李兴锐生平与事功述论

On Li Xingrui's Life Career

晚清社会经历了"数千年未有之变局",中西文明激烈碰撞,推动了中国社会由传统向现代的转型。晚清重臣李兴锐,生于道光年间,终于光绪一朝,可以说,他的一生是在清朝内忧外患的背景下度过的。其为官任内,兴办内政,积极赈灾救荒,整顿吏治与军事,发展经济及教育,澄明社会风气。不仅如此,李兴锐还身涉外交,参与教案处理与边界勘定,其兴政举措对于革新政治,维护清朝统治具有重要意义。特殊的时代背景造就了他亦旧亦新的思想——求"变"之心与不"变"之情相互交织,而这也正是晚清社会复杂历史面向的一种折射。

A great change occurred in the late Qing Dynasty; Chinese civilization and western one collided intensely, speeding up thetransition of China’s society from tradition to modernization. Li Xing-rui （1827-1904）, a senior official in the reign of Guangxu duringthe late Qing Dynasty. During his term of office, he took various measures to improve the society at that time, such as managing internalaffairs, fighting against disaster and famine, rectifying the Administration of officials and themilitary, etc. Besides, he engaged in foreigndiplomatic relations and participated in the handling of religious issue and the assignment of boundaries, producing an important role ininnovating politics and improving the governance of Qing Dynasty. Special historical background helped him to form a mixture of thou-ghts-half new and half old one, viz., his “innovation” and “changeability” were intertwined, a kind of refraction of social complexityin late Qing Dynasty.