The First Sino-Japanese War was the last foreign war of the Qing Dynasty, and the Beiyang Naval Division suffered heavy losses in this war. Despite the Qing government's poor performance in the war, the bereavement benefits for the fallen were surprisingly generous. What extraordinary rewards did these brave soldiers receive, and what kind of care did their families receive? Let us find out.
The fallen generals of the Beiyang Naval Division received numerous rewards
At the beginning of the First Sino-Japanese War, the imperial court had high hopes for the Beiyang Naval Division, expecting it to effectively counterattack the Japanese invasion. However, in the Battle of the Yellow Sea on September 17, 1894, the Beiyang Naval Division suffered a complete defeat. The commander of the fleet, Ding Ruchang, committed suicide in battle, and the main force of the fleet was almost completely annihilated. This was undoubtedly a major blow, but the Qing government did not let this make it cold to the undead.
On the contrary, the imperial court gave extremely generous rewards to the fallen generals of the Beiyang Naval Division, which was rare at that time. Among them, the most valued is Deng Shichang. Deng Shichang, who was formerly the guerrilla commander of the Beiyang Naval Division, personally led the flagship "Zhiyuan" ship to fight to the death with the Japanese ship "Yoshino" in the Battle of the Yellow Sea, and unfortunately was shot and died at the age of 36.
The imperial court appreciated Deng Shichang's heroic performance very much, and gave him the title of "Duke of the Prince", posthumously as the crown prince. What's even more remarkable is that the imperial court allocated a one-time allocation of 100,000 taels of silver as Deng Shichang's pension. This was an astronomical amount at the time, which was enough to see the Qing government's reverence for Deng Shichang.
Later, Li Hongzhang, an important minister of the Qing Dynasty, specially invited Deng Shichang to play and asked for additional rewards. In the end, the imperial court issued an order to give Deng Shichang 3 catties of gold to make a plaque. This is undoubtedly a reward for Deng Shichang's highest standard.
In addition to Deng Shichang, other fallen generals also received generous rewards to varying degrees. For example, Liu Buyun was posthumously presented with the title of Admiral and was rewarded with the titles of hereditary cavalry lieutenant and Encai lieutenant; Huang Jianxun was posthumously awarded the rank of chief soldier and given the title of hereditary Yundu Lieutenant and Encai; Lin Luzhong was given the title of hereditary cavalry lieutenant according to the treatment of the general soldier; and Lin Yongkai was given a pension according to the treatment of the admiral and posthumously presented with the title of prince and prince.
It can be said that these fallen generals without exception were generously rewarded by the Qing government. Not only that, but even the families of ordinary soldiers have received considerable pensions and preferential treatment. This is rare in the history of the Qing Dynasty, and fully reflects the court's respect for the soldiers who sacrificed their lives.
The Qing government made an exception to give preferential treatment to the families of fallen soldiers
After the end of the First Sino-Japanese War, the Qing government's preferential treatment of the families of the fallen soldiers was really remarkable. According to the old practice, only the family members of officers above the rank of general could receive pensions, while the families of ordinary officers and soldiers were not entitled to receive any rewards. But this time, for the first time, the Qing government extended the preferential treatment to all fallen soldiers.
Among them, Deng Shichang's family undoubtedly received the most generous reward. After Deng Shichang was martyred, the imperial court not only gave him the title of "Duke of the Prince" and the title of Prince Taibao, but also allocated a one-time payment of 100,000 taels of silver as a pension. This was an astronomical amount at the time, enough for Deng Shichang's wife and children to live a carefree life.
Not only that, the imperial court also specially added 3 catties of gold to Deng Shichang, which was specially used to make plaques. This is undoubtedly the highest level of praise for Deng Shichang, and it also shows the Qing government's reverence for him. It can be said that the treatment given to Deng Shichang's family was unprecedented at that time.
Another person who received preferential treatment was Lin Yongkai's family. Lin Yongkai was formerly the commander of the Beiyang Naval Division, but unfortunately died in the Battle of the Yellow Sea. The Qing government not only granted him a bereavement pension to his family according to the rank of admiral, but also posthumously awarded him the title of crown prince. This was a great honor at the time.
In addition, the families of other fallen soldiers have also received different degrees of preferential treatment. For example, Liu Buyun's descendants were given the titles of hereditary cavalry captain and encai lieutenant; Huang Jianxun's descendants were given the hereditary titles of Yundu lieutenant and encai lieutenant; and Lin Luzhong's family members received pensions according to the rank of general soldier.
It can be said that whether it is a general or an ordinary soldier, as long as he died in the First Sino-Japanese War, his family members can receive generous rewards from the Qing government. This was indeed unheard of in the past, and fully reflected the respect of the Qing Dynasty authorities for the soldiers who sacrificed their lives.
It is worth mentioning that the Qing government's preferential treatment of the families of the deceased soldiers is not only reflected in the rewards of money and titles, but also many ingenious measures. For example, Zuo Guigui, who died in the Battle of Pyongyang, was posthumously awarded him the title of crown prince and Taibao, but also built an ancestral hall for him, and ordered the History Museum to write a biography of his life. This kind of grand courtesy is really rare.
