Fu Gan

Fu Gan (傅幹, 175 – ?) was a politician of the late Eastern Han dynasty. His courtesy name was Yancai (彦材)¹, and he was from Lingzhou County (靈州縣), Beidi Commandery (北地郡), Liangzhou (凉州).² His childhood name was Biecheng (別成).²

Life

His father, Fu She (傅燮), was Grand Administrator of Hanyang (漢陽太守).

In the 4th year of the Zhongping era (中平) (187), the non-Han peoples, unable to endure the tyrannical rule of Liangzhou Governor Geng Bi (耿鄙), rebelled. At that time, the city of Hanyang was besieged, and Fu Gan, who was then thirteen years old, advised Fu She to surrender. However, Fu She did not listen; he entrusted Fu Gan to his subordinates while he himself fought on and died in battle. Fu Gan afterward served Ma Teng (馬騰), a former subordinate of Geng Bi.

In the 7th year of the Jian'an era (建安) (202), Ma Teng joined forces with Yuan Shang (袁尙), Governor of Jizhou (冀州牧), and Gao Gan (高幹), Governor of Bingzhou (幷州牧), in an attempt to oppose Cao Cao. Fu Gan dissuaded him, and Ma Teng accepted Fu Gan's advice and did not become hostile to Cao Cao. Afterward, Ma Teng sent his subordinate Pang De (龐德) and his son Ma Chao (馬超) to Cao Cao, and they defeated Gao Gan and Guo Yuan (郭援), Grand Administrator of Hedong (河東太守).

Afterward, Fu Gan served Cao Cao. In the 17th year of Jian'an (212), Liu Bei (劉備) attacked Liu Zhang (劉璋), Governor of Yizhou (益州牧). Zhao Jian (趙戩), a Chancellor's Aide (丞相掾) of Cao Cao, said that Liu Bei would not be able to pacify Yizhou; however, Fu Gan, who was then a Zhengshi, argued that Liu Bei would pacify Shu with the help of (諸葛亮), (關羽), and (張飛) and his own talent. Liu Bei did indeed pacify Yizhou afterward.