Saišangga

Saišangga (1798–1875), courtesy name Heting, was a Qing dynasty official and linguist. He belonged to the Mongolian Alut clan and was associated with the Mongolian Plain Blue Banner. His familial connections include being the father of Imperial Noble Consort Gongsu and the father of Chongqi, his third son.

Education and Early Achievements:

In 1816, Saišangga obtained the juren degree in the Mongolian Translation Examination, known as Mongolian Fanyi (蒙古繙譯). This examination was part of the imperial testing system and was exclusively open to young Bannermen. The exam required translating from Mongolian to Manchu. Influenced by his father Jinghui, also a linguist, Saišangga developed proficiency in Manchu, Mongolian, and Chinese, which facilitated his high regard among the ruling authorities.

Official Career:

Saišangga held multiple high-ranking positions throughout his career, including roles as Grand Councillor, Minister of Lifan Yuan, Minister of War, Minister of Works, Minister of Revenue, Minister of Personnel, and Grand Secretary. During the First Opium War, he was dispatched twice to Tianjin to oversee the coastal defenses.

Participation in Military Affairs:

In 1851, amidst the outbreak of the Taiping Rebellion in Guangxi, Saišangga was appointed as Imperial Commissioner responsible for military affairs in Guangxi with the objective of suppressing the rebellion. However, he was accused of permitting the movement of Taiping rebels from Guangxi to Hunan, leading to his dismissal and subsequent trial in Beijing.

Imprisonment and Exile:

In 1853, Saišangga was stripped of his official positions and imprisoned with a sentence of execution pending. The Xianfeng Emperor later pardoned him, and Saišangga was exiled to Zhili (present-day Hebei Province). Two years later, in 1855, he was sent to serve at frontier military outposts.

Later Military Involvement:

Following the start of the Second Opium War, Saišangga was recalled to Beijing. He was tasked with training Chahar Mongolian soldiers. In 1860, he was appointed deputy lieutenant-general of the Mongolian Plain Red Banner (正紅旗蒙古副都統).

Publications:

Saišangga authored several works, notably:

- Huijiang zeli (回疆則例)

- Mengwen zhiyao (蒙文旨要)

Death:

He died in 1875.