Jiang was born into a wealthy family of landlords and businessmen. He did well in the early stages of the imperial examination system, but China's defeat in the Boxer Rebellion motivated him to become a soldier. In 1903, he went to Japan to study military science. During this period, he was influenced by early Chinese nationalists Huang Xing and Song Jiaoren, and joined Sun Yat-sen's Tongmenghui the year it was founded. In 1908, he graduated from the Artillery Department of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy.
