Viceroy of Liangguang


The Viceroy of Liangguang or Viceroy of the Two Guangs, fully referred to in Chinese as the Governor-General, Commander and Quartermaster, Supervisor of Waterways, and Inspector-General of the Two Expanses and Surrounding Areas, was one of eight regional Viceroys in China proper during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The two Guangs referred to Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. The areas under the Viceroy's jurisdiction included present-day Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, as well as Hainan Province.

History

Ming dynasty

The office of the Viceroy of Liangguang originated in 1452 during the Ming dynasty. The Jingtai Emperor accepted Yu Qian's proposal to create the office and appointed Wang Ao as the first viceroy.
In 1465, the Chenghua Emperor appointed Han Yong as Left Censor-in-Chief and Viceroy of Liangguang. The office was formalised in 1469, with the administrative headquarters fixed in Wuzhou, Guangxi.
In 1536, during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor, the viceroy Qian Rujing created a separate administrative branch in Zhaoqing, Guangdong. In 1564, the headquarters shifted from Wuzhou to Zhaoqing after Wu Guifang sought approval from the Jiajing Emperor.

Qing dynasty

The office was recreated in 1644 during the reign of the Shunzhi Emperor in the Qing dynasty. It was called "Viceroy of Guangdong" even though its jurisdiction included Guangxi. The headquarters were in Guangzhou, Guangdong. In 1655, the headquarters shifted back to Wuzhou.
In 1663, during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, the office was split into two: Viceroy of Guangdong and Viceroy of Guangxi. The headquarters of the Viceroy of Guangdong moved to Lianzhou. A year later, the Viceroy of Guangxi was merged with the Viceroy of Guangdong, and the headquarters shifted back to Zhaoqing.
In 1723, during the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor, the office was divided into Guangdong and Guangxi again, but were merged again within the following year. In 1729, in response to a rebellion by the Miao people, the Yongzheng Emperor placed Guangxi under the jurisdiction of the Viceroy of Yun-Gui to facilitate the coordination of military operations. In 1734, Guangdong and Guangxi were merged under a single office, Viceroy of Liangjiang, and had remained like this until 1905.
In 1746, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, the headquarters of the Viceroy of Liangguang shifted to Guangzhou and remained there permanently.
In 1905, during the reign of the Guangxu Emperor, the Viceroy of Liangguang concurrently held the position of Provincial Governor of Guangdong.

List of Viceroys of Liangguang

Ming dynasty

Southern Ming dynasty

Qing dynasty

Citations