzao was ordered to act in his place.

二十年，日韓事棘，命鴻藻商辦軍務，再授軍機大臣。 In 1894, as tensions between Japan and Korea mounted, Hongzao was ordered to handle military affairs and was again appointed to the Grand Council.

遺疏入，上震悼，予諡文正，贈太子太傅。 When his final memorial arrived, the emperor was deeply grieved, granted him the posthumous title Wenzheng, and made him Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent.

鴻藻性至孝，為學守程硃，務實踐，持躬儉約。 Hongzao was deeply filial by nature; in scholarship he followed the Cheng-Zhu school and stressed practical conduct, living frugally himself.

鴻藻立前捧上手曰：「皇上心不靜，請少息。」 Hongzao stood before him, took the emperor's hands in his own, and said: "Your Majesty's mind is unsettled; please pause a moment."

御史王鵬運諫止修頤和園，幾獲重譴，鴻藻力解之，得免。 Censor Wang Pengyun protested repairs to the Summer Palace and nearly incurred severe punishment; Hongzao interceded vigorously and saved him.

言官有言其不便者，太后大怒，欲黜之，鴻藻謂如此必失天下臣民之望，乃止。 When censors protested the arrangement, the Empress Dowager was furious and wished to dismiss them; Hongzao warned that this would lose the trust of officials and subjects alike, and she relented.

時日韓起釁，同龢與李鴻藻主戰，孫毓汶、徐用儀主和。 When war broke out between Japan and Korea, Tonghe and Li Hongzao favored fighting while Sun Yuwen and Xu Yongyi favored peace.

於是命恭親王督辦軍務，同龢、鴻藻等會商辦理。 Prince Gong was then ordered to supervise military affairs, with Tonghe, Hongzao, and others to consult and handle matters jointly.

及和議起，同龢與鴻藻力爭改約稿，並陳：「寧增賠款，必不可割地。」 When peace talks began, Tonghe and Hongzao fought vigorously to revise the draft treaty, arguing together: "Better to increase indemnities than to cede territory."

翁同龢、李鴻藻主緩，俄、法、德三國亦請毋遽換約。 Weng Tonghe and Li Hongzao favored delay; Russia, France, and Germany also asked that ratification not be rushed.

鴻藻久參樞密，眷遇獨隆。 Hongzao long served on the Grand Council and enjoyed uniquely lofty favor.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 450Volume 450 Biographies 237: Li Henian, Wen Bin, Ren Daorong, Xu Zhenyi, Wu Dacheng · 1 passage

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德宗嘗詢李鴻藻以善治河者，鴻藻舉鶴年，上亦識前事之枉也，故再任河督。 Emperor Guangxu once asked Li Hongzao who best understood river control; Hongzao named Henian, and the emperor, recognizing that Henian had been wronged before, appointed him river commissioner again.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 467Volume 467 Biographies 254: Li Bingheng, Wang Tingxiang, Nie Shicheng, Luo Rongguang, Shou Shan Zu Sun : Rui Chang, Feng Xiang, Chong Yu · 1 passage

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國用患不足，計臣議加賦，廷相力申李鴻藻議，為民請命，事遂寢。 With the treasury short, the finance planners proposed raising taxes; Tingxiang strongly backed Li Hongzao's argument and pleaded for the people, and the proposal was shelved.