Yuan Chonghuan
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Yuan Chonghuan (袁崇煥; style name: Yuansu 元素 and Ziru 自如; born June 6, 1584, died Sept. 22 1630) was a famed patriot and military commander of the Ming Dynasty who battled the Manchus in Liaoning.
Born in Tongguan, Guangdong province he passed the imperial examinations in 1619 and was appointed to the minor post of magistrate. Around this time, the Chinese armies suffered successive defeats and in 1622 they were forced to retreat to Shanhaiguan, abandoning all of Liaoning to the Manchus. After a visit to the front, Yuan was appointed second-class secretary in the Board of War, promoted almost immediately to secretary, and supplied with funds for enlisting troops.
Yuan Chonghuan worked harmoniously with the commander-in-chief Sun Chengzong and pushed the frontiers steadily northward, fortifying Ningyuan in 1623. In 1625 Sun was recalled and replaced by Gao Ti, who ordered a general retreat to Shanhaiguan, but Yuan flatly refused to leave Ningyuan. Early the next year the Nurhaci led the Manchus back across the Liao River. Yuan Chonghuan and his commanders successfully held Ningyuan with newly-mounted "foreign guns". Consequently the Imperial Court at Beijing appointed Yuan on 27th February 1626 Governor of Liaodong, with full authority to handle all forces outside the passes.
Taking advantage of Nurhaci's death later in the year, Yuan reoccupied Jinzhou. The Manchus reappeared in June and withdrew after a series of indecisive battles. The campaign gave opportunity for Yuan to be criticised by the partisons of the eunuch official Wei Zhongxian, in consequence of which he retired.
In 1628, under a new government, Yuan Chonghuan was reinstated as field marshal of all the forces of the northweast. He embarked on an ambitious five year plan for the complete recovery of Liaodong. In 1629 he was granted the title of Senior Guardian of the Heir Apparent. The Manchus, repulsed in the east, appeared suddenly north of Beijing in the winter of 1629. Yuan rushed back from Ningyuan to defend the capital, but was arrested during an interview with the Emperor on January 13, 1630. He was accused of collusion with the enemy and condemned to death by slicing at Ganshiqiao in Beijing. His body was taken outside the Inner City Wall by a city guard and buried east of Wofosi Street.
The twentieth century intellectual Liang Qichao, characterised Yuan Chonghuan as China's greatest soldier. zh:袁崇焕