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Battle of Shanghai (1861)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Shanghai (太平軍二攻上海) was a major engagement of the Taiping Rebellion
that occurred from June 1861 to July 1862. British and French troops used modern artillery on a large scale for the first time in China. Cannon-fire inflicted heavy casualties on the Taiping forces, whose commander Li Xiucheng
was wounded in the left leg by a shot fired from a cannon.
in February 1853.
In June 1860, a Taiping army of 20,000 led by Lai Wenguang had attacked Shanghai
and reoccupied it for five months before withdrawing. In early 1861, Li Xiucheng
was in control of Zhejiang
and Jiangsu
provinces, commanding over 600,000 Taiping troops. He aimed to capture the large but isolated city, one of the most important cities under the Qing government and home to an international port. At Li Xiucheng's request the UK and France had promised to maintain neutrality.
By 11 June 1861, the Taiping Army was able to muster five armies, commanded by Tan Shaoguang
, Li Rongfa
, G Qingyun, Chen Kunshu
, and Chen Binwen, organized under two fronts, and other units.
The commander of the Imperial Green Standard Army
was Huang Esen, under the direction of Shanghai's taotai Wu Shu (道台吳煦). The Huai Army militia were led by Li Hongzhang
.
Li Rongfa
began the battle with an invasion of Pudong
by 20,000 men, transported in thousands of boats. On his occupation of the whole district, the city requested help from the English and French. In October (according to the Chinese calendar
), the American Frederick Townsend Ward
brought 2,000 Filipino
and Chinese soldiers, whom he had trained, against the Taiping forces.
Following a fifteen-day Christmas ceasefire called by Li Rongfa, the government of Shanghai asked Beijing
for assistance in December. In response the Huai Army with its 20,000 soldiers was sent to reinforce Shanghai immediately.
was formally promoted to governor of Jiangsu
. Five days later, the Huai Army began their counterattack on Shanghai.
At the same time, the mayor of Jinshan District
commanded 5,000 men of the Green Standard Army
to surround and attack the city of Taicang
, which was then occupied by Taiping forces. Li Xiucheng
sent 100,000 men to relieve Taicang on 19 April. Despite orders from Li Hongzhang to withdraw, the mayor refused to do so, resulting in the loss of his entire force.
On 29 April, Major General
Chen Binwen occupied Jiading
(嘉定), whose Qing garrison withdrew to Shanghai proper. The Taiping Army then prepared to attack Songjiang
and northwestern Shanghai from Jiading. Li Hongzhang ordered Major General Cheng Xuechi
, vice-commander of the Huai Army, to counterattack against Chen Binwen.
On 1 May, Li Rongfa's force surrendered to the Huai Army in Nanhui District
. Li Hongzhang delegated Brigadier Liu Mingchuan
to accept their surrender, provoking Li Ronfar to order Lieutenant General G Qingyun to make a series of attacks against Liu Mingchuan in the district. The failure of these attacks forced Li Ronfar to withdraw from Pudong on 10 May, ending nine months of occupation. The Qing government thus regained control of eastern and southern Shanghai.
On 8 May, Cheng Xuechi launched an assault on the Taiping forces occupying Songjiang, and expelled them after thirteen days of combat.
On 12 September, the consolidated Taiping forces, numbering 70,000, struck the Qing again from Taicang
and Kunshan
. Moving very rapidly, they reached Qingpu District, only 5 km from the city, and surrounded 20,000 imperial troops.
The Qing fleet commander Huang Esen counterattacked from the river, gaining some ground, but even after reinforcement by the Ever Victorious Army
he was unable to make much progress. The Taiping forces used this time to build many floating bridge
s.
Li Hongzhang
arrived to oversee the combat in person, ordering his generals (Cheng, Guo, and Liu) to defeat Tan and relieve the Imperial units surrounded by the Taiping on the northern coast before it was too late. On 21 September, Cheng Xuechi, commanding only 6,000 combined Huai Army and Qing naval forces, in eight successive attacks made between 8:00 and 14:00, was finally able to cut off the Taiping Army's retreat. The Huai Army were encouraged to break out of the enclave on the northern coast, destroying over 30,000 Taiping forces. Cheng himself received a serious gunshot wound to the chest, but was rewarded with a promotion to Lieutenant General
.
