The
Battle of Shanghai(太平軍二攻上海) (June 1861–July 1862) was a major engagement of the
Taiping RebellionThe Taiping Rebellion was a large-scale revolt in China from 1850 to 1864, during the Qing Dynasty, by an army led by heterodox Christian convert Hong Xiuquan...
. It was the second battle to take place in Shanghai during this war and the first to occur after 1860. In this battle, British and French troops in China used modern
cannonA cannon is any tubular piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellants to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
artilleryArtillery is a military combat Arm that employs weapons capable of discharging large projectiles in combat. They are generally capable of adding considerable fire power to the military capability of an armed force...
on a large scale for the first time. Cannon fire inflicted heavy casualties on the Taiping forces and Taiping commander
Li XiuchengLi Xiucheng , eminent military leader of the Taiping Rebellion, and known during his military tenure as the King of Zhong and "Loyal Prince Lee" by Western Sources...
's left leg was wounded by a shot fired from a cannon.
In June 1860,
Lai WenkwokLai Wenkwok , born in Meizhou, Guangdong, and later worked in Guangxi, was an eminent military leader of the Taiping Rebellion and Nien Rebellion, and known during his military tenure as the King of Jun . He served under Hong Xiuquan's Taiping Administration, and was Hong Xiuquan's wife young...
led among 20,000 Taiping army had been first time offensive Shanghai and occupied it for 5 months, but withdrew at last.
Prelude
Commanding over 600,000 Taiping troops,
Li XiuchengLi Xiucheng , eminent military leader of the Taiping Rebellion, and known during his military tenure as the King of Zhong and "Loyal Prince Lee" by Western Sources...
was in control of
ZhejiangZhejiang 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' 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...
provinces by early 1861. He aimed to capture the large but isolated city of
ShanghaiShanghai is the largest city in China, and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, with over 20 million people. Located on China's central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the city is administered as a municipality of the People's Republic of China with province-level...
, one of the most important cities under the Qing government, which was also home to an international
port||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-|}A port is a facility for receiving ships and/or transferring cargo. It is usually found at the edge of an ocean, sea, river, or lake. The best ports have deep water in channels or berths, and protection from the wind and waves...
.
Before the battle,
Li XiuchengLi Xiucheng , eminent military leader of the Taiping Rebellion, and known during his military tenure as the King of Zhong and "Loyal Prince Lee" by Western Sources...
asked UK and
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
to maintain neutrality, which they promised.
By June 11, 1861, the Taiping Army was able to allocate five armies under two fronts, amongst other units. Under the command of Li Xiucheng fought the Tan SauGuan Army, Li Ronfar Army, G Qingyun Army,
Chen KunshuChen 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...
Army and the Chen Binwen Army.
Commander of the
Green Standard ArmyGreen 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, whereas chief commander was Shanghai's mayor Wu Shu (道台 吳煦). The
Why ArmyThe Huai Army was a Qing Dynasty military force raised to contain the Taiping Rebellion, in 1862 and restore the stability of the Qing Dynasty. Unlike the traditional Green Standard or Banner forces of the Qing, the Huai Army was largely a militia army, based on personal rather than institutional...
was under control of
Li HongzhangLi Hongzhang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, , also spelled Li Hung-chang, was a Chinese general who ended several major rebellions, and a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
.
First stage
The battle started with Taiping's
Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant 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 Ronfar leading 20,000
marine corpsMarines are military forces optimised for operations at sea. Historically the marine forces or marine corps are infantry forces that are part of the country's navy...
in
PudongPudong , officially known as Pudong New Area , is a district of Shanghai, China that enjoys sub-provincial administrative status. It is named "Pudong" because of its location on the east side of the Huangpu river, on the opposite of Puxi, the west side...
. They arrived by thousands of boats. When Li Ronfar occupied the whole of Pudong, Shanghai asked the English and French Army for help. The American
Frederick Townsend WardFrederick 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:...
, who had trained 2,000 Philippines and Chinese soldiers, entered the battle in October of
Chinese calendarThe Chinese calendar is lunisolar, 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. It is often referred to as the Chinese calendar because it was first perfected by the Chinese around 500 BCE...
fighting against Taiping's Army.
When the combat became a dog fight in Pudong, Li Ronfar suggested a cease fire over Christmas for 15 days. However, after Christmas, the government of Shanghai asked
BeijingBeijing is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China...
for assistance in December of the Chinese calendar. Beijing decided to send the
Why ArmyThe Huai Army was a Qing Dynasty military force raised to contain the Taiping Rebellion, in 1862 and restore the stability of the Qing Dynasty. Unlike the traditional Green Standard or Banner forces of the Qing, the Huai Army was largely a militia army, based on personal rather than institutional...
with its 20,000 soldiers to reinforce Shanghai immediately.
Middle stage
On April 10 1862 of the
Chinese calendarThe Chinese calendar is lunisolar, 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. It is often referred to as the Chinese calendar because it was first perfected by the Chinese around 500 BCE...
,
Li HongzhangLi Hongzhang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, , also spelled Li Hung-chang, was a Chinese general who ended several major rebellions, and a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
was formally promoted to governor of
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...
