A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Fu Hung

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587 Fu Hung 苻洪 (T. 廣世). A.D. 284-350. A native of Shensi, and father of Fu Chien. He received his name Hung, "Deluge," in consequence of a persistent fall of rain which gave rise to a popular saying: "If the rain does not stop, the Deluge will come," alluding to a great inundation which happened under the reign of the Emperor Yao. In the troublous times of his youth, he spent large sums of money in collecting men and forming a kind of Defence Corps; and when Liu Yao mounted the throne, he at once attached himself to the new monarch. Upon the fall of the latter, he joined Shih Chi-lung; and at his death Fu Hung submitted to the House of Chin. By the Emperor Mu Ti he was appointed generalissimo of the north and Viceroy of modern Chihli. He then changed his surname, which had been 蒲 P'u, and gave himself the titles "Great General, Great Khan, and Prince of the Three Ch'in." He claimed Imperial rank, and received an unauthorised canonisation as 惠武帝.