Viceroy of Zhili

Map of viceroys in Qing Dynasty of China

The Viceroy of Zhili, fully referred to in Chinese as the Governor-General of Zhili and Surrounding Areas Overseeing Military Affairs and Food Production, Manager of Waterways, Director of Civil Affairs, was one of eight regional Viceroys in China proper during the Qing dynasty. The Viceroy of Zhili was an important post because the province of Zhili, which literally means "directly ruled", was the area surrounding the imperial capital, Beijing. The administrative centre was in Tianjin even though the provincial capital was in Baoding. The Viceroy's duties and responsibilities have never been defined entirely. Generally speaking, the Viceroy oversaw the military and civil affairs of Zhili, Shandong and Henan provinces. The Viceroy of Zhili was also highly influential in imperial court politics.

History

The office was first created on 30 September 1649 during the reign of the Shunzhi Emperor, but was later abolished on 1 June 1658. On 23 November 1661, during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, the office was recreated but abolished again later on 28 July 1669. After the Yongzheng Emperor restored it on 14 December 1724, the office had remained in place until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912.

From 1870 onwards, the Viceroy of Zhili concurrently held the position of "Beiyang Trade Minister" (北洋通商大臣); cf. "Nanyang Trade Minister" (南洋通商大臣) held by the Viceroy of Liangjiang.

47 people had held the position from 1649 to 1912. Among them, the more notable ones included Li Wei, Tang Zhiyu, Fang Guancheng, Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang, Ronglu and Yuan Shikai. Li Hongzhang, in particular, held the office for about 25 years in total during the height of his political career.

