Ding Baozhen

Ding Baozhen

Ding Baozhen (1820-1886), named Zhihuang, was born in Niuchang town of Pingyuan, Guizhou Province (now Zhijin County, Bijie City, Guizhou Province), and was a famous official in the late Qing Dynasty. In the third year of Xianfeng (1853), Ding Baozhen, 33 years old, was a Jinshi in the examination. Since then, he has been a scholar and editor of the Imperial Academy, a magistrate of Yuezhou and Changsha, a governor of Shandong and a governor of Sichuan.

In his official career, Ding Baozhen was brave, honest and upright, and devoted all his life to serving the country and the people. During his ten years as governor of Sichuan Province, he reformed the salt administration, straightened out the official administration, repaired the Dujiangyan water conservancy project, and set up the foreign affairs to resist foreign aggression.

In 1886, Ding Baozhen died at the age of 66. The imperial court bestowed the posthumous title of "Wencheng" to the crown prince Taibao, who was worshipped in Xianliang temple and built temples in Shandong, Sichuan and Guizhou.

Life of the characters

The beginning of Guizhou

Ding Baozhen was a Jinshi in the third year of Xianfeng (1853) and a scholar of Imperial Academy. Soon after, Ding you returned to his hometown due to his mother's death, which coincided with the rebellion of Yang Longxi in Zunyi. Ding Baozhen poured out all his wealth and recruited 800 strong men to defend his hometown. In the sixth year of Xianfeng (1856), the period of Ding you's expiration coincided with the rebellion of the Miao people's religious bandits, and the rebels swarmed up. Jiang Fuyuan, then governor of Guizhou, went to the imperial court to apply for Ding Baozhen's department to stay in the army. The emperor agreed and specially ordered Ding Baozhen to be granted the post of editor. After that, Ding Baozhen increased his recruitment among the people, bringing the total number of soldiers to 4000, and recovered many cities such as Pingyue and Dushan.

In 1860, after Ding Baozhen became the governor of Yuezhou, he demobilized the previously recruited army. But because of the large amount of money owed, Ding Baozhen put 500 liang of silver on his desk and said to everyone, "I have been working with you for a long time. Now the Treasury is short of money and food. What do you do when you go home empty handed?" Everyone said with tears: "you do not hesitate to donate all your property to save the country. How dare we have another request?" So they left one after another. Ding Baozhen successfully solved the crisis of no pay. Tongzhi first year (1862), as the magistrate of Changsha.

Governing Shandong

In the second year of tongzhi (1863), Ding Baozhen was promoted to the post of inspector general of Shandong Province. At that time, Seng gelinqin, the king of Horqin Prefecture, was commanding the army in Shandong and Henan. Seng gelinqin was proud of his noble status. Seeing that officials below the provincial level did not have seats, Ding Baozhen sent a famous post to ask for a meeting. He said that Ding, a junior military officer, would be present if he gave a seat to the Lord, and would not be seen if he did not. His attendants were all shocked. Seng gelinqin admired his toughness, For Ding Baozhen to change his appearance, courtesy and respect. Yan Jingming, governor of Shandong Province, was very surprised when he heard about this incident. On the day Ding Baozhen arrived, he personally met him in the suburbs. From then on, he consulted Ding Baozhen on all matters, big and small. Seng gelinqin ordered Ding Baozhen to put an end to the rebellion initiated by song Jingshi, the leader of the peasant uprising in Hebei Province. Soon after, Ding Baozhen was impeached for recruiting demobilized soldiers without authorization, and the Ministry proposed a three-level demotion.

In the third year of tongzhi (1864), Ding Baozhen was promoted to the post of governor of Shandong Province. In 1865, Seng greenqin died in Caozhou. Ding Baozhen was impeached, but he failed in the battle, so he remained in office. In 1866, Sun Ji and Zhu Zhen collected other charges to impeach him. The case was transferred to Zeng Guofan, who told the emperor that Ding Baozhen was not guilty. Yan Jingming, governor of Shandong Province, always admired Ding Baozhen's talent. At this time, he asked to retire and recommended Ding Baozhen to replace him. So the imperial court appointed him governor of Shandong Province. At that time, the Nian Army was close to the coast line of the border defense. Li Hongzhang suggested that the imperial court build fortifications on the Jiaolai River, and Ding Baozhen also participated in them.

In 1867, the Nien army fled to the Weihe River. Wang Xin'an, the Deputy General of the eastern Nien army, had just built a barracks, but the dike wall had not yet been completed. The Nien army commander drove straight across the Weihe River. Ding Baozhen reported this to the emperor. The emperor was so angry that he handed Li Hongzhang over to the Ministry of war for deliberation, and Ding Baozhen was dismissed from his post. Before that, the East Road army guarded Weihe, which was originally the garrison area of Anhui general pan Dingxin. Anhui army just moved south, but North Road lost immediately. The emperor ordered his deputy general Wang Xin'an to be beheaded. Ding Baozhen wrote a letter to refute it. The emperor excused Wang Xin'an and reprimanded Li Hongzhang. Ding Baozhen wrote a letter to expose it again and again, so the emperor reprimanded Li Hongzhang for being jealous and indulgent.

