What significant influence did Xiang Army have on the society in the late Qing Dynasty?

The Influence of Xiang Army on Late Qing Society

Influence on military system

The rise of Xiang Army made fundamental changes in the military system of Qing Dynasty.

Before the establishment of Xiang Army, the standing army of Qing Dynasty was green camp.

Soldiers in green camp are indigenous industries and will be selected and supplemented by civil servants. Their salaries will be distributed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the military power will be held by the Ministry of War and returned to the central government.

Since the Xiang army was prosperous, the soldiers recruited themselves and elected in person, and their salaries were raised by the handsome. Its system is just the opposite of green camp's, so the soldiers will turn and the soldiers will be there.

Zeng Guofan had great command and dispatch power over Xiang Army, and became a school of his own.

When the Xiang army actually replaced green camp, the general recruitment system replaced the national army system. The origin of modern Beiyang warlords actually started from the "meeting soldiers" of Xiang Army.

Influence on the political situation

The thought of "being a soldier must have something to do", which began in Xiang Army, also had a great influence on the political situation in the late Qing Dynasty.

Jiang Zhongyuan, Hu Linyi, Zuo, Yang Zaifu (), Peng Yulin, Liu Changyou, Li Xuyi, Ceng Guoquan, Liu Rong, Liu Kunyi, Jiang Yifeng, Liu Yuezhao, Liu Jintang, and Li Hongzhang, who later became the commander-in-chief of the Huai Army, were all governors and officials of the governor.

According to the custom of the Qing dynasty, the governor and the governor entrusted power to the provinces, and there were two divisions, which were in charge of the civil affairs, finance and justice of a province respectively.

However, the two divisions are subordinate to six departments, so they can specialize in the industry and their power is independent. Only ministers have judicial power, and governors are only in a supervisory position.

So the six departments can control the governor and the governor, and the state power is concentrated in the central government.

However, in the Qing Dynasty, this pattern changed after Xiang generals served as governors.

The governor, who had soldiers and generals in his hand, reduced the two departments to subordinate officials and did not listen to the instructions of ministers, so the court had to accommodate them, thus forming a situation of excessive supervision and care in the late Qing Dynasty.