List of Viceroys of Zhili

#	Name	Portrait	Start of term	End of term	Notes
Viceroy of Zhili, Shandong and Henan (1649–1658)
1	Zhang Cunren 張存仁		30 September 1649	November 1651	Died in office
2	Ma Guanghui 馬光輝		29 November 1651	8 April 1654	Left office due to illness
3	Li Zuyin 李祖蔭		16 April 1654	4 February 1657	Reassigned to serve as Viceroy of Huguang
4	Zhang Xuanxi 張懸錫		24 February 1657	1 June 1658	Demoted and dismissed from office on 29 June 1658
Viceroy of Zhili (1661–1665)
5	Miao Cheng 苗澄		23 November 1661	4 July 1665	Dismissed from office
Viceroy of Zhili, Shandong and Henan (1665–1669)
6	Zhu Changzuo 朱昌祚		13 July 1665	8 January 1667	Dismissed from office
7	Bai Bingzhen 白秉貞		27 January 1667	30 September 1669	Dismissed from office on 28 July 1669
Viceroy of Zhili (1724–1912)
8	Li Weijun 李維鈞		14 December 1724	26 September 1725	Dismissed from office
	Cai Ting 蔡珽		26 September 1725		Stand-in as the Secretary of Defence
9	Li Fu 李紱		1 October 1725	16 January 1727	Reassigned to serve as Right Vice Secretary of Works
	Yi Zhaoxiong 宜兆熊		16 January 1727	23 June 1728	Stand-in as the Viceroy of Huguang
	Liu Shishu 劉師恕		16 January 1727	8 March 1729	Stand-in as the Right Vice Secretary of Rites
	He Shiji 何世璂		23 June 1728	4 March 1729	Stand-in as the Right Vice Secretary of Personnel
	Yang Kun 楊鯤		24 February 1729	1 July 1729	Stand-in as the Governor-General of Zhili
	Tang Zhiyu 唐執玉		1 July 1729	27 October 1731	Stand-in as the Left Censor-in-Chief
	Liu Yuyi 劉於義		27 October 1731	2 September 1732	Stand-in as the Secretary of Justice
	Li Wei 李衛		2 September 1732	September 1732	Acting Viceroy of Zhili
10	Li Wei 李衛		September 1732	29 November 1738	Retired due to illness
	Tang Zhiyu 唐執玉		19 February 1733	April 1733	Stand-in as the Secretary of Justice
	Sun Jiagan 孫嘉淦		29 November 1738	6 December 1738	Stand-in as the Secretary of Personnel
11	Sun Jiagan 孫嘉淦		6 December 1738	26 September 1741	Reassigned to serve as the Viceroy of Huguang
12	Gao Bin 高斌		26 September 1741	19 June 1745	Promoted to Secretary of Personnel
	Liu Yuyi 劉於義		28 February 1745		Stand-in as the Secretary of Personnel
13	Nasutu 那蘇圖		19 June 1745	18 August 1749	Died in office
	Chen Dashou 陳大受		1749		Stand-in as the Secretary of Personnel and Assisting Grand Secretary
14	Fang Guancheng 方觀承		18 August 1749	25 September 1768	Retired due to illness
	Emida 鄂彌達		30 October 1755		Stand-in as the Secretary of Justice
	Yang Tingzhang 楊廷璋		25 September 1768	27 September 1768	Stand-in as the Secretary of Justice
15	Yang Tingzhang 楊廷璋		27 September 1768	26 November 1771	Reassigned to serve as the Secretary of Justice
16	Zhou Yuanli 周元理		26 November 1771	27 April 1779	Dismissed from office
	Ying Lian 英廉		27 April 1779	29 April 1779	Stand-in as the Secretary of Revenue
17	Yang Jingsu 楊景素		29 April 1779	27 January 1780	Died in office
18	Yuan Shoutong 袁守侗		27 January 1780	13 January 1782	Left office for filial mourning
	Zhou Yuanli 周元理		27 January 1780		Acting Viceroy of Zhili
	Ying Lian 英廉		13 January 1782		Stand-in as the Grand Secretary
19	Zheng Dajin 鄭大進		13 January 1782	25 November 1782	Died in office
20	Yuan Shoutong 袁守侗		25 November 1782	16 June 1783	Died in office
	Liu Yong 劉墉		16 June 1783		Stand-in as the Secretary of Works
21	Liu E 劉峨		16 June 1783	10 April 1790	Demoted to serve as Left Vice Secretary of Defence
22	Liang Kentang 梁肯堂		10 April 1790	20 February 1798	Promoted to Secretary of Justice
23	Hu Jitang 胡季堂		20 February 1798	24 November 1800	Left office due to illness
	Yan Jian 顏檢		24 November 1800		Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili
24	Jiang Sheng 姜晟		5 December 1800	19 July 1801	Dismissed from office and arrested
	Xiong Mei 熊枚		19 July 1801		Stand-in as the Left Vice Secretary of Justice
25	Chen Dawen 陳大文		20 July 1801	3 May 1802	Left office due to illness
	Xiong Mei 熊枚		3 May 1802		Stand-in as the Left Censor-in-Chief
	Yan Jian 顏檢		9 May 1802		Stand-in as the Provincial Governor of Henan
26	Yan Jian 顏檢		27 September 1802	4 July 1805	Demoted to a zhushi (主事)
	Xiong Mei 熊枚		4 July 1805		Stand-in as the Secretary of Works
27	Wu Xiongguang 吳熊光		4 July 1805	12 December 1805	Reassigned to serve as the Viceroy of Liangguang
	Qiu Xingjian 裘行簡		6 November 1805		Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili
	Qiu Xingjian 裘行簡		12 December 1805		Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili and acting Vice Secretary of Defence
	Qin Cheng'en 秦承恩		8 November 1806		Stand-in as the Secretary of Justice
	Wen Chenghui 溫承惠		23 November 1806		Stand-in as the Provincial Governor of Fujian
