A leading statesman during the late Chinese Qing Empire, Li Hongzhang（李鸿章）(February 15, 1823 - November 7, 1901) was a general. He has ended several major rebellions in that period.

He was born Li Tongzhang (李铜章), a name later changed to Li Hongzhang. He had two Chinese courtesy name|courtesy names (字): Jianfu (渐甫) and Zifu (子黻). His Chinese courtesy name#Hao|pseudonym (号) was Shaoquan (少荃), but in the end of his life he also used the pseudonyms Yisou (仪叟) and Shengxin (省心). Being the second son of his father, he was popularly nicknamed Mr. Li the Second (李二先生). His posthumous name is Wenzhong (文忠 - meaning "literate and loyal").

Li Hongzhang was born in the village of Qunzhi (群治村), located in Modian township (磨店乡), 14 km./9 miles northeast of downtown Hefei (合肥), Anhui province. From his youth, he showed marked ability, and when quite young he took his bachelor degree. In 1847 he became a Jinshi, or graduate of the highest order, and two years later was admitted into the imperial Hanlin College. Shortly after this the central provinces of the empire were invaded by the Taiping rebels (see: Taiping Rebellion), and in defense of his native district he raised a regiment of militia, with which he did such good service to the imperial cause that he attracted the attention of Zeng Guofan, the generalissimo in command.

In 1859 he was transferred to the province of Fujian, where he was given the rank of taotai, or intendant of circuit. But Zeng had not forgotten him, and at his request Li was recalled to take part against the rebels. He found his cause supported by the "Ever Victorious Army," which, after having been raised by an American named Frederick Townsend Ward|Ward, was finally placed under the command of Charles George Gordon. With this support, Li gained numerous victories leading to the surrender of Suzhou and the capture of Nanjing. For these exploits he was made governor of Jiangsu, was decorated with a yellow jacket, and was anointed an earl.

An incident connected with the surrender of Suzhou, however, left a lasting stain upon his character. By an arrangement with Gordon, the rebel wangs, or princes, yielded Nanjing on condition that their lives should be spared. In spite of the assurance given them by Gordon, Li ordered their instant execution. This breach of faith so aroused Gordon's indignation that he seized a rifle, intending to shoot the falsifier of his word, and would have done so had not Li saved himself by fleeing. On the suppression of the rebellion (1864) Li took up his duties as governor, but was not long allowed to remain in civil life. On the outbreak of the Nian Rebellion (捻军起义), a remnant of the Taipings, in Henan and Shandong (1866), he was ordered again to take the field, and after some misadventures be succeeded in suppressing the movement. A year later he was appointed viceroy of Hukwang, where he remained until 1870, when the Tianjin massacre necessitated his transfer to the scene of the outrage. He was, as a natural consequence, appointed to the viceroyalty of the metropolitan province of Zhili, and justified his appointment by the energy with which he suppressed all attempts to keep alive the anti-foreign sentiment among the people. For his services he was made imperial tutor and member of the grand council of the empire, and was decorated with many-eyed peacocks' feathers.