Zuo Zongtang

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Second Class Marquis Kejing Zuo Zongtang
左宗棠
Photograph of Zuo Zongtang, late 19th century
Grand Councilor
In office 1881–1881
In office 1884–1884
Grand Secretary of the Eastern Library
In office 1874–1885
Assistant Grand Secretary
In office 1873–1874
Viceroy of Liangjiang
In office 1881–1884
Preceded by	Peng Yulin
Succeeded by	Yulu (acting)
Viceroy of Shaan-Gan
In office 1866–1880
Preceded by	Enlin (1864) Mutushan (1866–1869)
Succeeded by	Yang Changjun
Viceroy of Min-Zhe
In office 1863–1866
Preceded by	Qiling
Succeeded by	Wu Tang
Provincial Governor of Zhejiang
In office 1861–1862
Preceded by	Wang Youling
Succeeded by	Zeng Guoquan
Personal details
Born	(1812-11-10)November 10, 1812 Xiangyin County, Yueyang City, Hunan Province, Qing Empire
Died	September 5, 1885(1885-09-05) (aged 72) Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, Qing Empire
Resting place	Tomb of Zuo Zongtang
Spouse	Zhou Yiduan (m. 1832)
Children	Sons: Zuo Xiaowei (1846–1873) Zuo Xiaokuan (b. 1847) Zuo Xiaoxun (b. 1853) Zuo Xiaotong (1857–1924) Daughters: Zuo Xiaoyu (b. 1833) Zuo Xiaoqi (1834–1873) Zuo Xiaolin (b. 1837) Zuo Xiaobin (b. 1837)
Education	Jinshi degree in the Imperial Examination
Occupation	Statesman, military leader
Military service
Allegiance	Qing Empire
Years of service	1851–1885
Rank	General
Unit	Xiang Army
Commands	Commander of the Xiang Army
Battles/wars	Taiping Rebellion, Nian Rebellion, Dungan Revolt, Qing reconquest of Xinjiang

Zuo Zongtang (左宗棠, Xiang Chinese: [tso˧˩ tsoŋ˧ tan˩˧];^[1] Wade-Giles spelling: Tso Tsung-t'ang; November 10, 1812 – September 5, 1885), sometimes referred to as General Tso, was a Chinese statesman and army officer of the late Qing dynasty.^[2]

Born in Xiangyin County, Hunan Province, Zuo sat for the imperial examination in his youth but obtained only a juren degree. In 1851, he started his career in the Qing military by participating in the campaign against the Taiping Rebellion. In 1862, he was recommended by Zeng Guofan to serve as the provincial governor of Zhejiang Province. During his term, he coordinated Qing forces to attack the Taiping rebels with support from British and French forces. For this success, he was promoted to Viceroy of Min-Zhe. After capturing Hangzhou from the Taiping rebels in 1864, he was enfeoffed as a first class count. In 1866, as part of the Qing government's Self-Strengthening Movement, Zuo oversaw the construction of the Foochow Arsenal and naval academy. That same year, he was reassigned to serve as the Viceroy of Shaan-Gan, where he oversaw industrialization in Gansu Province. In 1867, he was appointed as an Imperial Commissioner in charge of military affairs in Gansu.

During his term as Imperial Commissioner in Gansu, he participated in the suppression of the Nian Rebellion. In 1875, he was appointed Imperial Commissioner again to supervise military action against the Dungan Revolt. By the late 1870s, he had crushed the Dungan Revolt and recaptured Xinjiang Province from rebel forces. In 1875, the Guangxu Emperor made an extraordinary exception by awarding Zuo a jinshi degree and appointing him to the Hanlin Academy. In 1878, in recognition of his achievements, Zuo was promoted from a first class count to a second class marquis. He was reassigned to serve as the Viceroy of Liangjiang in 1881 and appointed to the Grand Council in 1884, before being made an Imperial Commissioner again to oversee naval affairs. He died in 1885 in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, and was given the posthumous name Wenxiang.

While Zuo is best known outside China for his military exploits, he also made contributions to Chinese agricultural science and education. In particular, he promoted cotton cultivation to northwestern China as a replacement for cash crop opium and established a large-scale modern press in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces which published Confucian classics and newer works on agricultural science.^[3]