28	Wen Chenghui 溫承惠		16 October 1807	5 November 1813	Dismissed from office
	Zhang Xu 章煦		10 October 1813		Stand-in as the Secretary of Works
	Zuo Wenning 左文寧		9 December 1813		Stand-in as the Left Vice Secretary of Personnel
29	Na Yancheng 那彥成		5 November 1813	24 July 1816	Dismissed from office
30	Fang Shouchou 方受疇		24 July 1816	29 January 1822	Left office due to illness
	Changling 長齡		29 January 1822	18 February 1822	Stand-in as the Viceroy of Shaan-Gan
	Tu Zhishen 屠之申		18 February 1822		Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili
	Songyun 松筠		18 January 1822		Stand-in as the Secretary of Personnel
31	Yan Jian 顏檢		29 January 1822	15 May 1823	Reassigned to serve as Vice Secretary of Storage (倉場侍郎)
32	Jiang Youxian 蔣攸銛		15 May 1823	7 December 1825	Reassigned to serve in the Imperial Cabinet
33	Na Yancheng 那彥成		7 December 1825	25 March 1831	Dismissed from office
	Mingshan 明山		22 December 1827	26 December 1827	Stand-in as the Secretary of Justice
	Tu Zhishen 屠之申		26 December 1827	18 May 1829	Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili
	Songyun 松筠		21 May 1829		Stand-in as the Secretary of Rites
	Wang Ding 王鼎		25 March 1831		Stand-in as the Secretary of Revenue
34	Qishan 琦善		25 March 1831	14 April 1837	Left office for filial mourning
	Mujangga 穆彰阿		14 April 1837		Stand-in as the Grand Secretary
	Qishan 琦善		25 July 1837	28 September 1840	Reassigned
	Na'erjing'e 訥爾經額		28 September 1840	26 February 1841	Stand-in as the Viceroy of Shaan-Gan
34	Na'erjing'e 訥爾經額		26 February 1841	6 October 1853	Dismissed from office
35	Guiliang 桂良		6 October 1853	21 January 1857	Promoted to Grand Secretary of the Eastern Cabinet (東閣大學士)
	Tan Tingxiang 譚廷襄		21 January 1857	26 April 1858	Stand-in as the Provincial Governor of Shaanxi
36	Tan Tingxiang 譚廷襄		26 April 1858	26 July 1858	Dismissed
	Ruilin 瑞麟		26 July 1858		Stand-in as the Secretary of Rites
37	Qingqi 慶祺		26 July 1858	25 March 1859	Died in office
	Wenyu 文煜		25 March 1859		Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili
38	Hengfu 恒福		25 March 1859	26 February 1861	Left office due to illness
	Wenyu 文煜		26 February 1861	14 February 1863	Stand-in as the Provincial Governor of Shandong
	Chonghou 崇厚		14 February 1863	20 April 1863	Stand-in as the Left Vice Secretary of Defence
39	Liu Changyou 劉長佑		14 February 1863	29 November 1867	Dismissed from office
	Guanwen 官文		29 November 1867	6 September 1868	Stand-in as the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Hall (文華殿大學士)
40	Zeng Guofan 曾國藩		6 September 1868	29 August 1870	Reassigned to serve as the Viceroy of Liangjiang
41	Li Hongzhang 李鴻章		29 August 1870	26 April 1882	Left office for filial mourning
	Zhang Shusheng 張樹聲		19 April 1882	13 July 1883	Stand-in as the Viceroy of Liangguang
	Li Hongzhang 李鴻章		13 July 1883	23 September 1884	Acting Viceroy of Zhili
42	Li Hongzhang 李鴻章		23 September 1884	28 August 1895	Reassigned to the Imperial Cabinet
	Wang Wenshao 王文韶		13 February 1895	28 August 1895	Stand-in as the Viceroy of Yun-Gui
43	Wang Wenshao 王文韶		28 August 1895	23 June 1898	Promoted to Secretary of Revenue
	Ronglu 榮祿		15 June 1898	23 June 1898	Stand-in as the Grand Secretary
44	Ronglu 榮祿		23 June 1898	25 September 1898	Recalled to the capital
	Yuan Shikai 袁世凱		25 September 1898		Stand-in as an acting Vice Secretary
45	Yulu 裕祿		28 September 1898	27 July 1900	Died in office
	Tingyong 廷雍		9 August 1900		Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili
46	Li Hongzhang 李鴻章		8 July 1900	7 November 1901	Died in office
	Zhou Fu 周馥		7 November 1901		Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili
	Yuan Shikai 袁世凱		7 November 1901	9 June 1902	Stand-in as the Provincial Governor of Shandong
47	Yuan Shikai 袁世凱		9 June 1902	4 September 1907	Promoted to Secretary of Foreign Affairs
	Wu Chongxi 吳重熹		18 October 1902		Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili
	Yang Shixiang 楊士驤		5 September 1907	23 July 1908	Stand-in as the Provincial Governor of Shandong
48	Yang Shixiang 楊士驤		23 July 1908	28 June 1909	Died in office
	Natong 那桐		28 June 1909		Stand-in as the Grand Secretary and Assisting Minister of Foreign Affairs
49	Duanfang 端方		28 June 1909	23 January 1910	Dismissed from office
	Cui Yong'an 崔永安		23 January 1910		Stand-in as the Lieutenant-Governor of Zhili
50	Chen Kuilong 陳夔龍		23 January 1910	3 February 1912	Left office due to illness
	Zhang Zhenfang 張鎮芳		3 February 1912		Acting Viceroy of Zhili

References

• Zhao, Erxun (1928). Draft History of Qing (Qing Shi Gao) (in Chinese).