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Wuzhong pingkou ji 吳中平寇記

May 5, 2019 © Ulrich Theobald

Wuzhong pingkou ji 吳中平寇記 "The suppression of the bandits in Jiangsu" is an account on the Taiping rebellion 太平 written by the Qing-period scholar Qian Xu 錢勖, who hailed from Wuxi 無錫, Jiangsu, and was Reader-in-waiting (shidu 侍讀) in the Grand Secretariat (neige 内閣). Qian was among the staff of governor-general Li Hongzhang 李鴻章 (1823-1901).

The 8-juan long book describes how Li Hongzhang, supported by Charles G. Gordon's (1833-1885; Chinese name Gedeng 戈登) "Ever-Victorious Army" (changshengjun 常勝軍) liberated Jiangsu from the Taiping rebels. Based on his own experience and memory, and quoting from official documents, Qian compiled his report. It begins in 1860 with the relief of Shanghai, settlement of many foreign communities which was threatened by the Taiping, and ends with the defeat of the Taiping in 1864. It was printed in 1870, and again in 1875 by the Shenbao Press 申報館 in Shanghai. It is therefore in included in the series Shenbaoguan congshu 申報館叢書, and also in the collection Jindai Zhongguo shiliao congkan 近代中國史料叢刊.

Sources:
Li Xueqin 李學勤, Lü Wenyu 呂文鬰, eda. (1996). Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe), Vol. 1, 921.
Wu Feng 吳楓, ed. (1987). Jianming Zhongguo guji cidian 簡明中國古籍辭典 (Changchun: Jilin wenshi chubanshe), 415.