Sun Shiyi (simplified Chinese: 孙士毅; traditional Chinese: 孫士毅; pinyin: Sūn Shìyì; Wade–Giles: Sun Shih-i, Vietnamese: Tôn Sĩ Nghị; 1720 – 1796), courtesy name Zhizhi (智冶), pseudonym Bushan (補山), was an official of the Qing dynasty who served as the Viceroy of Liangguang[1] and of Liangjiang during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.[2]

Sun Shiyi
Grand Councillor
In office
1789–1789
Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Library
In office
1792–1796
Assistant Grand Secretary
In office
1791–1792
Viceroy of Sichuan
In office
1795 – 1796
(acting)
Preceded byHelin
Succeeded byFuning
In office
1789–1790
Preceded byLi Shijie
Succeeded byBooning (acting)
Minister of Personnel
In office
1791–1792
Serving with Fuk'anggan
Preceded byPeng Yuanrui
Succeeded byLiu Yong
Viceroy of Liangjiang
In office
1790–1791
Preceded byFusong
Succeeded byChanglin
Minister of War
In office
1789–1790
Serving with Qinggui
Preceded byPeng Yuanrui
Succeeded byLi Shijie
Viceroy of Liangguang
In office
1786–1789
Preceded byFulehun
Succeeded byFuk'anggan
In office
1785–1786
Preceded byShuchang
Succeeded byFulehun
Personal details
Born1720
Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Died1796 (aged 75–76)
Laifeng County, Hubei

A native of Renhe (present-day Yuhang District, Zhejiang), as a youth, Sun was devoted to study and was said to have prevented drowsiness by knocking his head against a wall. Awarded a jinshi degree in the imperial examination in 1761, he was secretary to Fuheng during his Burmese expedition, and in 1770 had risen to be Treasurer of Guangxi, when he was cashiered for want of energy, and orders were given to confiscate his property. Struck with the fact that nothing was found to confiscate, the Qianlong Emperor re-employed him.

In 1788, as Viceroy of Liangguang, he invaded Annam and reinstalled the emperor Lê Chiêu Thống, who had fled in fear of the rebel Nguyễn Huệ. No sooner had the Chinese withdrawn than another revolution took place, and it was ultimately decided to leave Annam alone. He was sent to Sichuan to see the supplies of the army fighting in Tibet, into which country he advanced over terrible mountains as far as Chamdo. In 1792, on the conclusion of the war with Nepal, the suppression of the White Lotus Rebellion occupied his last days. His physical powers were marvellous, and he required hardly any sleep. He was a great collector of ancient inscriptions. He was ennobled as Duke Mouyong of the First Class (一等謀勇公).[3]

References

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  1. ^ Ownby, David (1996). Brotherhoods and secret societies in early and mid-Qing China: the formation of a tradition. Stanford University Press. pp. 111–113. ISBN 978-0-8047-2651-1.
  2. ^ Truhart, Peter (2000). Regents of nations: systematic chronology of states and their political representatives in past and present : a biographical reference book, Volume 3. K. G. Saur. ISBN 978-3-598-21545-2.
  3. ^ Herbert Allen Giles, A Chinese Biographical Dictionary, p. 694. (1898).

Further reading

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