A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chao Shên-ch'iao

1758796A Chinese Biographical Dictionary — Chao Shên-ch'iaoHerbert A. Giles


181 Chao Shên-ch'iao 趙申喬 (T. 慎旃 and 松伍). A.D. 1644—1720. A native of Wu-chin in Kiangnan, who graduated as chin shih in 1670, and was for many years Magistrate of 商邱 Shang-ch'iu in Honan. His administration was earnest and thorough; and in time of famine he gave all he had to the people, even selling his own clothes. By 1701 he had risen to be Lieutenant-Governor of Chehkiang, where he introduced many economies and abolished useless and burdensome fees and charges. Next year he became Governor, his baggage on removal consisting of one load of books. He improved the sea-walls, the tide continuing low for 70 days during the work, in answer to his prayers! In 1703 he was transferred to Hunan, where, after quelling a rising of the aborigines, he gave full play to his zeal for reform. This gained him the love of the people, and even now, after a century and a half, the women and children of Chehkiang are still familiar with the name of "Governor Chao." But his arbitrary ways kept him in perpetual trouble, and he was repeatedly impeached, until in 1709 he was transferred to Peking as President of the Censorate. In 1711 he denounced the seditious work entitled 南山集孑遺錄, and its author 戴名世 Tai Ming-shih was executed. In 1713 he became President of the Board of Revenue, but did not get on with his colleagues. In 1715 he incurred a severe rebuke over the embezzlement of public funds by one of his sons, who was beheaded. Three years later he wished to retire, but was kept in office, all the sums due by him being remitted. A record of his government, entitled 寶政錄, was published by the Hunanese, and one of his clerks also published a collection of his official writings. Canonised as 恭毅 and included in 1730 in the Temple of Worthies.