General Tan, accompanied by Brigadier
Gau Yonkwan (郜永寬), retreated to Suzhou
to prepare its defences. The Taiping forces launched four more unsuccessful attacks against the defenders, after which Hong Xiuquan
ordered the offensive to be halted and the forces to withdraw, thus ending the battle. The combined forces of the Qing government, the British, and the French were victorious, and Taiping permanently abandoned its designs on Shanghai.
was very opposed to this battle, Hong thought Shanghai was not a military problem.
Taiping Rebellion
The Taiping Rebellion was a widespread civil war in southern China from 1850 to 1864, led by heterodox Christian convert Hong Xiuquan, who, having received visions, maintained that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, against the ruling Manchu-led Qing Dynasty...
that occurred from June 1861 to July 1862. British and French troops used modern artillery on a large scale for the first time in China. Cannon-fire inflicted heavy casualties on the Taiping forces, whose commander Li Xiucheng
Li Xiucheng
Li Xiucheng was an eminent military leader of the Taiping Rebellion, and known during his military tenure as the Loyal King . This title was given because a Qing general attempted to bribe him to kill Hong Xiuquan, but he refused and told Hong Xiuquan. His many victories also made Hong very happy...
was wounded in the left leg by a shot fired from a cannon.
Prelude
Shanghai had been occupied by the initial wave of the Taiping Rebellion in 1851 but was recovered by the QingQing 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....
in February 1853.
In June 1860, a Taiping army of 20,000 led by Lai Wenguang had attacked Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and reoccupied it for five months before withdrawing. In early 1861, Li Xiucheng
Li Xiucheng
Li Xiucheng was an eminent military leader of the Taiping Rebellion, and known during his military tenure as the Loyal King . This title was given because a Qing general attempted to bribe him to kill Hong Xiuquan, but he refused and told Hong Xiuquan. His many victories also made Hong very happy...
was in control of Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
and Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
provinces, commanding over 600,000 Taiping troops. He aimed to capture the large but isolated city, one of the most important cities under the Qing government and home to an international port. At Li Xiucheng's request the UK and France had promised to maintain neutrality.
By 11 June 1861, the Taiping Army was able to muster five armies, commanded by Tan Shaoguang
Tan Shaoguang
Tan Shaoguang was a military leader of the Taiping Rebellion. During his military tenure he was known as the King of Mu . As a young soldier he joined the Jintian Uprising. After several years he was promoted to general, and led the Taiping forces to many military victories...
, Li Rongfa
Li Rongfa
Li Rongfa was an eminent military leader of the Taiping Rebellion, and known during his military tenure as King of Zhong the second Li Rongfa (1845–1891) was an eminent military leader of the Taiping Rebellion, and known during his military tenure as King of Zhong the second (忠二王) Li Rongfa ...
, G Qingyun, Chen Kunshu
Chen Kunshu
Chen Kunshu , eminent military leader of the Taiping Rebellion, and known during his military tenure as the King of Who . He led Taiping forces to many military victories especially the Second rout the Army Group Jiangnan...
, and Chen Binwen, organized under two fronts, and other units.
The commander of the Imperial Green Standard Army
Green Standard Army
Green Standard Army is the name of a category of military units under the control of the Qing Dynasty in China. It was made up mostly of ethnic Han soldiers and operated concurrently with the Manchu-Mongol-Han Eight Banner armies...
was Huang Esen, under the direction of Shanghai's taotai Wu Shu (道台吳煦). The Huai Army militia were led by Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
.
