Li Wei (; Styled Youjie (), posthumous name Minda (); February 2, 1687 – December 3, 1738) was a

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

mandarin who lived during the reign of the

Yongzheng Emperor The Yongzheng Emperor (13 December 1678 – 8 October 1735), also known by his temple name Emperor Shizong of Qing, personal name Yinzhen, was the fourth List of emperors of the Qing dynasty, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the third Qing em ...

(1722–1735). He served the Yongzheng emperor, helped implement his reforms, and held various regional governing positions. During Yongzheng's reign, Li Wei helped crush the Ming dynasty loyalists. Li also implemented a tax reform that was unpopular with the landowners.

Biography

Li was a native of Tongshan, Jiangnan (present-day Feng County, Jiangsu), and was orphaned at the age of 10. He was not literate, but practiced

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

. He entered the Board of Finance as a regular accountant in 1719, then headed a department on the board. He then joined the staff of Prince Yong (the later Yongzheng Emperor). After Yongzheng ascended the throne, Li Wei was named the Governor of Zhejiang in 1727, where he carried out one of Yongzheng's signature policies of taxation reform: transitioning from an individual "head tax" to a land tax. The reform was unpopular with local landowners because it increased their share of taxation owed to the state compared to those owed by landless peasants. In 1729, in a swift act, Li Wei helped crush

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

-loyalists present in the

Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...

area. In 1732, he was appointed the Viceroy of Zhili, overseeing the area immediately outside of Beijing (somewhat analogous to present-day

Hebei Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...

). Li was a contemporary of Tian Wenjing and Ortai, who were Yongzheng Emperor's most trusted officials. In September 1738, while visiting ''Qinling'' tombs with the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...

, Li Wei fell ill with a lung infection, and died at the age of 52. The Qianlong Emperor commemorated Li's death. Li had five sons, all of whom served in the imperial service.

External links

Qing Histories: Li Wei
{{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Wei 1687 births 1738 deaths Politicians from Xuzhou Political office-holders in Zhejiang Political office-holders in Hebei Viceroys of Min-Zhe Viceroys of Zhili Qing dynasty government officials