Fuk'anggan

Who was Fuk'anggan?

Fuk'anggan, style name Yaolin, was a Manchu noble and general of the Qing Dynasty. He was from the Fuca clan and the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Eight Banners.

Fuk'anggan's father, Fuheng, served as a grand minister of state during the middle years of the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. Fuk'anggan held various offices throughout Qianlong's reign, including Governor-General, Viceroy of Liangjiang and Viceroy of Liangguang.

In 1787, 300,000 people took part in an armed insurrection in Taiwan against the Qing government. Fuk'anggan commanded 20,000 troops and suppressed the rebellion. In 1790, the Nepalese Gurkha army invaded Tibet and Jamphel Gyatso, the 8th Dalai Lama, escaped from Lhasa and appealed to the Qing government for help. The Qianlong Emperor appointed Fuk'anggan as commander-in-chief of the Tibetan campaign and Fuk'anggan not only defeated the Gurkha army and liberated Tibet but also pushed the Nepali army further into their own territory.

It was rumoured that Fuk'anggan was an illegitimate son of the Qianlong Emperor. Although the story has never been proven true, it is a fact that Fuk'anggan was the emperor's most favoured general during his reign.