Fu Fu

Biography

Succession and Investiture by the Liang

The "Account of Henan" in the Book of Liang records that after the Tuyuhun king Fulianchou died his son Heluozhen succeeded him, and that after Heluozhen died his son Fofu inherited his rank. The basic annals of the Book of Liang state that in 530 (2nd year of the Datong era, Nan Liang) the Liang appointed Fofu, king of Henan, as general pacifying the west and governor of the two provinces of Qin and He. Another account also lists the office of protector of the Qiang and the title king of Henan among the ranks he inherited. It is therefore certain that Fofu was recognised by the Liang as leader of Tuyuhun, but these appointments alone do not establish the actual extent of his authority over the various Tuyuhun groups.

Envoy Exchanges with the Liang

The "Account of Henan" in the Book of Liang records that Fofu's heir sent an envoy to present a white dragon colt to the crown prince without giving the heir's name; other accounts identify him as Ketazhen, who should be understood in connection with the later successor. Another account further records that in 533 (5th year of the Datong era) Fofu sent envoys to present local products to the Liang court. As for the white dragon colt, the histories record the presentation of a horse; the legend of a dragon-bred steed cannot be written up as fact on that basis.

In 534 (6th year of the Datong era) the Liang granted Ketazhen the title king of Henan and the governorship of the two provinces of Qin and He, which shows that Fofu's Liang title had passed to the next generation. Two accounts both give 534 as the year of Fofu's death, but the relevant passages of the Book of Liang and the History of the Southern Dynasties do not state the month or day of his death, so the year can only be treated as a later reconstruction.

Major Activities

Political and institutional context

The cached record places Fu Fu within the institutions and conflicts of Tuyuhun.

Source-based record

His dealings with the Liang can be set out by year: in 530 (second year of the Zhongdatong era) he was invested by the Liang as general pacifying the west and governor of the two provinces of Qin and He, and another account also lists the protectorship of the Qiang and the title king of Henan among the ranks he inherited; his heir sent an envoy to present a white dragon colt to the crown prince without giving the heir's name, and another account identifies him as Ketazhen; in 533 (fifth year of Zhongdatong) he sent envoys to present local products; in 534 (sixth year of Zhongdatong) the Liang granted Ketazhen the title king of Henan and the governorship of Qin and He, showing that his own title had passed to the next generation. As to the white colt, the histories record the presentation of a horse, and the legend of a dragon-bred steed cannot be written up as fact on that basis.

Both sources give 534 as the year of his death, but the relevant passages of the Book of Liang and the History of the Southern Dynasties do not state the month or day, so the year can only be treated as a later reconstruction; the northern Book of Wei and History of the Northern Dynasties move directly from Fulianchou to Kualü without listing the successors recorded in the south, Heluozhen and Fofu among them. The different scope of the two groups of sources is the reason why his place in the succession has long been difficult to settle.

The presentation of the horse by his heir is one of the more concrete records of gifts exchanged between the Liang and Tuyuhun during his time in power.

Personal Relations

• Relationships are recorded from the cached source text and should be read together with the related entries listed below.

Historical Assessment

The Book of Liang and the History of the Southern Dynasties preserve brief records of Fofu's succession and of the presentation of the horse, which show that he had a place in the exchanges between the Liang and Tuyuhun. Neither book leaves an independent appraisal of his rule, and the Book of Wei and the History of the Northern Dynasties do not mention his name at all. Because the material is so thin, the Liang investiture should not be written up as a definite political achievement or as control over the whole of Tuyuhun.