Pre-discussion Of Peng Yulin

Peng Yulin was a prominent general of Xiang (an other name for Hunan Province) Army in late Qing Dynasty. He joined the Movement of Suppressing the Taiping Revolution in his early years. He was ever instated up to the Minister of the Board of War. He repeatedly declined offers to be officials, he took up the post of the Commander of the Waterborne Forces of Changjiang River and the post of the Inspector of the Waterborne Forces of the Five Provinces along Changjiang River later. In his later years he made arrangements to resist foreign invasions resolutely in Guangdong in a position of the Minister of the Board of War and Imperial Commissioner.as for his behavior of kidding the taiping army in his early year. Later Generations comment him between praise and censure, Giving a broad overview of his life, Peng Yulin , as an important general in late Qing Dynasty,involved in many significant issues in Modern Chinese Times though his position was not as high as Zheng Guofan and Li Hongzhang.Therefore, it is very meaningful to give all-side and specific comments on him. Taking activities throughout of his life as contents of author's study, this thesis gives new view and comments to Peng Yulin to judge his influence to the society of modern China.In the first part of the thesis the author mainly studies social roots and ideological conflict when Peng Yulin joined Xiang Army in his early days. Because of bad living conditions and helplessness he had to give up as a scholar and joined Xiang Army. He had been promoted up due to his outstanding military exploit. However, Peng Yulin was filled with conflict by cruelty of the war and brutal and indiscriminate killing. He felt ashamed and regretful to the slaughter of lives and resentful to darkness of the army. He was perplexed inside his mind.The second and the third parts of the thesis describe the role Peng Yulin played in the Waterborne Forces of Xiang and the reasons he declined official offers. His important role in the Waterborne Forces of Xiang is proved by analyzing his performance in a series of wars suppressing the Taiping Revolution. Though his ranks promoted steadily due to his fruitful results of battles, high positions and handsome salaries could not move him. Therefore, analyzing the reasons he declined official offers repeatedly has realistic meaning.In the forth and the fifth part the author gives a very detailed exposition respectively of Peng Yulin's merits and demerits he strengthened the Waterborne Forces of Changjiang River and his deeds in the Sino-French War.The last part of the thesis discusses Peng Yulin's hobby and reason of painting winter sweet. The author tries to show Peng Yulin's personal character from his hobby so as to give him full, accurate and fair comments.