The heirs of fallen soldiers were given hereditary titles
In the First Sino-Japanese War, not only the generals of the Beiyang Naval Division were killed, but also ordinary soldiers suffered heavy casualties. In the face of these brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country, the Qing government not only gave them extremely high honors, but also treated their descendants with great kindness.
Among them, the most eye-catching is that Liu Buyun's descendants were given the titles of hereditary cavalry captain and enkai lieutenant. Liu Buyun was formerly the commander of the Beiyang Naval Division, but unfortunately died in the Battle of the Yellow Sea. In order to commemorate his exploits, the imperial court not only granted pensions to his family according to the rank of admiral, but also rewarded his descendants with two titles, hereditary cavalry captain and enkai lieutenant.
According to the old practice, both the Captain of the Cavalry and the Captain of the Grace were quite high-ranking hereditary titles, second only to the Duke. Winning this award not only means that Liu Buyun can have no worries about food and clothing for generations, but also shows the court's reverence for him. It can be said that this is a reward for Liu Buchan's highest standard.
In addition to Liu Buyun, Huang Jianxun's descendants were also given hereditary titles. Huang Jianxun was formerly the commander-in-chief of the Beiyang Naval Division and died heroically in the Battle of the Yellow Sea. In order to commemorate his exploits, the imperial court posthumously awarded him the rank of general soldier and rewarded his descendants with two titles, hereditary Yundu Lieutenant and Encai Lieutenant.
Compared to the Cavalry Captain, the rank of Yun Du Lieutenant was slightly lower, but it was still an extremely prominent title at that time. Winning this award not only means that Huang Jianxun's descendants can have no worries about food and clothing, but also shows the court's reverence for him.
In addition to Liu Buyun and Huang Jianxun, Lin Luzhong's heirs were also given the title of hereditary cavalry captain. Lin Luyuan served as the commander-in-chief of the Beiyang Naval Division, and unfortunately died in the Battle of the Yellow Sea. In order to commemorate his exploits, the imperial court granted a bereavement to his family according to the rank of chief soldier, and rewarded his heir with the title of hereditary cavalry captain.
It can be said that whether it is a general or an ordinary soldier, as long as he died in the First Sino-Japanese War, his descendants can be given hereditary titles. This was indeed unheard of in the past, and fully reflected the respect of the Qing Dynasty authorities for the soldiers who sacrificed their lives.
It is worth mentioning that these hereditary titles not only mean glory, but also tangible material benefits. According to the rules of the time, families who were granted knighthoods were not only exempt from servitude, but also received the corresponding hereditary land, thus ensuring that future generations would have no worries about food and clothing. This is undoubtedly the greatest grace against the dead.
The Qing government gave special care to the families of the deceased
In the First Sino-Japanese War, not only the generals of the Beiyang Naval Division were killed, but the casualties of ordinary soldiers were also extremely heavy. In the face of these heroic soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country, the Qing government not only gave them high honors, but also cared for their families.
Among them, the most striking is the special treatment that Zuo's precious family members receive. Zuo Guigui was a guerrilla of the Beiyang Naval Division and was unfortunately killed in the Battle of Pyongyang. In order to commemorate his exploits, the imperial court not only posthumously awarded him the title of crown prince Taibao, but also built an ancestral hall for him, and ordered the History Museum to write a biography of his life.
At that time, the construction of ancestral halls and legends was rare, and only the most outstanding figures would be so honored. It can be seen that the imperial court has great respect for Zuo. And this special care for his family is undoubtedly unprecedented.
In addition to Zuo Guigui, Lin Luzhong's family members also received special preferential treatment. Lin Luyuan served as the commander-in-chief of the Beiyang Naval Division and died heroically in the Battle of the Yellow Sea. In order to commemorate his merits, the imperial court not only gave his family members a pension according to the rank of the general soldier, but also listed his family members as generals and gave him the same preferential treatment.
According to the old practice, only the family members of officers above the rank of general could receive generous pensions. Although Lin Luzhong is only a general soldier, the imperial court has listed his family members as generals, which shows the great respect for him. This special care is undoubtedly unprecedented.
What's more worth mentioning is that in terms of preferential treatment for the families of the deceased, the Qing government not only reflected in the rewards of money and titles, but also had many ingenious measures. For example, for the families of soldiers who are old and infirm, and who have no support, the imperial court has allocated special relief funds to ensure that their lives are safe.
For those families of soldiers who were in the prime of life but whose families were really poor, the imperial court arranged for them to serve in the imperial court institutions, so as to obtain a stable source of income. It can be said that whether it is old or weak, or in the prime of life, as long as it is the family of a fallen soldier, the imperial court has given the greatest care and care.
This kind of special treatment for the families of the deceased was indeed unheard of in the past. It not only demonstrates the reverence of the Qing Dynasty authorities for the soldiers who sacrificed their lives, but also reflects the humanistic care of the imperial court for ordinary people. It can be said that this is a shining bright spot in the late Qing Dynasty.