Li Yongfang (; died 1634) was a Chinese general of the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

and

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-speak ...

known for defecting to the Qing dynasty, due to the Ming dynasty losing the city of

Fushun Fushun (, formerly romanised as ''Fouchouen'', using French spelling, also as Fuxi ()) is a prefecture level city in Liaoning province, China, about east of Shenyang, with a total area of , of which is the city proper. Situated on the Hun Ri ...

Liaoning Liaoning () is a coastal province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. With its capital at Shenyang, it is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and is the northernmost ...

to the Qing. Li Yongfang along with many other Han Chinese defected to the Qing as the old Ming system was declining and corrupt, and the Qing provided an opportunity for the Han Chinese to continue their culture. One of Li Yongfang's descendants Li Shiyao was sentenced to death by the Qianlong emperor but was spared his life when he helped suppress the Lin Shuangwen rebellion in Taiwan.

Battle of Fushun

The

Battle of Fushun The Battle of Fushun was the first military conflict in the war between the Jurchen-led Later Jin and the Ming dynasty. The battle ended in a decisive victory for the Later Jin and resulted in the capture of Fushun and two other nearby fortress ...

would be the first military conflict between the

Later Jin Later Jin may refer to two states in imperial China: * Later Jin (Five Dynasties) (後晉; 936–947), one of the Five Dynasties * Later Jin (1616–1636) (後金; 1616–1636), precursor to the Qing dynasty See also * Jin (disambiguation) Jin ...

and the

. Li Yongfang only had 1,200 men under his command. The Jin army assailed the city walls with siege ladders and the unprepared garrison gave their lives in a hasty defense. Li and his lieutenant, Zhao Yipeng, decided to surrender on the condition that no one was to be harmed. Nurhaci agreed to the terms and entered the city. Li along with many other Han Chinese of the Ming defected to the Qing dynasty and

Manchus The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and Q ...

because the old Ming system and Zhu emperors was corrupt and the new Qing dynasty gave the opportunity to the Han Chinese to continue their culture. Many Chinese saw the opportunity of serving a Manchu ruler without abandoning their Han Chinese cultural and political experience. He along with a number of Han Chinese surrendered or were captured and entered Manchu service in an administration that adapted many Han Chinese methods. Nurhaci's granddaughter by his son

Abatai Abatai (Manchu: ; 27 July 1589 – 10 May 1646) was a Manchu prince and military general of the early Qing dynasty. Although an inconsistent and dissolute malcontent, he nevertheless showed considerable ability as a military leader and a ...

married Li as a result of his defection to the Qing. The offspring of Li received the "Third Class Viscount" () title.

Qing dynasty

Li Yongfang later fought as a lieutenant-general at the side of Nurhaci and participated in the

Later Jin invasion of Joseon The Later Jin invasion of Joseon occurred in early 1627 when the Later Jin prince Amin led an invasion of the Joseon Dynasty. The war ended after three months with the Later Jin establishing itself as sovereign tributary overlord over Joseon. ...

. Although spared and given privileged status as one of the first to defect, Li lost Nurhaci's confidence in 1622 when he opposed the khan's desire to massacre any Chinese refugees who sought to escape his rule. Despite this, Li remained ambivalent towards Ming overtures trying to re-enlist him in their army. Li Yongfang died in 1634 with the rank of viscount. All nine of his sons continued to provide service to the imperial throne. Li is the father of

Li Shuaitai Li Shuaitai (; d. 1666) was a military commander of the early Qing Dynasty. He served as the Viceroy of Liangguang between 1653 and 1656, then as the Viceroy of Minzhe from 1656 to its partition in 1658, after which he continued as Viceroy of Fu ...

and the great great great grandfather of

Li Shiyao Li, li, or LI may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Landscape Institute, a British professional body for landscape architects * Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization located in Arlington, Virginia, US, that teaches "political tec ...

( 李侍堯). During the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 t ...

's reign, Li Shiyao was involved in graft and embezzlement, demoted of his title and sentenced to death. However his life was spared after assisting in suppressing the

Lin Shuangwen rebellion The Lin Shuangwen rebellion () occurred in 17871788 in Taiwan under the rule of the Qing dynasty. The rebellion was started by the rebel Lin Shuangwen and was pacified by the Qianlong Emperor. Lin Shuangwen was then executed. It started when the ...

in the Taiwan.http://12103081.wenhua.danyy.com/library1210shtml30810106630060.html

Battle of Fushun

Qing dynasty

References

Further reading