. Five days later, the
Why ArmyThe Huai Army was a Qing Dynasty military force raised to contain the Taiping Rebellion, in 1862 and restore the stability of the Qing Dynasty. Unlike the traditional Green Standard or Banner forces of the Qing, the Huai Army was largely a militia army, based on personal rather than institutional...
first attacked Shanghai.
At the same time, the mayor of the
Jinshan DistrictJinshan District of Shanghai is located near Hangzhou Bay. It has a land area of 586.14 km² and population 536 900 as of 2001.Jinshan District is home to the headquarters of Shanghai Petrochemical Company Ltd....
commanded 5,000
Green Standard ArmyGreen 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
TaicangTaicang is a coastal city in Jiangsu Province of People's Republic of China. It is 40 miles to the northwest of Shanghai, and 40 miles 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...
city which was then occupied by Taiping.
Li XiuchengLi Xiucheng , eminent military leader of the Taiping Rebellion, and known during his military tenure as the King of Zhong and "Loyal Prince Lee" by Western Sources...
commanded 100,000 Taiping to release Taicang on April 19 of
Chinese calendarThe Chinese calendar is lunisolar, 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. It is often referred to as the Chinese calendar because it was first perfected by the Chinese around 500 BCE...
.
Li HongzhangLi Hongzhang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, , also spelled Li Hung-chang, was a Chinese general who ended several major rebellions, and a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
ordered the mayor of Jinshan District to withdraw soon, but the mayor refused to do so. As a result, all 5,000
Green Standard ArmyGreen 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....
were killed by Taiping.
On April 29, the Taiping Army used their full strength and
Major generalMajor 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
JiadingJiading 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) again. Jiading's troop of Qing withdraw to Shanghai. Then the Taiping Army prepared to attack
SongjiangSongjiang may refer to:* Songjiang District, a division of Shanghai, China* Songjiang County, former name of Shanghai, a part of Suzhou city* Songjiang Town, town in Songjiang District in Shanghai....
from Jiading (Northwest Shanghai). Li Hongzhang ordered
major generalMajor 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...
Cheng XuechiCheng 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...
should combat against Chen Binwen.
On May 1, Li Ronfar's surrendered to the
Why ArmyThe Huai Army was a Qing Dynasty military force raised to contain the Taiping Rebellion, in 1862 and restore the stability of the Qing Dynasty. Unlike the traditional Green Standard or Banner forces of the Qing, the Huai Army was largely a militia army, based on personal rather than institutional...
in
Nanhui DistrictNanhui 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...
. When
Li HongzhangLi Hongzhang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, , also spelled Li Hung-chang, was a Chinese general who ended several major rebellions, and a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
ordered brigadier
Liu MingchuanLiu Mingchuan was a Chinese official during the Qing dynasty, born in Hefei in Anhui province. He became involved in the suppression of the Taiping rebellion at an early age, and worked closely with both Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang. In 1885, he was appointed the first governor of the newly...
to accept their surrender, it made Li Ronfar very angry and he ordered Lieutenant General G Qingyun to raise a series of attacks against Liu Mingchuan in Nanhui District. However, Liu won these combats. It forced Li Ronfar to withdraw from Pudong on May 10 and over Taiping occupied Pudong 9 months. Thus, the Qing government recovered control of eastern and southern Shanghai.
On May 8 1862,
Why ArmyThe Huai Army was a Qing Dynasty military force raised to contain the Taiping Rebellion, in 1862 and restore the stability of the Qing Dynasty. Unlike the traditional Green Standard or Banner forces of the Qing, the Huai Army was largely a militia army, based on personal rather than institutional...
vice commander
Cheng XuechiCheng 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...
began to attack Taiping and wanted to recover Songjiang from Taiping occupation. After 13 days of combat, the Why Army won
SongjiangSongjiang may refer to:* Songjiang District, a division of Shanghai, China* Songjiang County, former name of Shanghai, a part of Suzhou city* Songjiang Town, town in Songjiang District in Shanghai....
and Taiping's Army had to withdraw.
Last stage
Taiping's Army had reached 80,000 soldiers and raised a second attack for the recovery of
ShanghaiShanghai is the largest city in China, and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, with over 20 million people. Located on China's central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the city is administered as a municipality of the People's Republic of China with province-level...
. Chief commander of the city was Tan. The battle began in
SeptemberSeptember is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with 30 days.In Latin, septem means "seven" and septimus means "seventh"; September was in fact the seventh month of the Roman calendar until 153 BC, when the first month changed from Kalendas...
1862 of
Chinese calendarThe Chinese calendar is lunisolar, 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. It is often referred to as the Chinese calendar because it was first perfected by the Chinese around 500 BCE...
.
