Several Topics in the Appraisal of Zeng Guofan

Historians will surely differ in their appraisal of Zeng Guofan, a historical figure, because they have adopted different perspectives. All the appraisals, however, should follow a standard, namely, whether or not the theory and practice of the research object are favorable for the social development, whether or not he has contributed more to the society than his seniors. With such a standard, there are three problems to solve in the appraisal of Zeng Guofan. First, a dialectical appraisal of the Jin Tian Uprising; second, is he the person who proposes or puts into practice creative ideas in Westernization Movement? Third, has he made more contributions in academics research, virtue and writings than his seniors? Only by answering these questions in a realistic way can Zeng Guofan studies be furthered.