Fu Youde | |||||||
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| 傅友德 | |||||||
 Fu Youde,National Museum in Warsaw | |||||||
| Personal details | |||||||
| Born | 1327 Suzhou, Anhui | ||||||
| Died | 20 December 1394(1394-12-20) (aged 66–67) | ||||||
| Occupation | General | ||||||
| Title | Duke of Ying[a] Prince of Lijiang[b] (posthumously) | ||||||
| Posthumous name | Wujing[c] | ||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Chinese | 傅友德 | ||||||
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Fu Youde (1327 – 20 December 1394) was a prominent Chinese military leader and one of the top generals under theHongwu Emperor, the first emperor of theMing dynasty. He played a crucial role in theRed Turban Rebellion, which resulted in the expulsion of theMongol-ledYuan dynasty from China. Initially, he fought in different armies before joining the Hongwu Emperor in 1361. He served in the emperor's army and led the successful conquest ofSichuan in 1371. Ten years later, he also led the conquest ofYunnan for his emperor. Throughout his career, he alternated between serving on the northern border and in Yunnan.
Fu Youde was fromSuzhou in northernAnhui. He lost his family during an epidemic in the 1340s and subsequently relocated to northern Anhui Province.[1] In 1351, he joined theRed Turban Rebellion in Suzhou and in 1355, he became a member of the army led by Han Song emperorHan Lin'er. He rose through the ranks and eventually became an officer in the army of General Li Xixi (李喜喜), participating in military campaigns inShandong and themetropolitan area. However, after facing several defeats, the army was forced to retreat to the northwest in 1357 and then toSichuan in 1358.[1] Dissatisfied with Li's leadership, Fu left his service and joinedMing Yuzhen. He felt undervalued in this new position and whenChen Youliang overthrew and killedXu Shouhui in 1360, establishing thestate of Han, Fu defected to him. Despite his loyalty, he did not receive a promotion and in September 1361, he and his troops joinedZhu Yuanzhang.[1] At the time, Zhu Yuanzhang was a general of the rebel state of Song and later became the first emperor of theMing dynasty in 1368, known as the Hongwu Emperor.
Under Zhu Yuanzhang, Fu Youde found a commander who appreciated his qualities.[1] Fu Youde was not only an excellent tactician, but also personally brave, always leading his troops from the front.[2] As a result, he quickly rose to prominence and served under GeneralsXu Da andChang Yuchun. Due to his similar background, he fit in well with Zhu's commanders, who all came from the same social classes and region.[1] Fu Youde played a significant role in the victories against the state of Han in 1363–64, the Kingdom of Wu (1366–67), and the conquest of northern China from the Mongols in 1368–1370.[3] His military prowess was further demonstrated during the conquest of Sichuan andYunnan, where he led successful campaigns. In November 1370, he was appointed Marquis of Yingchuan (潁川侯; at that time, the Hongwu Empror appointed 6 dukes and 28 marquises).[2]
He was given independent command in the campaign against Sichuan. In January 1371, he joined forces withTang He's army and Liao Yongzhong's fleet to launch a surprise attack on the enemy from the north,[4] while the Hongwu Emperor's main attack was expected to come from the east along theYangtze River.[2] The conquest of Sichuan was achieved with relative ease,[5] and both Fu and Liao received praise from the emperor,[2] but despite their significant contributions to the campaign, they were not promoted to duke, which they rightfully deserved.[6]
Fu successfully led campaigns in the northern border andGansu, constructing fortifications and teaching the emperor's sons the art of war.[6] In 1381, the Ming government decided to forcibly annexYunnan, which was still under Mongol control, after diplomatic negotiations failed. Fu was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the attacking troops, withLan Yu andMu Ying as his deputies. He had a large army of 300,000 soldiers, while the enemy had about a third of that number.[7] The campaign began in the fall of 1381 and by January 1382,Kunming (the capital) had fallen, followed byDali in April. The Mongol governor of Yunnan,Basalawarmi, and his associates committed suicide before Kunming fell, but resistance continued from commanders in the region. Fu established a provincial administration, but the war continued for several more years.[6] It was not until April 1384 that Fu and Lan Yu were able to return with part of the army. Fu was promoted to Duke of Ying (潁國公), while Lan and the other generals received financial rewards and minor titles.[8]
In 1385, Fu was assigned to Beijing, but in the following year, he was tasked with suppressing a rebellion in Yunnan. In January 1387, he was appointed asFeng Sheng's deputy for the Liaodong campaign against the Mongol chieftainNaghachu.[9] During this campaign, Fu distinguished himself in battle, while Feng was dismissed for his unsatisfactory performance. As a result, Fu was given command of the northeast region of Beijing. In the latter half of 1388 and 1389, he was once again called upon to fight against rebels in Yunnan. From 1390, he served on the northern frontier.[8]
In March 1392, he requested nearly 1,000mu (about 58 ha) of land, but the emperor angrily refused.[8] A year later, in March 1393, Lan Yu was executed as a traitor, followed by thousands of his relatives who were also put to death. Then, on 20 December 1394, Fu Youde died, officially declared a suicide. Historians believe that his death was linked to the deaths of Generals Wang Bi (王弼) and Feng Sheng within the next two months, and that the emperor wanted to eliminate any potential threats to his successor, and Fu was the most hated of the three due to his successful career and loyalty.[10]
In 1391, Fu Youde's daughter became one of the secondary wives of Zhu Jixi, the eldest son ofZhu Gang, the third son of the Hongwu Emperor. In the same year, his son Fu Zhong (傅忠) married the Hongwu Emperor's ninth daughter, Princess Shouchun (壽春公主, married 1386, died 1388). Both Fu Zhong and Fu Youde's second son Fu Zhang (傅讓) were officers, but it is unclear if either of them survived their father.[10]