Zeng Guofan - Family & Personal

Family & Personal

Zeng was a voluminous writer. His papers addressed to the throne and his literary disquisitions are held in high esteem by the scholars of China, who treasure as the edition of his collected works in 156 books, which was edited by Li Hongzhang in 1876, as a memorial of a great and un-corrupt statesman. Zeng enjoyed reading greatly, and held a special interest in the 23 Histories, and other classics. He was also a dedicated poet and a diary author.

Zeng called Hakka females "Big foot hillbilly witch" during the Taiping Rebellion.

Unlike his contemporaries, Zeng was officially married only once, to a woman of the Ouyang family when he was in his late teens. His wife was known to be a capable woman. He had 3 sons and 5 daughters with her, and two of his eldest children died young. His eldest son, Zeng Jize, who inherited his title of First Class Marquess, went on to become a famous diplomat in late-Qing history.

His younger brother, Zeng Guoquan, was an ambitious general in the Xiang Army. He was later appointed Viceroy of Liangjiang (the provinces of Jiangxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu: 两江总督) in 1884.