Imperial Commissioner (;
Manchu
The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...
: ''hese i takūraha amban'') was a high-ranking government official or military general commissioned by the
emperor of China during the late
Ming (13681644) and
Qing (16441912) dynasties. His power was just below that of the emperor, such that he could command
viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory.
The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...
s and
provincial governors by imperial edict.
Functions
Main responsibilities
Negotiations with foreign powers, for example
Lin Zexu,
Qishan and
Shen Baozhen) as well as treaty ratification as exemplified by
Qiying,
Yixin, Prince Gong and
Li Hongzhang.
Manage aid and unite local government in response to large-scale natural disasters.
Subsidiary responsibilities
Military recruitment and transport. Examples include
Tan Lun,
Hong Chengchou,
Xiang Rong,
Zuo Zongtang and
Yuan Shikai
List of Imperial Commissioners (middle and late Ming dynasty)
Imperial Commissioners received a sword of office from the emperor.
* 1555:
Tan Lun ''wokou'' suppression
* 1564:
Yan Song
* 1640:
Hong Chengchou against the
Qing
List of Imperial Commissioners (late Qing)
* 1838:
Lin Zexu (
First Opium War)
* 1840:
Qishan (Qing dynasty)
* 1842:
Qiying
* 1850:
Lin Zexu (
Taiping Rebellion)
* 1852:
Ye Mingchen
* 1852:
Xiang Rong
* 1858:
Qiying
* 1860:
Yixin, Prince Gong
* 1871:
Shen Baozhen
* 1875:
Zuo Zongtang
* 1885:
Zuo Zongtang
* 1895:
Li Hongzhang
* 1896:
Li Hongzhang
* 1911:
Zhao Erxun
* 1911:
Yuan Shikai
See also
*
Commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to incl ...
{{Chinese Imperial Government
Government of Imperial China
Government of the Ming dynasty
Government of the Qing dynasty