Zuo Zongtang

Zuo Zongtang Second Class Marquis Kejing
Photograph of Zuo Zongtang, late 19th century
Viceroy of Liangjiang
In office 1881–1884
Preceded by	Peng Yulin
Succeeded by	Yulu
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
Spouse(s)	Zhou Yiduan (m. 1832)
Children	Sons: Zuo Xiaowei (1846–1873) Zuo Xiaokuan (1847–?) Zuo Xiaoxun (1853–?) Zuo Xiaotong (1857–1924) Daughters: Zuo Xiaoyu (1833–?) Zuo Xiaoqi (1834–1873) Zuo Xiaolin (1837–?) Zuo Xiaobin (1837–?)
Occupation	Statesman, military leader
Military service
Allegiance	Qing Empire
Years of service	1851–1885
Rank	General
Commands	Commander of the Xiang Army
Battles/wars	Taiping Rebellion, Nian Rebellion, Dungan Revolt, Qing reconquest of Xinjiang

Zuo Zongtang (also romanised as Tso Tsung-t'ang; [tswɔ̀ tsʊ́ŋtʰɑ̌ŋ]; 10 November 1812 – 5 September 1885), sometimes referred to as General Tso, was a Chinese statesman and military leader of the late Qing dynasty.

Born in Xiangyin County, Hunan Province, Zuo sat for the imperial examination in his youth but obtained only a juren degree. He then spent his time studying agriculture, geography and military strategy. 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 Fuzhou Arsenal and naval academy. That same year, he was reassigned to serve as the Viceroy of Shaan-Gan, where he oversaw industrialisation 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 – even though Zuo never achieved this in the imperial examination – 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.