Sheng Xuanhuai (; November 4, 1844 – April 27, 1916) was a

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 ...

Chinese tycoon, politician, and educator. He founded several major banks and universities and served as Minister of Transportation of the Qing Empire. He was also known as Sheng Gongbao ().

Biography

Sheng was born into a family of officials, and was the eldest of six children. Sheng's father was also a close friend of General Li Hongzhang. In 1870, Li appreciated Sheng's talent, employed him as his aide and soon became his chief economic deputy. Sheng recommended that Li build more merchant ships in order to fund the military ships that the Qing government needed. Sheng's suggestion was accepted and from then on Sheng became well known for his career in ship building. Handwriting-Sheng-Xuanhuai

Taking active part in the

Self-Strengthening Movement The Self-Strengthening Movement, also known as the Westernization or Western Affairs Movement (–1895), was a period of radical institutional reforms initiated in China during the late Qing dynasty following the military disasters of the Opium ...

, He actively advocated using Western technology in saving the country from destitution. His influence was mainly felt in the southern part of China, specifically in Shanghai. By 1893, Sheng controlled China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company, established the Imperial Telegraphy Administration and created first successful cotton mill in China. In 1896, he took over the Hanyang ironworks and related mines, along with control of the newly created imperial railway administration. In 1895, he founded Beiyang University, the first institution of modern

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...

in China. In 1896, he also founded the forerunner of Jiaotong University, which was later divided into Shanghai Jiaotong University and Xi'an Jiaotong University. He also created eleven "first", including the first modern bank, first telegraphy company, the first iron and steel joint enterprise.... In 1897, official Sheng founded the

Imperial Bank of China The Imperial Bank of China (Traditional Chinese: 中國通商銀行, Simplified Chinese: 中国通商银行) was the first Chinese-owned bank modelled on Western banks and banking practices. It was founded in Shanghai by Mr. Sheng Xuanhuai in 189 ...

, the first Chinese owned commercial bank modeled on the Western banking system. The bank was headquartered in Shanghai and had the authority to issue notes from the Qing government. Sheng Xuanhuai was a founder and the first president of the Red Cross Society of China, and is widely considered one of the key officials behind the then fledgling movement alongside Shen Dunhe. After the

Boxer Uprising The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...

, in 1900 when Eight Nation Alliance entered Peking, Sheng and Ronglu initiated the Mutual Protection of Southeast China, resisting Empress Dowager Cixi's Imperial Decree of declaration of war against foreign powers. Li Hongzhang, Yuan Shikai and other viceroys openly rejected Dowager's call for staging military actions against the foreign powers. In 1902, Sheng and British diplomat James Mackay negotiated and signed the Sino-British "

Mackay Treaty The Mackay Treaty () was a sixteen article treaty signed by the governments of Great Britain and the Chinese Qing dynasty on 5September 1902. Under the terms of the treaty, the ''likin'' system of taxation was abolished and the first moves made to ...

," which anticipated the abolition of

extraterritoriality In international law, extraterritoriality is the state of being exempted from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations. Historically, this primarily applied to individuals, as jurisdiction was usually cl ...

in China. In 1911, Sheng was appointed head of the Board of Posts and Communications, a high rank in the Imperial cabinet during the Qing Dynasty, until the dynasty fell in 1911. Sheng died at the age of 72 in Shanghai.

Residences

Sheng's private residence in Beijing while he was serving as the postal minister, has since been turned into a hotel for the public. In Shanghai, Sheng lived a mansion constructed in 1900 at No. 1517 Huaihai Zhong Lu.Former Residence of Mandarin Sheng Xuan Huai
/ref> Tongmenghui revolutionaries Xia Chao and Gu Naibin planned to burn down the building in 1911. The manor currently houses the Japanese Consulate.

References

Bibliography

*Feuerwerker, Albert. ''China's Early Industrialization; Sheng Hsuan-huai (1844-1916) and Mandarin Enterprise.'' Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1958. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sheng, Xuanhuai 1844 births 1916 deaths Educators from Changzhou Qing dynasty politicians from Jiangsu Politicians from Changzhou 19th-century Chinese businesspeople Businesspeople from Changzhou Chinese company founders Presidents of Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Biography

Residences

See also

References

Bibliography