 |
| Charles Gordon dressed as a tidu or Chinese Commander |
Charles Gordon (also known as General Gordon, Gordon Pasha and Gordon of Khartoum) is/was a fine example of the loyal British subject on active service in far-off Cathay bringing light to the darkness....
... to the Chinese he was more simply a ' yi ' or 'Barbarian'.
Gordon's presence at the destruction of the Summer Palace in 1860 (as a 27-year old Royal Engineer captain) would seem to suggest the Chinese interpretation to be the more accurate. The burning of the Emperor's residence took three days and was in retaliation for the abduction and torture of a foreign legation sent to Peking.
However, this would be to ignore his later achievements at the head of a mostly Chinese army which, in collaboration with the Chinese
Imperial forces, fought some of the final and decisive battles
that ended the 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 claimed to have received visions, maintained that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ against the ruling Manchu-led Qing Dynasty.
It is estimated About 20-30 million people died, mainly civilians, and largely through plague. The scope of this conflict makes it the largest civil war of the 19th Century, including the American Civil War with which it was contemporaneous - whether it is outstripped by the Napoleonic wars 9in terms of troops actively engaged) is, however, debatable, but it is certainly one of the worst conflicts of the period.
The Ever Victorious Army and Chinese Gordon had a walk-on part in these events, and largely as a defender of Shanghai. Throughout its four-year existence the Ever Victorious Army
was mainly to operate within a thirty mile radius of Shanghai.
This new force, organised by its commander Frederick Townsend Ward, originally comprised about 200 mostly European mercenaries, enlisted in the Shanghai area from sailors, deserters and adventurers in 1860. Ward's initial plan was to defend Shanghai by using his irregular mercenary force to attack nearby Taiping held areas stipulating that for every city captured he was to receive seventy-five thousand dollars in gold, that his men were to have the first day’s looting, and that each place taken should immediately be garrisoned by imperial troops, leaving his own force free for further operations. Later this force became a mixed militia of Chinese troops with European officers under the name 'Foreign Rifles' (a common colonial era name for irregular forces). This initial muster played an important role in the Battle of Shanghai (June 1860-September 1862) when the city and surrounds were taken and retaken by forces of either the Taiping Rebels or by Imperial troops. By May 1862 the Chinese troop component of the army was increased to 3,000 , all equipped with Western firearms and equipment by the British authorities in Shanghai.
The sobriquet of 'The Ever Victorious Army' was officially bestowed in March 1862 by the Qing Imperial court no less. It was the first Chinese army which was trained in European techniques, tactics, and strategy. As such, it became a model for later Chinese armies.
Gordon added to its successes when he assumed command in 1863.
The Taiping Rebellion, which had been on-going in the regions around and to the south of Shanghai since 1850, combined with the Second Opium War (1856-1860) saw the Qing Emperor under considerable pressure from many sides. By agreeing to sign the Treaty of Tien-tsin in 1860, ending the war with the French and British, the Emperor was in a better position to fight the southern rebels. However there was a price, what became known as The Unequal Treaties allowed the foreign possessions along the coasts of China to expand - and chief of these was Shanghai. The city began from this point to expand into the metropolis that would become the legend we see in the 20th Century. This growth was built to a large degree on capital realised from the now legal sale of opium.
But there is another side to the story - it is in some circles suggested that the Taiping Rebellion was allowed to run so long by the Imperial Court in the hope that the rebels would push the foreigners out of the coastal concessions, including Shanghai, with little or no risk to the Imperial Court. Such a scheme could, it is suggested, be laid at the feet of the formidable Empress Dowager Cixi who was the power behind the throne for much of the period, and more so when she manuevered herself into de facto power after the death of the Emperor in 1861.
This double game became impossible when the on-again/off-again Second Opium War added to the pressures on the Court and which ended with the siege of Beijing/Peking and the forced signing of the Treaty of Tien-tsin. Making the best of a bad deal the Imperial Court set about crushing the rebellion with European assistance and weaponry, of which General Gordon and the Ever Victorious Army are a fine example.
So the 'barbarian' Gordon is reformed - not least because a condition of the new treaty was the prohibition of the use of the character "夷" (yí), meaning "barbarian" in official documents.
He is forgiven for attending the wonton destruction of the Summer Palace because of his successes leading the Ever Victorious Army in it's general defense of Shanghai from the Taiping Rebels - for which he was even commended by the "power behind the curtain" Empress Dowager (via puppet Emperor Tongzhi) who was glad of European assistance and weapons in suppressing the rebellion - but the price for China was the expansion of the curse of Opium and further loss of sovereignty in the Concession ports, with Shanghai being the ultimate winner in the 'interesting times' of the period.
To honour this fine example of British Imperial manhood and the victories of his army
... to the Chinese he was more simply a ' yi ' or 'Barbarian'.