First stage
Taiping's Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Li Rongfa
Li Rongfa
Li Rongfa was an eminent military leader of the Taiping Rebellion, and known during his military tenure as King of Zhong the second Li Rongfa (1845–1891) was an eminent military leader of the Taiping Rebellion, and known during his military tenure as King of Zhong the second (忠二王) Li Rongfa ...
began the battle with an invasion of Pudong
Pudong
Pudong |Bank]]") is an area of Shanghai, China, located along the east side of the Huangpu River, across from the historic city center of Shanghai in Puxi. Formerly a little-developed agricultural area linked only by ferries, Pudong has grown rapidly since the 1990s and emerged as China's financial...
by 20,000 men, transported in thousands of boats. On his occupation of the whole district, the city requested help from the English and French. In October (according to the Chinese calendar
Chinese calendar
The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. It is not exclusive to China, but followed by many other Asian cultures as well...
), the American Frederick Townsend Ward
Frederick Townsend Ward
Frederick Townsend Ward was an American sailor, mercenary, and soldier of fortune famous for his military victories for Imperial China during the Taiping Rebellion.-Early life:...
brought 2,000 Filipino
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Chinese soldiers, whom he had trained, against the Taiping forces.
Following a fifteen-day Christmas ceasefire called by Li Rongfa, the government of Shanghai asked Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
for assistance in December. In response the Huai Army with its 20,000 soldiers was sent to reinforce Shanghai immediately.
Middle stage
On 10 April 1862 (according to the Chinese calendar), Li HongzhangLi Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
was formally promoted to governor of Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
. Five days later, the Huai Army began their counterattack on Shanghai.
At the same time, the mayor of Jinshan District
Jinshan District
Jinshan District of Shanghai is neighbouring Zhejiang and near Hangzhou Bay. It has a land area of 586.14 km² and a population 536,900 as of 2001....
commanded 5,000 men of the Green Standard Army
Green Standard Army
Green Standard Army is the name of a category of military units under the control of the Qing Dynasty in China. It was made up mostly of ethnic Han soldiers and operated concurrently with the Manchu-Mongol-Han Eight Banner armies...
to surround and attack the city of Taicang
Taicang
Taicang is a coastal city in Jiangsu Province of People's Republic of China. It is approximately to the northwest of Shanghai, and to the east of Suzhou. It is a county level city under jurisdiction of Suzhou prefecture level city. In 2008, the registered population was at 466,300, and total GDP...
, which was then occupied by Taiping forces. Li Xiucheng
Li Xiucheng
Li Xiucheng was an eminent military leader of the Taiping Rebellion, and known during his military tenure as the Loyal King . This title was given because a Qing general attempted to bribe him to kill Hong Xiuquan, but he refused and told Hong Xiuquan. His many victories also made Hong very happy...
sent 100,000 men to relieve Taicang on 19 April. Despite orders from Li Hongzhang to withdraw, the mayor refused to do so, resulting in the loss of his entire force.
On 29 April, Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Chen Binwen occupied Jiading
Jiading
Jiading may refer to:*Jiading District, in Shanghai, China*Jiading, Kaohsiung, township in Kaohsiung County, Taiwan*Roman Catholic Diocese of Jiading, diocese located in Chongqing, China...
(嘉定), whose Qing garrison withdrew to Shanghai proper. The Taiping Army then prepared to attack Songjiang
Songjiang
Songjiang may refer to the following in China:* Songjiang District , a suburban district of Shanghai, formerly Songjiang County* Songjiang , former province, merged into Heilongjiang in 1954Towns * Songjiang, Antu County, Jilin...
and northwestern Shanghai from Jiading. Li Hongzhang ordered Major General Cheng Xuechi
Cheng Xuechi
Cheng Xuechi Taiping Rebellion general originally,with Taiping army‘s mate Ding Ruchang surrender to the Qing in Anqing in 1861. He was an eminent Han Chinese official, military Captain General of the late Qing Dynasty in China...
, vice-commander of the Huai Army, to counterattack against Chen Binwen.
On 1 May, Li Rongfa's force surrendered to the Huai Army in Nanhui District
Nanhui District
Nanhui District , formerly Nanhui County, was a district of Shanghai, China's largest city, until its merger with Pudong in May 2009. It had a land area of about 809.5 km² and 59.5 kilometers coastline. The population of Nanhui was 975,017 as of 2006...
