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Li Xiucheng
Li Xiucheng
	Li Xiucheng
Nickname(s)	Philanthropist
Born	0 December 1823 invalid month invalid day; Teng (藤縣), Guangxi, Qing Empire
Died	7 August 1864 (aged 41); Jiangning, Nanjing, Qing Empire
Allegiance	Qing Empire (to 1849); Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (to 1864)
Years of service	1852–1864
Rank	Field Marshal
Battles / wars	Eastern campaign First rout the Army Group Jiangnan(1856); Second rout the Army Group Jiangnan(1860); Battle of Shanghai (1861--1863); Battle of Cixi(1862); Final Battle of North Jiangsu(1863); Battle of Suzhou(1863); Third Battle of Nanjing(1864); Western campaign Second Battle of Wuhan(1854); Battle of Sanhe(1858);
Awards	Loyal King

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Li Xiucheng (Chinese: 李秀成; pinyin: Lǐ Xiùchéng; 1823 – August 7, 1864) was a military commander during the Taiping Rebellion. Born to a poor peasant family, he was known as the Loyal King (忠王) by the end of his life. This title was given because he refused a bribe from a Qing general officer to kill Hong Xiuquan (洪秀全), the founder of the rebellion. As the general, Li led the Taiping Heavenly Army to several victories. At the third and final Battle at Nanjing in 1864, Li was captured, interrogated, and then executed by Zeng Guofan. Li was the most important military leader of the rebel forces by the end of the Taiping Rebellion.

Notable victories against the Qing military forces

Second rout of the Jiangnan Army Group

Army Group Jiangnan (江南大營，江南大营) was an important Qing army barracks in Nanjing, Li Xiucheng led forces besieged it in an attempt to starve it out. Li Xiucheng, besides; in the second encirclement, the Qing army commanded 200,000 soldiers to fight with Taiping forces from March 1858, but they were routed by Li Xiucheng in May 1860. After that, Li went on to occupy all of Jiangsu provinces except Shanghai.

Two attacks on Shanghai

Battle of Shanghai (1861) (the second time)

Escaped from Suzhou

Li Xiucheng's palace in Suzhou is the only one from the Taiping Rebellion that exists today. In July 1863, Li ordered his daughter's husband, Tan SauGuan, to take over control of Suzhou. But Li Hongzhang lead the Huai Army combined by the "Ever Victorious Army" raised by an American named Frederick Townsend Ward who was under the command of Charles George Gordon. With this support, Li Hongzhang gained numerous victories leading to the surrender of Suzhou.

Determining battle: lead defend capital Nanjing

Chiang Donkey

The Chiang Donkey (蔣驢子，蒋驴子) was Li Xiucheng's stable manager. Before the fall of Nanjing, three months after 1863, Li Xiucheng took his wealth, including much treasure, to Chiang Donkey and asked Chiang to take it out of Nanjing quickly and wait for Li Xiucheng somewhere. Chiang promised and took treasure by 20 horses and cows car, but Li was executed at last. Thus, Chiang Donkey became rich in Nanjing after the civil war.

Writing

Zhong Prince Li Xiucheng Describes Himself (《忠王李秀成自述》), the autobiographical account of Zhong Prince of the Heavenly Kingdom, was written shortly before his execution (Pseudohistory saying Li was suicide admitted by Zeng Guofan by giving Li a sword because he respected Li; moreover, Li Hongzhang has described and praised Li Xiucheng was a hero on a letter to Zeng).

Li's sword

When Li withdrew from Suzhou, his sword—the symbol of his power—was given to his young brother Li Shixian. Li Shixian took this sword but it was captured by Charles George Gordon eventually in Liyang.

When Charles George Gordon came back to the UK with Li's sword, he gave it to Queen Victoria's cousin, chief commander of the military the Duke of Cambridge, and he gave the sword to his brother's daughter.

On August 30, 1961. A professor of History at the University of London discovered this sword. He was very excited and certain that the sword had belonged to the great revolutionary Li Xiucheng.

In 1981, this sword was returned to China and is currently stored in the National Museum of China.

Children

Son

Li Ronfar Battle of Shanghai (1861)

Li Xiucheng had three daughters, their husbands were Taiping generals:

Tan SauGuan
Chen Binwen

Sources

Tiān Guó Zhi(天國志,天国志)

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Category:1823 births Category:1864 deaths Category:Executed Taiping Heavenly Kingdom people Category:Chinese Hakka people Category:Military leaders of the Taiping Rebellion Category:People executed by the Qing Dynasty Category:People from Wuzhou Category:19th-century executions by China Category:Executed people from Guangxi Category:Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period subjects