- Byname:
- Chinese Gordon
- Born:
- Jan. 28, 1833, Woolwich, near London, Eng.
Charles George Gordon
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Who was Charles George Gordon?
Charles George Gordon (1833–1885) was a British general and national hero, celebrated for his exploits in China and his defense of Khartoum.
Gordon served in the Royal Engineers during the Crimean War and later commanded the "Ever-Victorious Army" in China, helping to suppress the Taiping Rebellion. He earned the nickname "Chinese Gordon" for his efforts. In 1873, he became governor of Equatoria in the Sudan, mapping the Nile River and establishing stations as far south as Uganda.
In 1884, Gordon was sent to evacuate Egyptian forces from Khartoum but became besieged by Mahdist rebels. Khartoum fell on January 26, 1885, and Gordon was killed along with his defenders, sparking public outrage in Britain.
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What was Charles George Gordon known for?
Charles George Gordon (1833–1885) was a British general who gained fame for his exploits in China and his defense of Khartoum against the Mahdists.
Gordon served as commander of the Royal Engineers, and later as governor of Equatoria in the Sudan, where he mapped the Nile River and suppressed rebellions and the slave trade. In 1884, he was sent to evacuate Egyptian forces from Khartoum but became besieged by the Mahdists. Khartoum fell in January 1885, and Gordon was killed, leading to public outcry in Britain, where he was considered a national hero.
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Which countries did Charles George Gordon serve in as a British general?
Charles George Gordon, a British general, served in China, where he commanded the "Ever-Victorious Army" and helped suppress the Taiping Rebellion. Later, he became governor of Equatoria in the Sudan (1873-1876) under the khedive Ismāʿīl Pasha of Egypt. Gordon also served as governor-general of the Sudan, where he crushed rebellions and suppressed the slave trade. In 1884, he was sent to Khartoum to evacuate Egyptian forces but was killed in the Siege of Khartoum. He also served in India, Mauritius, and Cape Colony (in Southern Africa).
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Why was Charles George Gordon called "Chinese Gordon"?
Charles George Gordon was called "Chinese Gordon" because of his exploits in China, where he gained fame for his military service. In 1860, he joined the British forces fighting in the "Arrow" War and was present at the occupation of Beijing. In 1863, he became commander of the "Ever-Victorious Army," a peasant force defending Shanghai during the Taiping Rebellion. His troops played an important role in suppressing the uprising, and upon his return to England in 1865, he was enthusiastically dubbed "Chinese Gordon" by the public.
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What happened during the Siege of Khartoum involving Charles George Gordon?
The Siege of Khartoum began on March 13, 1884, when Mahdist forces blockaded the city. General Charles George Gordon, who had been appointed governor-general, was sent to Khartoum to evacuate Egyptian forces but instead formed a defensive line. Despite his requests, the British government denied Gordon reinforcements. On January 26, 1885, the Mahdists broke through, killing Gordon and the city's defenders. The British public blamed the government for the tragedy.
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How did Charles George Gordon’s life and actions influence British history?
Charles George Gordon, a British general, significantly impacted British history through his military service and death. He gained fame for his role in China, suppressing the Taiping Rebellion, which boosted British influence in the region. Later, as governor-general of Sudan, he fought rebellions and suppressed the slave trade.
His dramatic death at Khartoum during the Mahdist siege stirred British national sentiment. The public and press portrayed "Gordon of Khartoum" as a martyr and criticized the government for not sending timely relief. This event influenced British colonial policy and public opinion, contributing to the complex narrative of British imperialism.
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Charles George Gordon (born Jan. 28, 1833, Woolwich, near London, Eng.—died Jan. 26, 1885, Khartoum, Sudan) was a British general who became a national hero for his exploits in China and his ill-fated defense of Khartoum against the Mahdists.
Gordon, the son of an artillery officer, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in 1852. During the Crimean War (1853–56) he distinguished himself by his reckless bravery in the siege trenches outside Sevastopol. He was promoted to captain in 1859 and volunteered the following year to join the British forces that were fighting the Chinese in the “Arrow” War. He was present at the occupation of Beijing (October 1860) and personally directed the burning of the Chinese emperor’s summer palace. In May 1862 Gordon’s corps of engineers was assigned to strengthen the bulwarks of the European trading centre of Shanghai, which was threatened by the insurgents of the Taiping Rebellion. A year later he became commander of the 3,500-man peasant force, known as the “Ever-Victorious Army,” raised to defend the city. During the next 18 months Gordon’s troops played an important, though not a crucial, role in suppressing the Taiping uprising. He returned in January 1865 to England, where an enthusiastic public had already dubbed him “Chinese Gordon.” For the next five years he was commander of the Royal Engineers at Gravesend, Kent; he spent his spare time developing his own unorthodox, mystical brand of Christianity and engaging in philanthropic activity among poor youths.
In 1873 the khedive Ismāʿīl Pasha of Egypt, who regularly employed Europeans, appointed Gordon governor of the province of Equatoria in the Sudan. In Equatoria, from April 1874 to December 1876, Gordon mapped the upper Nile River and established a line of stations along the river as far south as present-day Uganda. After a brief stay in England, he resumed service under the khedive as governor-general of the Sudan. Gordon established his ascendancy over this vast area, crushing rebellions and suppressing the slave trade. Ill health forced him to resign and return to England in 1880; over the next two years he served in India, China, Mauritius, and Cape Colony (in Southern Africa).
In 1884 Gordon was again sent to the Sudan by the British government to evacuate Egyptian forces from Khartoum, which was threatened by the Mahdists, followers of Muḥammad Aḥmad al-Mahdī. Reappointed governor-general, Gordon arrived in Khartoum in February. Khartoum came under siege a month later, and on Jan. 26, 1885, the Mahdists broke into the city and killed Gordon and the other defenders. The British public reacted to his death by acclaiming “Gordon of Khartoum” a martyred warrior-saint and by blaming the government for failure to relieve the siege. However, some biographers, such as the noted Lytton Strachey, have suggested that Gordon, in defiance of his government’s orders, had deliberately refused to evacuate Khartoum, even though evacuation was still possible until late in the siege.