. Li Hongzhang delegated Brigadier Liu Mingchuan
Liu Mingchuan
Liu Mingchuan was a Chinese official during the Qing dynasty. He adopted a style name of Xingsan . Liu became involved in the suppression of the Taiping rebellion at an early age, and worked closely with Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang as he emerged as an important Huai Army officer...
to accept their surrender, provoking Li Ronfar to order Lieutenant General G Qingyun to make a series of attacks against Liu Mingchuan in the district. The failure of these attacks forced Li Ronfar to withdraw from Pudong on 10 May, ending nine months of occupation. The Qing government thus regained control of eastern and southern Shanghai.
On 8 May, Cheng Xuechi launched an assault on the Taiping forces occupying Songjiang, and expelled them after thirteen days of combat.
Last stage
In September 1862 a Taiping army of 80,000 soldiers under the command of Tan Shaoguang mounted a second attack on Shanghai, which was defended by Major General Guo Songlin (郭松林) of the Huai Army. The initial assault, led by Chen Binwen (陳炳文), faltered when Cheng Xuechi destroyed all twenty Taiping camps (one of which accommodated 500 soldiers); Chen Binwen retreated to Sijiangkou (四江口), where he joined Tan Shaoguang.On 12 September, the consolidated Taiping forces, numbering 70,000, struck the Qing again from Taicang
Taicang
Taicang is a coastal city in Jiangsu Province of People's Republic of China. It is approximately to the northwest of Shanghai, and to the east of Suzhou. It is a county level city under jurisdiction of Suzhou prefecture level city. In 2008, the registered population was at 466,300, and total GDP...
and Kunshan
Kunshan
Kunshan is a satellite city in the greater Suzhou region. Administratively, it is a county-level city within the prefecture-level city of Suzhou. It is located in southeastearn part of Jiangsu Province, China, adjacent to Jiangsu's border with the Shanghai Municipality.The total area of Kunshan...
. Moving very rapidly, they reached Qingpu District, only 5 km from the city, and surrounded 20,000 imperial troops.
The Qing fleet commander Huang Esen counterattacked from the river, gaining some ground, but even after reinforcement by the Ever Victorious Army
Ever Victorious Army
The Ever Victorious Army was the name given to an imperial army in late-19th–century China. The Ever Victorious Army fought for the Qing Dynasty against the rebels of the Nien and Taiping Rebellions....
he was unable to make much progress. The Taiping forces used this time to build many floating bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
s.
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
arrived to oversee the combat in person, ordering his generals (Cheng, Guo, and Liu) to defeat Tan and relieve the Imperial units surrounded by the Taiping on the northern coast before it was too late. On 21 September, Cheng Xuechi, commanding only 6,000 combined Huai Army and Qing naval forces, in eight successive attacks made between 8:00 and 14:00, was finally able to cut off the Taiping Army's retreat. The Huai Army were encouraged to break out of the enclave on the northern coast, destroying over 30,000 Taiping forces. Cheng himself received a serious gunshot wound to the chest, but was rewarded with a promotion to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
.
General Tan, accompanied by Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Gau Yonkwan (郜永寬), retreated to Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
to prepare its defences. The Taiping forces launched four more unsuccessful attacks against the defenders, after which Hong Xiuquan
Hong Xiuquan
Hong Xiuquan , born Hong Renkun, style name Huoxiu , was a Hakka Chinese who led the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing Dynasty, establishing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom over varying portions of southern China, with himself as the "Heavenly King" and self-proclaimed brother of Jesus Christ.-Early...
ordered the offensive to be halted and the forces to withdraw, thus ending the battle. The combined forces of the Qing government, the British, and the French were victorious, and Taiping permanently abandoned its designs on Shanghai.
Comment
Hong RenganHong Rengan
Hong Rengan was an important leader of the Taiping Rebellion. He was the cousin of the movement's founder and spiritual leader Hong Xiuquan. His position as the Prince Gan resembled the role of a Prime Minister...
was very opposed to this battle, Hong thought Shanghai was not a military problem.
Sources
- Teng Yuan-chung. "Americans and The Taiping Rebellion".1988 ISBN 6695386307
- Tiān Guó Zhi(天國志)