Wanyan Chonghou

Wanyan Chonghou (October, 1824 – 1893)^[1] was a Qing dynasty official and diplomat, said to have been a lineal descendant of the Imperial House of the Jin dynasty (1115–1234). Graduating as juren, he became a Taotai in Zhili in 1858, and in 1861 Superintendent of Trade for the three northern ports, to reside at Tianjin. He was occupying this post when the Tianjin Massacre occurred on the 21st June, 1870. Of all actual connivance at or participation in this tragedy he was doubtless innocent, though with a stronger man in power it would most likely not have taken place. He was sent to France with a letter of apology, which he handed to Adolphe Thiers, being undoubtedly the first Chinese official of any rank who had ever visited the west. On his return in 1872 he was appointed Vice President of the Board of War and a member of the Zongli Yamen. In 1874 he was Vice President of the Board of Revenue, and in 1876 he was sent as acting General of Shengjing, replacing his brother, Wanyan Chongshi, who had died that year. In 1878 he proceeded as Ambassador to St. Petersburg, and negotiated the Treaty of Livadia, by which a large portion of Ili was ceded to Russia. In 1880 he was denounced by Li Hung-chang and Zuo Zongtang, nominally for returning without leave; and also by the then Censor Zhang Zhidong for having exceeded his powers. He was cashiered and arrested, and finally sentenced to death. For some time it was feared that he would lose his head. The foreign Ministers did all in their power to effect his release, but in vain. At length Queen Victoria interposed on his behalf; and in response to her letter he was pardoned, upon which he retired into private life. He died in 1893, of creeping paralysis; and in 1894 his rank was restored, less two grades. He was extremely courteous to foreigners, and was much liked by all foreign officials with whom he was thrown into contact.^[2]

References

This article incorporates text from entry Ch'ung-hou in A Chinese Biographical Dictionary by Herbert A. Giles (1898), a publication now in the public domain.