Ding Richang

Ding Richang (Chinese: 丁日昌; Wade–Giles: Ting Jih-Ch'ang; 1823–1882) was a Chinese politician, who is remembered for his "indomitable" if not "prodigious" reform efforts, skill in foreign diplomacy (or "foreign-matters expert"^[1]), and supervision of the judicial administration, engaging in anti-tax abuse directed at the Yamen. Magistrate of Jiangxi, during the Taiping rebellion he lost and regained rank to become Shanghai intendant, returning to the devastated Jiangxi as Finance Commissioner in 1867 and Province Governor from 1868 to 1870. Ding's lengthy 1868 memorial admits to the hopelessness of effective governance without qualified administrators and structural reform. In spite of constant vigilance, corruption by the yamen continued throughout his term, remaining a central issue.^[2]

Li Hongzhang relied on Ding for advice on Western military technology.^[3] Both defended slow shipbuilding modernization efforts from criticism, with China taking greater interest in ordnance.^[4] As Shanghai intendant Ding founded the Kiangnan Arsenal, to which was attached a language school and translation department. It's 200 works had a powerful influence in the modernization of China. Ding also founded the Lung-mên shu-yuan Academy in Shanghai, which would be reorganized as a normal school in 1904.^[5]

In his late years Ding presided over Taiwan during one of the "most dynamic periods" of its history, and the program he laid there is relatable to that of the Self-Strengthening Movement.^[6] Despite his reformist propositions and support of Western learning, Ding was strongly committed to Confucianism and opposed the spread of Western religion. However, despite his concern for the former, unlike contemporary censors he was open to the flourishing Buddhist religion.^[7]