Zhang Xigeng (張錫庚)

Overview

Zhang Xigeng was an official and Scholar.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Xingbai	星白	Xingbai
Posthumous name	Wenzhen	文貞	Wenzhen

Life and dates

Death

AD 1861 十一年
Hanged himself when Hangzhou fell · At Hangzhou 杭州
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 259

Attested activity

AD 1861 十一年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passages 257, 259
AD 1860 十年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 254
AD 1858 咸豐八年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 253
AD 1836 道光十六年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 248

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Descendant of Yushu (玉書)
descendant 裔孫 · paternal line
Sources vary in certainty · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 247
Child of 張錫庚之父
father 父
Sources vary in certainty · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 249
Parent of Enran (恩然)
son 子
Sources vary in certainty · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 254

Origins and identity

descendant of Grand Secretary Yushu
Person Yushu (玉書)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 247

Career and standing

literary official without territorial charge 文學之臣，職非守土
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 265
bachelor of the Hanlin Academy 庶吉士
AD 1836 道光十六年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 248
compiler 編修
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 248
educational commissioner of Zhejiang 浙江學政
AD 1858 咸豐八年 · Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 253
director of the Court of the Imperial Stud 太僕寺卿
Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 252
vice censor-in-chief of the left 左副都御史
Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 252

Show 9 more source-backed claims

vice minister of Punishments 刑部侍郎
AD 1858 咸豐八年 · Promoted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 253
censor 御史
Promoted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 249
vice prefect of Shuntian 順天府丞
Promoted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 249
vice prefect of Shuntian 順天府丞
Restored
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 249
educational commissioner of Zhejiang 學政
AD 1858 咸豐八年 · Retained concurrently
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 253
ministerial rank 尚書銜
Granted posthumously
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 260
enshrined in Zhejiang Hall of Loyalty and Devotion 祀浙江昭忠祠
Granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 260
hereditary Commandant of Cavalry concurrent Commandant of Cloud Cavalry 騎都尉兼雲騎尉世職
Granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 260
mourning for his father 丁父憂
Mourning · Entered
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 249

Places and affiliations

Polity Qing 清 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 248
At Dantu, Jiangsu 江蘇丹徒
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 247

Learning and skills

Earned
AD 1836 道光十六年 · Credential metropolitan graduate, first in the second class 二甲一名進士
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 248

Works and attributed material

Reported son's family self immolation
AD 1860 十年 · Report · Author · With Enran (恩然)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 254
Requested punishment for replacing over twenty prefects and magistrates in one month
AD 1860 十年 · Impeachment report · Author · With Wang Youling (王有齡)
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 256
吾大臣也，不可辱國！
AD 1861 十一年 · Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 258
Memorial · Author · Subject Green Standard Army roll fraud and capture abuses
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 250
Memorial · Author · Subject palace examination length and eulogistic formulae
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 251

Events and relationships

Helped defend Hangzhou
AD 1860 十年 · Military · Defender · At Hangzhou 杭州
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 254
Joined defense after term ended
AD 1861 十一年 · Military · Defender · At Hangzhou 杭州
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 257
Ordered to investigate Wang Youling
AD 1860 十年 · Legal · Investigator · With Wang Youling (王有齡)
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 255

Assessments and attributes

Assessment died in terrible circumstances; court rewards for loyalty were generous · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 265
Assessment loyal · Mode named-group-judgment Witness rebels
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 259
AD 1861 十一年
Item coffin and burial provided by rebels 具棺斂 · Relation Bestowed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 399, passage 259

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 399Volume 399 Biographies 186: Lv Xianji, Zou Minghe, Dai Xi, Tang Yifen, Zhang Fei, Huang Cong, Tao Tingjie, Feng Peiyuan, Sun Mingen, Shen Bingyuan, Zhang Xigeng · 8 passages

Open chapter

張錫庚，字星白，江蘇丹徒人，大學士玉書裔孫。 Zhang Xigeng, styled Xingbai, was from Dantu in Jiangsu and a descendant of Grand Secretary Yushu.

十年，杭州陷而旋复，錫庚助城守，其子恩然率家屬自焚，錫庚以聞，予旌卹。 In the tenth year Hangzhou fell and was soon recovered. Xigeng helped defend the city; his son Enran led the family in self-immolation. Xigeng reported this, and commendation and mourning honors were granted.

團練大臣王履謙劾巡撫王有齡籌餉按缺派捐，命錫庚訪按。 Militia commissioner Wang Luqian impeached Governor Wang Youling for raising funds by assigning contributions according to vacancies. Xigeng was ordered to investigate.

錫庚以有齡一月內更易州縣二十馀員，非政體，請予處分，從之。 Xigeng reported that within one month Youling had replaced more than twenty prefects and magistrates, which was not proper administrative practice, and requested punishment. The request was approved.

十一年，任滿，代者未至，杭州復被圍，錫庚同守城。 In the eleventh year his term ended but his replacement had not arrived. Hangzhou was besieged again, and Xigeng joined in defending the city.

城陷，或勸之去，錫庚曰：「吾大臣也，不可辱國！」 When the city fell some urged him to flee. Xigeng said: 'I am a senior minister. I cannot disgrace the state!'

贈尚書銜，予騎都尉兼雲騎尉世職，祀浙江昭忠祠，諡文貞。 He was posthumously granted ministerial rank, given the combined hereditary ranks of Commandant of Cavalry and Commandant of Cloud Cavalry, enshrined in Zhejiang's Hall of Loyalty and Devotion, and given the posthumous title Wenzhen, 'Cultured Fidelity.'

馮培元、孫銘恩、沈炳垣、張錫庚，文學之臣，職非守土，死皆慘烈，朝廷報忠之典悉從優渥，固不以成敗論已。 Feng Peiyuan, Sun Mingen, Shen Bingyuan, and Zhang Xigeng were literary officials whose duties did not include holding territory; all died in terrible circumstances, yet the court's rewards for loyalty were altogether generous, for loyalty is not judged by success or failure alone.