Guan Tianpei (关天培; 1781 – 26 February 1841) was a Chinese admiral of the
Qing dynasty who served in the First Opium War. His Chinese title was "Commander-in-Chief of Naval Forces". In 1838, he established courteous relations with British Rear-Admiral
Frederick Maitland. Guan fought in the First Battle of Chuenpi (1839), the Second Battle of Chuenpi (1841), and the Battle of the Bogue (1841). The British account described his death in the Anunghoy forts during the Battle of the Bogue on 26 February 1841 as follows:
Among these officers, the most distinguished and lamented was poor old Admiral Kwan, whose death excited much sympathy throughout the force; he fell by a bayonet wound in his breast, as he was meeting his enemy at the gate of Anunghoy, yielding up his brave spirit willingly to a soldier's death, when his life could only be preserved with the certainty of degradation. He was altogether a fine specimen of a gallant soldier, unwilling to yield when summoned to surrender because to yield would imply treason.
The following day, his body was claimed by his family and a salute of minute-guns was fired from HMS Blenheim in his honor.
Read more...: Early life Anti-Opium Movement Battle Between the Qing and the British Forces
Early life
Guan Tianpei was born in 1781 in Shanyang county (now Huai'an County) in Jiangsu province. His courtesy name is Zhongyin (仲因). In the eighth year of the Emperor Jiaqing (1803), he passed the imperial examination for military service, and he was successively assigned to the Bazong (把总), Qianzong (千总), Shoubei (守备), Youji (游击), Canjiang (参将) and vice general (参将), and these were the military ranking system during the Qing dynasty. In the sixth year of the Emperor Daoguang (1826), he was assigned to the vice-general of the Taihu camp in Jiangsu province. In 1827, Guan was assigned to the army officer in Susong county in Jiangnan. In the thirteenth year of the Emperor Daoguang (1833), Guan was assigned to the military commander of the Jiangnan area.
Anti-Opium Movement
In the fourteenth year of the Emperor Daoguang (1834), Guan was assigned to the navy commander of the Guangdong province. When he arrived at Guangdong, he devoted himself to strengthen the coastal defense affairs. In the nineteenth year of the Emperor Daoguang (1839), Lin Zexu was assigned to imperial commissioner to prohibit the use of opium in Guangzhou. When Lin arrived, Guan was influenced by Lin. Guan mobilized his navy to coordinate with Lin to prohibit the Opium trade. They captured about 20,000 chests of opium from the British merchants.
Battle Between the Qing and the British Forces
In 1839, British warships attacked Qing navy in Chuenpi, Guan Tianpei commanded his navy and fought back, British warships were heavily inflicted by Guan's navy. In the twentieth year of the Emperor Daoguang (1840), Lin Zexu was dismissed by the Emperor Daoguang. Qishan replaced Lin's position. Qi gave orders to remove Guan's coastal defence affairs by reducing the number of navy soldiers, and this gave the British forces the chance to invade. Many Guangdong local government officials hoped to make peace with the British forces. But Guan Tianpei was not swayed, and he was preparing to fight the British forces. Before the battle started, he dispatched a soldier to take his old clothes and tooth back to his hometown to give to his relatives.
On January 1841, British forces captured Shajiao (沙角) and Dajiao fort (大角炮台). Thus, Weiyuan Fort lost the protective screen. Guan Tianpei was defending with a few soldiers on the front line. Guan requested Qishan to reinforce, but Qi did not send an army to support Guan. Guan used his money for army food supplement, and he encouraged his soldier to fight the British forces.
On February 26, British forces massively attacked Humen. Guan led 400 soldiers to fight back. Several forts were captured by the British force. A soldier asked Guan to retreat, but Guan refused and kept fighting. Guan gave his commander seal to a soldier and asked him to take it back to the emperor. A shell fired and hit Guan. Guan died along with 400 soldiers.
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关天培（1781年1月8日 - 1841年），字
仲因，号
滋圃，江苏山阳县（今淮安市淮安区）人。鸦片战争中的清军名将。
Read more...: 生平
生平
关天培于1781年（乾隆四十六年）出生在江苏山阳（今淮安）一个军人家庭里，自小耳濡目染，习兵练武，驾船航海。
1803年（嘉庆八年）考取武庠生，拔淮安城守营额外右营外委，后升左营把总、中营千总。后又历任江南扬州营中军守备、两江督标中军守备、外海水师奇营守备、江南苏松镇标左营游击、吴淞营参将、江南川沙营外海水师参将。1826年（道光六年），关天培押送漕米船1254艘自吴淞往天津，一路上排除万难，逾百万石漕粮完整运达。道光帝闻讯大喜，升其为江苏太湖营内河水师副将；次年特旨补授江南苏松镇总兵。
1833年（道光十三年），署江南提督。1834年（道光十四年），发生律劳卑事件，广东水师提督李增阶因疏于防务、办事不力而被革职，由关天培顶替。关到职后，致力完善广州门户虎门的防卫体系——加固炮台、增设火炮、构筑障碍、添补兵勇、拟订战术。
1839年（道光十九年），林则徐任钦差大臣，奉旨到广东禁烟，并节制广东水师。关天培全力支持，协助林禁烟、销烟。而损失惨重的英国开始采取武力报复，自此发动了数次进攻，都被关天培率水师击败，因而得到了道光帝的嘉许，赐号法福灵阿巴图鲁。
1841年（道光二十一年）1月7日，英军攻陷虎门的第一重门户大角、沙角两炮台，参将陈连升父子壮烈牺牲，形势变得危急。道光皇帝以督率无方为名，革去关天培的顶戴，令其带罪立功。于是关天培与总兵李廷钰分守靖远、威远两炮台，并典当衣物，每兵给银两元以安抚士兵、提升士气。2月26日清晨，英舰向虎门各炮台大举炮击，基本摧毁各炮台作战能力；之后英军登陆围攻炮台，双方展开肉搏战；关天培同游击麦廷章力守炮台，最后两人均伤重殉职，虎门因而沦陷。
第二天，关的随从孙长庆返回战场领回他已经被炮火烧焦的尸体，英舰伯兰汉号鸣炮以示敬意。孙将其葬于淮安城东门外（今淮安区城东乡南窑社区）。道光皇帝闻此噩耗，痛失将才，因而亲作祭文，并对关天培优恤骑都尉兼一云骑尉世职，諡忠节，入祀昭忠祠。另命地方官关照其年逾八十老母亲的生活，「给银米以养馀年」。其子从龙袭世职，官拜安徽候补同知。后又在虎门建立祀关天培专祠。1846年（道光二十六年）其子依关母遗嘱，用朝廷所发的抚恤金和筹措的资金在县东街建造了「关忠节公祠」。
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