The Rise of the Southern Ming Resistance

In the turbulent mid-17th century, as the Qing dynasty consolidated its rule over China, remnants of the Ming loyalists—known collectively as the Southern Ming—mounted a desperate resistance. Among these, the former rebel leaders Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo emerged as pivotal figures. Having once served under the peasant rebellion leader Zhang Xianzhong, they now fought to preserve the Ming cause under the Yongli Emperor.

By 1652, the Southern Ming controlled significant territories including parts of Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Sichuan, and Hunan. Sun Kewang, as the de facto military leader, had reorganized scattered Ming forces into a disciplined army. His governance in Yunnan and Guizhou provided a stable base, while Li Dingguo’s military brilliance delivered stunning victories against the Qing.

The Pivotal Campaigns of 1652

The year 1652 marked a high point for the Southern Ming. In November, Sun Kewang personally led an assault on Chenzhou (modern-day Yuanling, Hunan). His general, Bai Wenxuan, commanded 50,000 troops, using war elephants to breach the city’s defenses. The Qing commander Xu Yong was killed in the chaotic battle, and Chenzhou fell. Sun then reorganized the administration, renaming Yuanzhou as “Qianxing Prefecture” and incorporating it into Guizhou.

Meanwhile, Li Dingguo achieved an even greater triumph at Hengyang, where he ambushed and killed the Qing prince Nikan—one of the dynasty’s most capable commanders. Contemporary accounts describe the shockwaves this sent through the Qing ranks, with officials and soldiers fleeing in disarray.

The Cracks in the Alliance

Despite these victories, Sun Kewang’s leadership was marred by jealousy and paranoia. Fearful of Li Dingguo’s growing prestige, he sabotaged his ally’s campaigns. During the Hengyang operation, Sun secretly ordered Li’s supporting generals, Ma Jinzhong and Feng Shuangli, to withdraw, leaving Li isolated. Though Li still managed to kill Nikan, he was forced to abandon Hengyang due to insufficient troops.

Sun’s distrust escalated into outright hostility. He plotted to assassinate Li under the guise of a military conference. Warned by sympathizers, Li narrowly escaped, retreating to Guangxi with his army. The rift between the two commanders—once brothers-in-arms—became irreparable.

The Cost of Disunity

Sun’s betrayal had immediate consequences. In early 1653, his forces suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Baoqing against the Qing general Tunqi. Though the Qing also took heavy losses, the Southern Ming momentum was broken. Historians argue that had Sun and Li cooperated, they could have exploited the Qing’s disarray to reclaim Hunan and possibly push into Hubei or Jiangxi.

Instead, internal strife doomed their cause. Sun’s authoritarianism and Li’s forced withdrawal left the Southern Ming fragmented. By 1654, Sun’s ambitions led him to openly challenge the Yongli Emperor, further weakening the resistance. His eventual defection to the Qing in 1657 delivered a final blow to the Ming loyalists.

Legacy and Historical Reflections

The Sun-Li conflict underscores a recurring theme in Southern Ming history: the fatal consequences of disunity. Militarily, their forces were often a match for the Qing, but political infighting and personal rivalries eroded their advantage. Li Dingguo, despite his brilliance, was thwarted by his own allies, while Sun Kewang’s shortsightedness squandered a genuine chance to revive the Ming.

Modern historians view this period as a tragic “what-if.” The disciplined armies, popular support, and territorial gains of 1652-1653 demonstrated the Southern Ming’s potential. Yet, without trust and coordination, even the most heroic efforts could not withstand the Qing’s relentless advance. The story of Sun and Li remains a poignant lesson on the importance of unity in the face of existential threats.

Conclusion

The campaigns of 1652-1653 represented the Southern Ming’s brightest—and most fleeting—hope. Sun Kewang’s territorial reforms and Li Dingguo’s battlefield genius briefly tipped the scales, but personal ambition and mistrust doomed their cause. In the end, the Qing’s victory was less a testament to their superiority than a consequence of Ming self-sabotage. The fractured alliance between Sun and Li stands as one of history’s great missed opportunities, a cautionary tale of how internal discord can unravel even the most promising resistance.