Background
Mr. Chao was born in Shansi, China in 1867.
Mr. Chao was born in Shansi, China in 1867.
Chao Tai-wen graduated from Japan university.
While in Japan, Chao Tai-wen was much "wanted" by the Imperial Ching Court and was threatened with arrest, or worse, should he return to Shansi. In the face of this he presented himself to his home authorities, but surprised by this act they tried to dissuade him from his beliefs instead of arresting him.
Mr .Chao was eventually made proctor of the Shansi Agricultural College and while in this position imparted revolutionary ideas to a large number of students, including Yen Hsi-shan, who finally joined the Tongmenghui (predecessor of the Kuomintang).
He took part in the capture of Taiyuan during the First Revolution in 1911. Since that time Chao Tai-wen acted most of the time as adviser to Yen Hsi-shan and was very active in civic and educational activities in Shansi. He retired from public life for a time, but in October 1928 he became Minister of Interior at Nanking.
Owing to the political split between the North and South and the setting up of the Northern Coalition by Generals Yen Hsi-shan and Feng Yu-hsiang early in 1930 he was forced to resign the ministership and retired to Shansi. Chao Tai-wen was a member of the State Council of the National Government since 1932. From 1934 Mr. Chao became an assistant directing commissioner of the Mongolian Local Autonomy Political Council.