Fang La (; died 1121) was a Chinese rebel leader who led an uprising against the
Song dynasty. In the classical novel ''
Water Margin'', he is fictionalised as one of the primary antagonists and nemeses of the
108 Stars of Destiny. He is sometimes associated with
Manichaeism but was most likely not a follower of the religion.
Life
Fang La was from
Shezhou, which is roughly present-day
She County, Anhui. However, other sources claimed that he was from Qingxi County (), which is present-day
Chun'an County,
Zhejiang. In 1120, he led an uprising against the
Song Empire in Qixian Village (), Shezhou. Others claimed that he started the rebellion in Wannian District (), Chun'an County. Fang La's forces captured Hangzhou and subsequently took control over parts of present-day
Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and
Jiangxi
Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north int ...
provinces, with a total of 52 counties and six prefectures.
In 1121, the Song government sent a general, Wang Yuan (), to lead an army to crush the rebellion. Wang Yuan's subordinate,
Han Shizhong
Han Shizhong () (1089–1151) was a Chinese military general, poet, and politician of the late Northern Song Dynasty and the early Southern Song Dynasty. He dedicated his whole life to serving the Song Dynasty, and performed many legendary dee ...
, disguised himself, infiltrated Qingxi County and captured Fang La. Later, Xin Xingzong (), the Song general defending Zhongzhou (), led his troops to block Qingxi County's exit route and regained control of the county. Fang La and 52 of his subordinates were captured and escorted by the general
Tong Guan to the imperial capital,
Kaifeng. Four months later, Fang La was found guilty of treason and executed in Kaifeng.
By 1132–1133 or later, the rebellion was linked to
Manichaeism. Though not originally connected, in the public and historical conscience it became confused with the
Taizhou unrest of April–June 1121, where Manichaeism was widespread.
In ''Water Margin''
The classical novel ''
Water Margin'' presents a semi-fictional account of Fang La and his battle with the
Liangshan outlaws. After granting the outlaws amnesty,
Emperor Huizong sends them on military campaigns to suppress rebel forces within the Song Empire and counter invaders from the
Liao Empire in the north. Fang La is one of the rebel leaders based in the
Jiangnan region.
Whilst the Liangshan forces suffered hardly any casualties in the campaigns against the Liao Empire and the rebel forces of
Tian Hu and
Wang Qing, the campaign against Fang La proved to be calamitous. 59 of the original 108 heroes were killed in action, mostly by Fang La's warriors, whose combat skills and abilities rival the best of Liangshan. Unlike the other rebels who lack good leadership and experience, Fang La has established a solid foundation in the Jiangnan region with many capable people serving under him.
Fang La is eventually captured by the Liangshan heroes after an elaborate infiltration scheme involving
Chai Jin and
Yan Qing. During his escape attempt, he is defeated by
Lu Zhishen
Lu Zhishen is a fictional character in '' Water Margin'', one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. He is the main character in the first segment of the novel, which spans about six chapters. Nicknamed "Flowery Monk", he ran ...
and escorted back to
Kaifeng by imperial troops under
Tong Guan. Four months later, Fang La is found guilty of treason and executed by ''
lingchi''.
See also
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Chen Shuozhen
Chen Shuozhen (; died 653) was a Tang dynasty woman from Muzhou (in modern Chun'an, Zhejiang), who led a peasant uprising in 653. During the rebellion, she declared herself Empress Wenjia (文佳皇帝),'' Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 199. becomi ...
(Female Emperor Wenjia)
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fang, La
1121 deaths
People executed by the Song dynasty
Song dynasty rebels
People from Huangshan
Year of birth unknown
People executed by flaying