''Confucius'' () was an early armed riverboat of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

, and one of the earliest modern vessels of China.

History

The steamer was originally merchant vessel ''Confucius'' of the American trading company Thomas Hunt & Co., named after the ship's

figurehead In politics, a figurehead is a person who ''de jure'' (in name or by law) appears to hold an important and often supremely powerful title or office, yet ''de facto'' (in reality) exercises little to no actual power. This usually means that they ...

, a sculpture of

Confucius Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...

. ''Confucius'' was purchased in July or August 1855, funded by shipping merchants in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

as a response to an increase in piracy due to the

Taiping Rebellion The Taiping Rebellion, also known as the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Revolution, was a massive rebellion and civil war that was waged in China between the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and the Han, Hakka-led Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It laste ...

. She was transferred to Shanghai's Pirate Suppression Bureau, where she was used as an armed patrol vessel. During her service as a patrol vessel, she was commanded by an American sailor called Gough, and American sailor

Frederick Townsend Ward Frederick Townsend Ward (; November 29, 1831September 22, 1862) was an American sailor and soldier of fortune known for his military service in Imperial China during the Taiping Rebellion. Early life and education Ward was born in Salem, Massa ...

served as the ship's executive officer. Ward would later distinguish himself in battles and assigned the commander of the

Ever Victorious Army "Ever Victorious Army" ( ''cháng shèng jūn'') was the name given to a small imperial army that fought rebels in late-19th-century China. It was directed and trained by Europeans. The Ever Victorious Army fought for the Qing dynasty against th ...

. Thereafter, ''Confucius'' became part of the Army. In 1860, she took part in the recapture of

Songjiang Songjiang, from the Chinese for "Pine River" and formerly romanized as Sungkiang, usually refers to one of the following areas within the municipal limits of Shanghai: * Songjiang Town (), the former principal town of the Shanghai area * Songjia ...

from Taiping rebels. In 1862, she took part in recapturing Ningbo, where she was commanded by Albert Édouard Le Brethon de Caligny. Later that year, she took part in the Battle of Cixi, where Ward was killed in action. ''Confucius'' brought Ward's body back to Shanghai. After the war, ''Confucius'' was transferred to

Li Hongzhang Li Hongzhang, Marquess Suyi ( zh, t=李鴻章; also Li Hung-chang; 15 February 1823 – 7 November 1901) was a Chinese politician, general and diplomat of the late Qing dynasty. He quelled several major rebellions and served in important ...

's fleet in

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...

. There, the ship was renamed ''Tien Ping'' (), after the model of the steam engine on board. She then returned to patrol duties, and her further fate is unknown.

Notes

Citations

References

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Confucius Naval ships of Imperial China Naval ships of China