Yang Fang (17701846) was a

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctiv ...

general and diplomat during the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

(16441911). Born in Songtao, Guizhou Province (modern day

Songtao Miao Autonomous County Songtao Miao Autonomous County () is an autonomous county in the northeast of Guizhou province, China, bordering Chongqing to the north and Hunan province to the east. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Tongren Tongren ...

), he joined the military as a young man and became a secretary, where he came to the attention of General Yang Yuchun (/ 17601837), who recommended him for military school.

Career

After completing his military training, Yang was involved in the suppression of the

White Lotus Rebellion The White Lotus Rebellion (, 1794–1804) was a rebellion initiated by followers of the White Lotus movement during the Qing dynasty of China. Motivated by millenarian Buddhists who promised the immediate return of the Buddha, it erupted out of s ...

(17941804). In 1826, the sixth year of the reign of the

Daoguang Emperor The Daoguang Emperor (; 16 September 1782 – 26 February 1850), also known by his temple name Emperor Xuanxong of Qing, born Mianning, was the seventh Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning ...

, Yang joined an army that marched north to

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...

to suppress a rebellion led by Altishahri warlord Jahangir Khoja. For his outstanding service during the mission he was rewarded with the title of Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent (''Tàizǐ Tàifù'', ). Promotions piled up and by 1839 Yang had held titles including Military Commander of

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...

and Guangxi as well as Governor-general of Gansu,

Zhili Zhili, alternately romanized as Chihli, was a northern administrative region of China since the 14th-century that lasted through the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty until 1911, when the region was dissolved, converted to a province, and renamed ...

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi ...

and

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

. When the First Opium War broke out (from the Chinese perspective) in June 1840, Qing Special Commissioners

Lin Zexu Lin Zexu (30 August 1785 – 22 November 1850), courtesy name Yuanfu, was a Chinese political philosopher and politician. He was the head of states (Viceroy), Governor General, scholar-official, and under the Daoguang Emperor of the Qing dynas ...

and

Deng Tingzhen Deng Tingzhen (; 1776–1846) was a Chinese politician who served as the Governor-General of Liangguang (Guangdong and Guangxi Guangxi (; ; alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhu ...

were resolute in their opposition to the British but their successor Qishan instead sought compromise. In January the following year, Daoguang declared war on Great Britain. He appointed "Qishan Pacifier of the Rebellious" (''Jìngnì'', ) and made Yang Fang and Long Wen () ministerial attaches (''Cānzàn Dàchén'', 參贊大臣). Yang Fang disagreed with the terms of the

Convention of Chuenpi Convention may refer to: * Convention (norm), a custom or tradition, a standard of presentation or conduct ** Treaty, an agreement in international law * Convention (meeting), meeting of a (usually large) group of individuals and/or companies in a ...

signed by Qishan and British Plenipotentiary

Charles Elliot Admiral Sir Charles Elliot (15 August 1801 – 9 September 1875) was a British Royal Navy officer, diplomat, and colonial administrator. He became the first Administrator of Hong Kong in 1841 while serving as both Plenipotentiary and Chief Su ...

in January 1841 and on March5, he arrived in Canton with a thousand troops from

Province. Aged 71 and so deaf that communication with him had to be in writing, Fang led Chinese troops in an attack at the Second Battle of Canton, which ended when further negotiations between the two sides temporarily terminated hostilities. Yang Fang was subsequently reprimanded by the emperor for agreeing to a truce instead of resisting. A disappointed Yang Fang remained in Canton until a fall from his horse forced him to return to Hunan to recuperate. In 1843 he received his retirement orders from Daoguang. His career had spanned over 50 years and aside from his military exploits he had remained an indefatigable writer, poet and calligrapher.

References

;Bibliography * * * {{Authority control Qing dynasty generals Qing dynasty diplomats 1846 deaths 1770 births People from Tongren Generals from Guizhou