Biography

At a young age, he attempted to take the imperial examination, but when he did not pass, he gave up, and in 1862, he followed his uncle to Jinan, paid money, and obtained the status of Zhixian. Afterwards, he became a staff officer in the Shandong Census, and his abilities were evaluated by the Shandong Census and Ding Baozhen, and he was recommended to the Taoist, and was promoted to Azechi.

Eventually, he was called to Beijing and joined the Prime Minister's Department of Foreign Affairs, where he was promoted to Sajuro Tobe, and thereafter held successive positions in the Engineering Department, Criminal Affairs Department, Military Department, Religious Affairs Department, and Office Department. In 1885, he became minister to the United States, Spain, and Peru. During his tenure, he consulted on the issues of overseas Chinese workers.

In 1895, due to the crushing defeat of the Beiyang Fleet in the Sino-Japanese War, the Qing court dispatched Yinhuan and Shao Youlian, the commander of Hunan, as ambassadors with plenipotentiary power to make peace. However, he was refused negotiations in Hiroshima and was eventually replaced by Li Hongzhang and his adopted son Li Jingfang, who signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki.

In 1897, he visited the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany, and Russia. In March 1898, he served as deputy plenipotentiary for the Russo-Qing Treaty on Port Arthur and Dalian Concession, which was signed in Beijing (the chief plenipotentiary was Li Hongzhang).

Yinhuan supported the law reform movement and was close to Kang Youwei, so he was exiled to Xinjiang Province after the Hundred Days' Reform. In 1900, he was executed in exile during the Boxer Rebellion.

生平

少時應有司試，不授，遂棄科舉事。清穆宗同治初年，隨舅氏李宗岱往濟南，納貲為知縣，旋入魯撫幕，先後為巡撫閻敬銘、丁寶楨所器重，經過數次推薦至道員。清德宗光緒年間，張任按察使，後調京賞三品京堂，兩入主掌外交事務的總理各國事務衙門，累遷至戶部左侍郎，賞加尚書銜，先後兼署工、刑、兵、禮、吏部等五部。

光緒十一年（1885年），任駐美國、西班牙、秘魯三國大臣，辦理華工被害各案交涉事宜。

二十一年（1895年），北洋艦隊在甲午戰爭慘敗後，光緒帝派張蔭桓、湖南巡撫邵友濂為全權大臣赴日本媾和。

二十三年（1897年），出使英、美、法、德、俄諸國。8月12日，以英維多利亞女王登基60週年清帝賀使，獲聖米迦勒及聖喬治爵級大十字勳章（榮譽會員）。

二十四年（1898年）3月，協助李鴻章與俄國簽訂《旅大租地條約》。

張蔭桓是京城為數不多的曾經出洋、懂洋務的外交官員，但他得到清德宗的信任和得到外交消息的人。戊戌變法時，調任管理京師礦務、鐵路總局，因為支持慈禧默許的戊戌變法，與翁同龢、康有為關係密切，戊戌政變後，張蔭桓安排家屬返回佛山南海，銷毀相關書札、文件，而他則留在錫拉胡同官邸待查。滿大臣貽穀參奏其與康有為關系密切，隨後獲罪，因英國公使竇納樂、日本署使林權助和伊藤博文的關注，李鴻章經榮祿說服了慈禧，張得以保存生命，改判流放新疆。貶戍新疆時，京劇演員秦稚芬一路護送至張家口。張蔭桓性格開朗，沿途與接送官員謔稱：「老太太跟我開玩笑，差我到關外走一回。」

光緒二十六年（1900年）庚子拳亂，八國不滿。原出於張蔭桓門下的新疆巡撫饒應祺上奏請求釋放張蔭桓，處理外交，未准。八國聯軍進入京城之際，把持朝政的端郡王載漪矯旨斬張蔭桓於戍所。二十七年（1901年），兩宮回鑾，太后召見惠潮嘉道吳永時問到張蔭桓，吳永回答：「庚子某月電旨正法。」太后聽聞也感到哀傷。慶親王奕劻受李鴻章死前交代，奏准為張蔭桓平反、追復原官銜。

張蔭桓著有《三洲日記》、《鐵畫樓詩續鈔》。在京城居於東城錫拉胡同，為粵商劉學詢（賭博業）所有。