​TSĒNG KUO-FAN (1811–1872), Chinese statesman andgeneral, was born in 1811 in the province of Hunan, where hetook in succession the three degrees of Chinese scholarship.In 1843 he was appointed chief literary examiner in the provinceof Szechuen, and six years later was made junior vice-presidentof the board of rites. When holding the office of militaryexaminer (1851) he was compelled by the death of his motherto retire to his native district for the regulation mourning. Atthis time the Taiping rebels were overrunning Hunan in theirconquering career, and had possessed themselves of the citiesand strongholds on both shores of the Yangtse-kiang. By aspecial decree Tsēng was ordered to assist the governor of theprovince in raising a volunteer force, and on his own initiativehe built a fleet of war junks, with which he attacked the rebels.In his first engagement he was defeated, but, happily for him,his lieutenants were more successful. They recovered thecapital, Chang-sha, and destroyed the rebel fleet. Following upthese victories of his subordinates, Tsēng recaptured Wuchangand Hanyang, near Hankow, and was rewarded for his successby being appointed vice-president of the board of war. In1853 other triumphs led to his being made a baturu (a Manchuorder for rewarding military prowess), and to his being decoratedwith a yellow riding-jacket. Meanwhile, in his absence, therebels retook Wuchang and burnt the protecting fleet. The tidequickly turned, however, and Tsēng succeeded in clearing thecountry round the Poyang lake, and subsequently in ridding theprovince of Kiangsu of the enemy. His father died in 1857,and after a brief mourning he was ordered to take supremecommand in Cheh-kiang, and to co-operate with the governor ofFukien in the defence of that province. Subsequently the rebelswere driven westwards, and Tsēng would have started in pursuithad he not been called on to clear the province of Ngan-hui ofrebel bands. In 1860 he was appointed Viceroy of the two Kiangprovinces and Imperial war commissioner. At this time, and forsome time previously, he had been fortunate in having the activesupport of Tso Tsung-t'ang, who at a later period recoveredKashgar for the emperor, and of Li Hung-Chang. Like all trueleaders of men, he knew how to reward good service, and whenoccasion offered he appointed the former to the governorship ofCheh-kiang and the latter to that of Kiangsu. In 1862 he wasappointed assistant grand secretary of state. At this time theImperial forces, assisted by the “Ever-victorious Army,” hadchecked the progress of the rebellion, and Tsēng was able to carryout a scheme which he had long formulated of besieging Nanking,the rebel headquarters. While Gordon, with the help of LiHung-Chang, was clearing the cities on the lower waters of theYangtse-kiang, Tsēng drew closer his besieging lines around thedoomed city. In July 1864 the city fell into his hands, and hewas rewarded with the rank and title of marquis and the rightto wear the double-eyed peacock's feather. After the suppressionof the Taipings the Nienfei rebellion, closely related to theformer movement, broke out in Shantung, and Tsēng was sentto quell it. Success did not, however, always attend him on thiscampaign, and by Imperial order he was relieved of his commandby Li Hung-Chang, who in the same way succeeded him in thevice royalty of Chihli, where, after the massacre of Tientsin (1870),Tsēng failed to carry out the wishes of his Imperial master.After this rebuff he retired to his vice royalty at Nanking, wherehe died in 1872.