Li Dingguo
Encyclopedia
Li Dingguo (1621 – June 27, 1662) was one of the most famous Chinese
patriots and talented military generals who fought for the so-called Southern Ming Dynasty
against the Manchu
-ruled Qing Dynasty
.
Being an adopted son of the rebel leader Zhang Xianzhong
, he was said to be a very brave, talented and merciful general in Zhang's army. After Zhang's death, he had tried to form a Han Chinese united front that included Ming forces and rebels against the Manchu invasion. In fact, he soon became the most important military commander of the Yongli Emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty. He was also awarded with the title "Prince of Jin" (晋王, Jin Wang). In 1652 he led a list of successful campaigns in southern Huguang
and eastern Guangxi
. As his troops entered the city of Guilin
, Qing's chief general Kong Youde committed suicide. However, Sun kewang, another important Ming general, surrendered to Qing authorities in December 1657. In a very bloody battle near Yunnanfu in January 1659, Li Dingguo's army was defeated and had to retreat. He died of illness, grief and indignation on June 27, 1662, not long after the Yongli Emperor was killed by Wu Sangui
. His last words were "Rather die in wilderness than surrender(任死荒徼，勿降也)".
Even today, Li Dingguo is still recalled as a very benevolent official and national hero in Sichuan
, Guizhou
and Yunnan
.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
patriots and talented military generals who fought for the so-called Southern Ming Dynasty
Southern Ming Dynasty
The Southern Ming Dynasty was the Ming loyalist regime that continued in Southern China from 1644 to 1662 following the capture of Beijing by rebel armies and the death of the last Ming emperor in 1644....
against the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
-ruled Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
.
Being an adopted son of the rebel leader Zhang Xianzhong
Zhang Xianzhong
Zhang Xianzhong or Chang Hsien-chung , nicknamed Yellow Tiger, was a Chinese rebel leader who conquered Sichuan Province in the middle of the 17th century. Upon capturing it, he declared himself emperor of the Daxi Dynasty .According to Chinese chronicles, many scholars rejected that claim, so he...
, he was said to be a very brave, talented and merciful general in Zhang's army. After Zhang's death, he had tried to form a Han Chinese united front that included Ming forces and rebels against the Manchu invasion. In fact, he soon became the most important military commander of the Yongli Emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty. He was also awarded with the title "Prince of Jin" (晋王, Jin Wang). In 1652 he led a list of successful campaigns in southern Huguang
Huguang
Huguang was a province of China during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. It was partitioned in the late Qing Dynasty, becoming the provinces of Hubei and Hunan....
and eastern Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
. As his troops entered the city of Guilin
Guilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
, Qing's chief general Kong Youde committed suicide. However, Sun kewang, another important Ming general, surrendered to Qing authorities in December 1657. In a very bloody battle near Yunnanfu in January 1659, Li Dingguo's army was defeated and had to retreat. He died of illness, grief and indignation on June 27, 1662, not long after the Yongli Emperor was killed by Wu Sangui
Wu Sangui
Wu Sangui was a Ming Chinese general who was instrumental in the succession of rule to the Qing Dynasty in 1644...
. His last words were "Rather die in wilderness than surrender(任死荒徼，勿降也)".
Even today, Li Dingguo is still recalled as a very benevolent official and national hero in Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
and Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
.
See also
- Ming DynastyMing DynastyThe Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
- Southern Ming DynastySouthern Ming DynastyThe Southern Ming Dynasty was the Ming loyalist regime that continued in Southern China from 1644 to 1662 following the capture of Beijing by rebel armies and the death of the last Ming emperor in 1644....
- Zhang XianzhongZhang XianzhongZhang Xianzhong or Chang Hsien-chung , nicknamed Yellow Tiger, was a Chinese rebel leader who conquered Sichuan Province in the middle of the 17th century. Upon capturing it, he declared himself emperor of the Daxi Dynasty .According to Chinese chronicles, many scholars rejected that claim, so he...
- Anti-Qing sentimentAnti-Qing sentimentthumb|[[Sun Yat-sen]], one of the leaders of the [[Xinhai Revolution]] which overthrew the Qing dynasty in 1912. Photo taken in 1907Anti-Qing sentiment refers to a sentiment principally held in China against the Manchu ruling during Qing Dynasty , which was often resented for being foreign and...