Background
Mr. Ch’i Yao-shan was born at I-tung Hsien, Kirin Province in 1867.
Mr. Ch’i Yao-shan was born at I-tung Hsien, Kirin Province in 1867.
Through competitive examinations Mr. Ch'i became a Chu-jen, Provincial Graduate in 1889 and a Chih-shih, Metropolitan Graduate in 1890.
Mr. Ch’i began his career as secretary of the Imperial Chancery and a companion of the Emperor in study. Later the rank of sub-prefect was conferred upon him. Various official positions he held in the Ching regime were as follows: Expectant Prefect of Hupeh, chief secretary to the Governor of Hubei, chief of the police at Wuchang, Acting Prefect of Ichang, Proctor of the Hubei Mint, chief secretary of the Hubei Reorganization Bureau, director of the army Medical College, assistant chief of staff of the army training headquarters in Hubei, secretary to the Viceroy of Hubei and Hunan, director of the silver mint in Hubei, chief Instructor for the Hubei army training headquarters, chief adjutant of the Southern force in the autumn manoeuvre at Changteh, Honan, director of the Hubei Reorganization Bureau, director of the Martial Court in Hubei, director of the Sichuan Salt Administration at Ichang, Customs superintendent at Chinchow and Ichang, Customs Taotai at Hankow, superintendent of Foreign Affairs at the same place, acting Educational Commissioner.
From January 1913 to July 1913 Mr. Ch’i was Chief of the Salt Reorganization Bureau which later became the Salt Administration. In April 1915 Mr. Ch’i was appointed Acting T’san Cheng of the T’san-Cheng-Yuan or the State Advisory Council. In June 1915 he was appointed President of the Commission for the Consideration of People’s Livelihood. In August 1915 he became a substantial T’san Cheng. In October 1915 he was conferred the Fourth Order of Chiaho.
In January 1917 Mr. Ch’i was appointed Shengchang or Civil Governor of Zhejiang. This position he held for more than two years. In June 1920 he was appointed Shengchang of Shantung which post he held until October 1920. In May 1921 Mr. Ch’i joined the Cabinet as Minister of the Interior. In June he was given a concurrent position in the Director Generalship of the Metropolitan Municipal Office. In July he became President of the Bank of Agriculture and Commerce. In October - Director General of the Famine Relief. In November he was conferred the First Order of Tashou Paokuang Chiaho. On December 24th, when the Cabinet was reorganized, he was transferred to be Minister of Agriculture and Commerce. On December 27th, he was given the concurrent position of Acting Minister of Education.
In January 1922, Mr. Ch’i was given another position, namely, the President of the Commission for the Investigation of Food supplies. In January he was relieved of both the Director-General of the Famine Relief Bureau and of the Municipal Office. In April he was relieved of the post of Acting Minister of Education. In June he was removed from the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce. In November 1922 he was conferred the First Order of Wenfu. Mr. Ch’i was the President of the Bank of Agriculture and Commerce. He resided at Tianjin ever since he retired from Peking.