Gordon's presence at the destruction of the Summer Palace in 1860 (as a 27-year old Royal Engineer captain) would seem to suggest the Chinese interpretation to be the more accurate. The burning of the Emperor's residence took three days and was in retaliation for the abduction and torture of a foreign legation sent to Peking.
 |
| A map of the Summer Palace. CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO VIEW IN DETAIL. |
The Taiping Rebellion was a widespread civil war in Southern China from 1850 to 1864, led by heterodox Christian convert Hong Xiuquan, who, having claimed to have received visions, maintained that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ against the ruling Manchu-led Qing Dynasty.
It is estimated About 20-30 million people died, mainly civilians, and largely through plague. The scope of this conflict makes it the largest civil war of the 19th Century, including the American Civil War with which it was contemporaneous - whether it is outstripped by the Napoleonic wars 9in terms of troops actively engaged) is, however, debatable, but it is certainly one of the worst conflicts of the period.
 |
| Territory controlled by the Taiping Rebels by 1854. |
This new force, organised by its commander Frederick Townsend Ward, originally comprised about 200 mostly European mercenaries, enlisted in the Shanghai area from sailors, deserters and adventurers in 1860. Ward's initial plan was to defend Shanghai by using his irregular mercenary force to attack nearby Taiping held areas stipulating that for every city captured he was to receive seventy-five thousand dollars in gold, that his men were to have the first day’s looting, and that each place taken should immediately be garrisoned by imperial troops, leaving his own force free for further operations. Later this force became a mixed militia of Chinese troops with European officers under the name 'Foreign Rifles' (a common colonial era name for irregular forces). This initial muster played an important role in the Battle of Shanghai (June 1860-September 1862) when the city and surrounds were taken and retaken by forces of either the Taiping Rebels or by Imperial troops. By May 1862 the Chinese troop component of the army was increased to 3,000 , all equipped with Western firearms and equipment by the British authorities in Shanghai.
 |
| Uniforms of the Ever Victorious Army |
The sobriquet of 'The Ever Victorious Army' was officially bestowed in March 1862 by the Qing Imperial court no less. It was the first Chinese army which was trained in European techniques, tactics, and strategy. As such, it became a model for later Chinese armies.
Gordon added to its successes when he assumed command in 1863.
The Taiping Rebellion, which had been on-going in the regions around and to the south of Shanghai since 1850, combined with the Second Opium War (1856-1860) saw the Qing Emperor under considerable pressure from many sides. By agreeing to sign the Treaty of Tien-tsin in 1860, ending the war with the French and British, the Emperor was in a better position to fight the southern rebels. However there was a price, what became known as The Unequal Treaties allowed the foreign possessions along the coasts of China to expand - and chief of these was Shanghai. The city began from this point to expand into the metropolis that would become the legend we see in the 20th Century. This growth was built to a large degree on capital realised from the now legal sale of opium.
But there is another side to the story - it is in some circles suggested that the Taiping Rebellion was allowed to run so long by the Imperial Court in the hope that the rebels would push the foreigners out of the coastal concessions, including Shanghai, with little or no risk to the Imperial Court. Such a scheme could, it is suggested, be laid at the feet of the formidable Empress Dowager Cixi who was the power behind the throne for much of the period, and more so when she manuevered herself into de facto power after the death of the Emperor in 1861.
 |
| Empress Dowager as photographed at the rebuilt Summer Palace after its destruction in 1860. |
This double game became impossible when the on-again/off-again Second Opium War added to the pressures on the Court and which ended with the siege of Beijing/Peking and the forced signing of the Treaty of Tien-tsin. Making the best of a bad deal the Imperial Court set about crushing the rebellion with European assistance and weaponry, of which General Gordon and the Ever Victorious Army are a fine example.
So the 'barbarian' Gordon is reformed - not least because a condition of the new treaty was the prohibition of the use of the character "夷" (yí), meaning "barbarian" in official documents.
He is forgiven for attending the wonton destruction of the Summer Palace because of his successes leading the Ever Victorious Army in it's general defense of Shanghai from the Taiping Rebels - for which he was even commended by the "power behind the curtain" Empress Dowager (via puppet Emperor Tongzhi) who was glad of European assistance and weapons in suppressing the rebellion - but the price for China was the expansion of the curse of Opium and further loss of sovereignty in the Concession ports, with Shanghai being the ultimate winner in the 'interesting times' of the period.
To honour this fine example of British Imperial manhood and the victories of his army
Jamie Lawton of Ancestral Bar & Restaurant has crafted the following drink...
...and may the sun never set on the Empire
The Ever Victorious Cocktail
45ml The Botanist Gin
15ml Smoked pear & pepper syrup
15ml Dry French vermouth
20ml Orange juice
3 dashes Bittermen's Hopped Grapefruit Bitters
garnish: grapefruit zest
method: shake with great, but short-lived determination then fine-strain into a chilled martini glass -
Express the oils of your grapefruit zest across the drink then drop the zest into the glass.
No comments:
Post a Comment