Major General Guo Songlin (郭松林) of the
Why ArmyThe Huai Army was a Qing Dynasty military force raised to contain the Taiping Rebellion, in 1862 and restore the stability of the Qing Dynasty. Unlike the traditional Green Standard or Banner forces of the Qing, the Huai Army was largely a militia army, based on personal rather than institutional...
command this combat. Taiping's commander Chen Binwen (陳炳文) command this attack, but Cheng Xuechi destroyed all of Taiping's 20 camps (one camp accommodating 500 Taiping soldiers) and it forced Chen Binwen to retreat to 四江口 (?) and meet his upper commander Tan Sau-guan (chief commander) prepare the latest recovery combat.
On September 12 1862, Tan SauGuan commanded 70,000 Taiping Army from
TaicangTaicang is a coastal city in Jiangsu Province of People's Republic of China. It is 40 miles to the northwest of Shanghai, and 40 miles 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...
and
KunshanKunshan is a satellite city in the greater Suzhou region that is administratively at the county-level in southeast Jiangsu, China, just outside Shanghai. It currently ranks as the most economically successful county-level administration in China. In 2008 the GDP totalled 150 billion yuan , an...
and raised attack Qing again.Taiping Army attack very fast, once upon distance target Qingpu District, Shanghai near only 5
kmKM, Km, or km may stand for:*Kilometre *KM - the Michaelis constant in Michaelis-Menten kinetics*Kernel methods*Kettle Moraine High School*Khmer language...
and surrounded 20,000 Qing‘s forces.
Qing‘s fleet commander Huang Esen raise first wave against from river,it made Taiping retreat a little but did not defeat Taiping, up next the
Ever Victorious ArmyThe 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....
come to reinforce Qing that still no large process, And Taiping forces use this time to build many
floating bridge-Ferries:A cable ferry, especially one designed by British civil engineer James Meadows Rendel, including:* the Woolston Floating Bridge* the Cowes Floating Bridge* the Torpoint ferry-Permanent floating crossings:These are usually a pontoon bridge...
s.
Li HongzhangLi Hongzhang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, , also spelled Li Hung-chang, was a Chinese general who ended several major rebellions, and a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
present come here to oversee this tough combat and orders these generals(Cheng, Guo, and
Liu MingchuanLiu Mingchuan was a Chinese official during the Qing dynasty, born in Hefei in Anhui province. He became involved in the suppression of the Taiping rebellion at an early age, and worked closely with both Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang. In 1885, he was appointed the first governor of the newly...
)must defeated Tan and release surrounded by Taiping on northern coast in time.
Until September 21 1862,At last day, Cheng Xuechi command only 6,000
Why ArmyThe Huai Army was a Qing Dynasty military force raised to contain the Taiping Rebellion, in 1862 and restore the stability of the Qing Dynasty. Unlike the traditional Green Standard or Banner forces of the Qing, the Huai Army was largely a militia army, based on personal rather than institutional...
united Qing‘s navy, pass 8 times attacks Taiping from 8 o‘clock to 14 o‘clock again and again, finally cut off Taiping Army back path, and
Why ArmyThe Huai Army was a Qing Dynasty military force raised to contain the Taiping Rebellion, in 1862 and restore the stability of the Qing Dynasty. Unlike the traditional Green Standard or Banner forces of the Qing, the Huai Army was largely a militia army, based on personal rather than institutional...
were surrounded on northern beach dare to outside and also attack Taiping,they destroyed over 30,000 Taiping Army even it made Cheng wounded at chest seriously by gun fire.
This merit promoted Cheng be
Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant 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....
.
captain generalCaptain General is a high military rank and a gubernatorial title.-History:This term Captain General started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of commander in Chief of an army in the field, probably the first usage of the term General in military settings...
Tan with
BrigadierBrigadier is a military rank, the meaning of which has a considerable variation.-Officer rank:In many countries, especially those formerly part of the former British Empire, a Brigadier is either the highest field rank or most junior General appointment, nominally commanding a brigade...
Gau Yonkwan(郜永寬) retreated to
SuzhouSuzhou is a city on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu, China. The city is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens which have contributed to its status as a great tourist attraction...
and prepare defend battle, Taiping gave up to attack Shanghai forever.
The Taiping forces launched four offensives against the defenders. On the fourth offensive,
Hong XiuquanHóng Xiùquán , born Hong Renkun , courtesy name Huoxiu , was a Hakka Chinese who led the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing Dynasty, establishing the Taiping tien-quo "Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace," over varying portions of southern China, with himself as the "Heavenly King" and self-proclaimed...
ordered the offensive to be halted and the forces to withdraw, thus ending the battle with the combined forces of the Qing government, British and French being victorious.
Comment
Hong RenganHong 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.
Popular culture
- Jolin Tsai
Jolin Tsai is a Golden Melody Award winning Taiwanese Mandopop singer. She is commonly known as the Ayumi Hamasaki of Taiwan and is one of the most successful and popular singers in the Mandarin music market.-Early life:...
- Myth: this song could match this battle and create emotion.
- Do They Know It's Christmas?
"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The original version was produced by Midge Ure, and released by Band Aid on 29 November 1984....
in 1861 in Shanghai
- Shanghai memories of 1945 -- Jewels Newton
Sources
- Teng Yuan-chung. "Americans and The Taiping Rebellion".1988 ISBN 6695386307
- Tiān Guó Zwi(天國志)