In 1868, the Nien army of the west road went to Dingzhou, which shocked the capital. When Ding Baozhen heard the warning, he immediately galloped to Dongchang, led 1000 cavalry and 3000 elite infantry, and took five days' grain to aid the North day and night, so the Nian Army fled south. In this battle, the imperial court sent the forbidden army outside the capital to guard against the Nien army. All the generals in charge of the soldiers were reproached. The emperor only because Ding Baozhen's army suddenly appeared in front of the enemy, he went to fight among Xiongxiong, Ren, Shen, Qi, Gao and Su, and recovered Raoyang. He made the greatest contribution. He repeatedly lowered the imperial edict to praise and reward, and added the title of crown prince.

Zhu Anhai

Eunuch Anhai has served emperor Xianfeng and Empress Dowager Cixi for many years. In the eighth year of tongzhi (1869), andehai violated the patriarchal system and went out of the palace without permission. Without any official documents, he went out to play and took the opportunity to collect money. On August 2, Ding Baozhen sent his cavalry to arrest him from andehai to Tai'an and then escorted him to Jinan. Ding Baozhen had long been very indignant at the arrogance and arrogance of Andrea, and immediately played a secret lecture to the court, denouncing Andrea's various illegal acts. On August 6, it was ordered that andehai should take the law into consideration. On August 7, Ding Baozhen was in Jinan, Shandong Province. This makes the people of the government and the field happy.

Governor Sichuan

In the second year of Guangxu (1876), Ding Baozhen was received by Emperor Guangxu. He was granted the title of head pin Ding Dai, crown prince Shaobao, Minister of the Ministry of war and imperial censor of duchayuan. He replaced Wu Tang as governor of Sichuan. Chengdu general Hengxun once again checked the embankment project, and criticized the salt transportation for harming the merchants and the public. He refused to blame and argued. The emperor worried that Ding Baozhen would be confused by rumors, so he ordered Ding Baozhen not to change his original idea. Soon after, he was officially given a real job, and Ding Baozhen encouraged himself more, paid more attention to grain storage, and carried out strict supervision and arrest.

When Ding Baozhen just arrived to perform his duties, there were theft and robbery cases every month in the city. After he took office, he almost killed the bandits, claiming that he had lost everything. At that time, the official administration of Sichuan was corrupt and the financial deficit was huge. Cixi wrote a piece of "Baozhen of the country" for Ding Baozhen, which shows that the imperial court had high hopes for Ding Baozhen. During his ten years as governor of Sichuan, he sympathized with the people's feelings and worked hard. He was deeply loved by the people. During this period, he compiled Sichuan salt law records, which not only summarized the production technology of Sichuan salt wells, but also had a large number of exquisite woodcut illustrations.

The death of a character

In 1886, Ding Baozhen died as governor of Sichuan at the age of 66. Because most of the salaries paid by the imperial court were used to relieve the poor people, the feudal official was heavily in debt when he was critically ill. The entourage gathered around and took out money to help handle the funeral. Only when the coffin returned home could the trip be completed.

After Ding Baozhen's death, his father and elders in Shandong jointly played a song to the imperial court, asking for his coffin to be transported back to Shandong for burial. The imperial court issued a decree: "to be buried in Shandong, to build ancestral temples in Shandong, Sichuan and Guizhou." His posthumous title is Wen Cheng. His son, Ding Ti, often obeyed his father's will, and in order not to disturb the people, he was helped to die by water. The next autumn, the coffin returned to Jinan. The gentry and the common people "mourn in the countryside while the army and the people mourn". On September 25, 1887, Ding Baozhen was buried in the east side of Mrs. yuanpeichen's tomb (now east of Quanfu overpass in Licheng District, Jinan).

Character achievement

Machinery Bureau

Ding Baozhen lived in an era of great changes in Chinese history. Facing the reality of "strong ships and powerful guns", Ding Baozhen devoted himself to the Westernization Movement of "seeking wealth and self-improvement". He looked at the world situation with an open eye and denounced those who "adhered to the cardinal principles". In order to strengthen itself, China must learn from the west, "be proficient in military equipment" and "imitate the foreign guns and guns as skillfully as the law", so as to "abandon our weaknesses and seize their strengths".

In the first year of Guangxu (1875), Ding Baozhen, in the name of "Jinghai Anbian", was approved by the Qing government. He chose 300 mu of land in the northern suburb of Jinan, built Shandong Machinery Bureau, introduced foreign machinery and equipment, made gunpowder and Martini guns, and became a model of "learning from foreign experts to control them".

In the following year, Ding Baozhen was promoted to Governor General of Sichuan Province. He also learned from the experience of Shandong Machinery Bureau and founded Sichuan Machinery Bureau, the first modern machinery manufacturing factory in Sichuan Province. The establishment of Machinery Bureau in Shandong and Sichuan became the beginning of modern industry in the two provinces.

Water conservancy management

In 1871, the Yellow River burst in Yuncheng, Shandong Province. Ding Baozhen went to the construction site to direct the rescue. In two months, Ding Baozhen and his husband shared weal and woe. On February 24, they "completed the construction" and blocked the breach. In 1873, when the Yellow River burst again, Ding Baozhen stepped forward again. The army and the people worked together to build a 14 foot high, 30 foot wide and 100 foot thick barrier dike for half a year. After the completion of the 250 Li barrier East dike, the Yellow River has not burst here for nearly a hundred years, ensuring the safety of villages hundreds of miles around.

In 1877, he organized the overhaul of Dujiangyan. Ding Baozhen paid attention to research. After 12 rounds of exploration with Lu Baode, the then magistrate of Guanxian county,

Chinese PinYin : Ding Bao Zhen