Yuan Jinkai
Encyclopedia
Yuan Jinkai was a politician in the late Qing Empire, serving subsequently under the Beiyang Government
and the Fengtian clique
, subsequently becoming a cabinet minister in the Empire of Manchukuo
.
city, Yuan served as deputy commander of the local police under the late Qing dynasty. In October 1913, after the Xinhai Revolution
, he was appointed deputy governor of Liaoning
Province and in 1915 was selected to represent the province in the Upper House of the legislature of the Republic of China
. However, after the death of Yuan Shikai
, northern China fell back into chaos, and Yuan became a supporter of the Manchurian warlord
Zhang Zuolin
. In 1916, Yuan was appointed chief secretary to the Fentian Army. He subsequently served as chief secretary to Zhang’s army in Heilongjiang
Province, and was given a seat on the board of directors of the Chinese Eastern Railway
. In 1930, he served as deputy director on the Control Yuan
.
After the Mukden Incident
in 1931, Yuan worked with Kan Chaoxi to declare Shenyang
independent from the Republic of China, and subsequently cooperated with the Imperial Japanese Army
on the Self-Government Guiding Board
in the establishment of the state of Manchukuo. He served in local government and on various legal committees from 1932-1935 including the Constitutional Commission, and in February 1935 was appointed to Senate of Manchukuo, and to the cabinet as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. Yuan retired in April 1944 after suffering from a stroke which left his limbs paralyzed.
Somehow overlooked during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria by the Soviet Red Army
and the Chinese Communist Party, Yuan died in his hometown of Laioyang in March 1947 at the age of 78.
Beiyang Government
The Beiyang government or warlord government collectively refers to a series of military regimes that ruled from Beijing from 1912 to 1928 at Zhongnanhai. It was internationally recognized as the legitimate Government of the Republic of China. The name comes from the Beiyang Army which dominated...
and the Fengtian clique
Fengtian clique
The Fengtian Clique was one of several mutually hostile cliques or factions that split from the Beiyang Clique in the Republic of China's warlord era. It was named for Fengtian Province and led by Zhang Zuolin...
, subsequently becoming a cabinet minister in the Empire of Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
.
Biography
A native of LiaoyangLiaoyang
Liaoyang is a city in China, Liaoning province, located in the middle of the Liaodong Peninsula. The city is situated on the T'ai-tzu River and forms with Anshan a built up area of 2,057,200 inhabitants in 2010....
city, Yuan served as deputy commander of the local police under the late Qing dynasty. In October 1913, after the Xinhai Revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
, he was appointed deputy governor of Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
Province and in 1915 was selected to represent the province in the Upper House of the legislature of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. However, after the death of Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived...
, northern China fell back into chaos, and Yuan became a supporter of the Manchurian warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
Zhang Zuolin
Zhang Zuolin
Zhang Zuolin was the warlord of Manchuria from 1916 to 1928 . He successfully invaded China proper in October 1924 in the Second Zhili-Fengtian War. He gained control of Peking, including China's internationally recognized government, in April 1926...
. In 1916, Yuan was appointed chief secretary to the Fentian Army. He subsequently served as chief secretary to Zhang’s army in Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang
For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑...
Province, and was given a seat on the board of directors of the Chinese Eastern Railway
Chinese Eastern Railway
The Chinese Eastern Railway or was a railway in northeastern China . It connected Chita and the Russian Far East. English-speakers have sometimes referred to this line as the Manchurian Railway...
. In 1930, he served as deputy director on the Control Yuan
Control Yuan
The Control Yuan , one of the five branches of the Republic of China government in Taipei, is an investigatory agency that monitors the other branches of government...
.
After the Mukden Incident
Mukden Incident
The Mukden Incident, also known as the Manchurian Incident, was a staged event that was engineered by Japanese military personnel as a pretext for invading the northern part of China known as Manchuria in 1931....
in 1931, Yuan worked with Kan Chaoxi to declare Shenyang
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
independent from the Republic of China, and subsequently cooperated with the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
on the Self-Government Guiding Board
Self-Government Guiding Board
The Self-Government Guiding Board was organized by the Imperial Japanese Army, in Mukden during the last half of September 1931 following the Mukden Incident and Invasion of Manchuria. The purpose of the Board was to start an independence movement and spread it throughout Manchuria...
in the establishment of the state of Manchukuo. He served in local government and on various legal committees from 1932-1935 including the Constitutional Commission, and in February 1935 was appointed to Senate of Manchukuo, and to the cabinet as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. Yuan retired in April 1944 after suffering from a stroke which left his limbs paralyzed.
Somehow overlooked during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria by the Soviet Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
and the Chinese Communist Party, Yuan died in his hometown of Laioyang in March 1947 at the age of 78.