Early life

Feng Yunshan worked as a village teacher in Heluo Village, Hua county, Guangdong. Although educated, he was unable to pass the imperial examinations. Like Hong Xiuquan, he was a Hakka, and he was among the first of Hong's converts to Hong's new religion, backlash to which cost him his teaching position. Feng, Hong, and two other relatives of Hong left Hua county in April 1844. They first traveled to Guangzhou and preached in the outlying areas before heading northwest to White Tiger Village. There, Feng and Hong split off and traveled some 250 miles to the southwest to the village of Sigu, Guiping county, Guangxi, where distant relatives of Hong's resided, including two early converts who had returned home. In November 1844, Hong returned home without Feng, who remained in the area and continued to preach.

God-worshiping Society

After Hong Xiuquan's departure, Feng traveled deeper and deeper into the heart of the Thistle Mountain region, preaching and baptizing new converts. Feng christened this group of believers the "God Worshipping Society." Hakkas from this area, generally poor and beset by both bandits and local Chinese families angry at the presence of the Hakka in their ancestral lands, found refuge in the group with its promise of solidarity. On August 27, 1847, Feng and the Society were joined by the returning Hong Xiuquan.

In the months following Hong Xiuquan's return, Feng was twice captured by a competing local corps. On the first occasion in December 1847, the God Worshipers freed him by force. When Feng was captured a second time in January 1848, he was sent to a local magistrate who, after receiving a bribe from the God Worshippers, released him on the condition that he return to Guangdong. Feng was unable to return to the God Worshippers until the summer of the following year. Upon his return, he discovered that Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui had taken leadership roles within God Worshipping Society. Both claimed to enter trances which allowed them to speak as a member of the Trinity; God the Father (Shangdi) in the case of Yang and Jesus Christ in the case of Xiao. When Feng returned in the summer of 1849, he and Hong Xiuquan investigated Yang and Xiao's claims and declared them to be genuine. In early 1850, Feng became the first leader of the God Worshipper Society to call for open revolt.

Taiping Rebellion

Feng was later announced as the "South King" of the Taiping Rebellion. He is credited with being the strategist of the rebellion and the administrator of the kingdom during its early days.

On May 24, 1852, as the Taiping marched by Quanzhou, Guangxi with no intention of invading, a Qing gunner fatally wounded Feng as he sat in his sedan chair. Rallied by the news, the Taiping surrounded Quanzhou and, in the space of two days, breached the walls and killed every citizen who had not fled. Feng finally succumbed to his wounds in June that year.

生平

馮雲山和洪秀全是廣東省花縣的同鄉，洪秀全故里的官祿㘵和他的故里禾落地村今均屬秀全街道大㘵村。今馮雲山故居是廣東省文物保護單位。祖父馮光宗墓、父親馮英聯墓均在今大㘵村大逕嶺上。

有記載稱馮雲山曾加入西方傳教士郭士立（Karl Gützlaff，郭實臘）在香港創立的基督教會組織福漢會。1843年，洪秀全在花縣創立拜上帝會。1844年，馮雲山和洪秀全一起到廣西傳教。洪秀全不久便返回廣東，馮雲山堅持留下，靠著放牛、挑大糞度日，與當地農民打成一片，結識了當地大沖村曾玉珩、曾玉鎔兄弟，當了墊師，開始秘密傳教，發展燒炭工楊秀清、蕭朝貴、礦工秦日綱等人入教。1847年，洪秀全再到廣西，當地的拜上帝會已略有規模。

1848年初當地的地主團練捉了馮雲山送到官府治罪，罪名是結盟聚眾。時洪秀全因故逃脫抓捕，但前往廣州營救馮未果，幸賴楊秀清帶頭砍柴燒炭賣錢，即所謂「科炭」，就是發動燒炭工抽出一部分炭錢積攢，同時發動教眾四處籌款，終於成功集資，交由黃玉坤賄賂官府，換來了馮雲山的「查無謀逆實據」，馮得以從輕發落。此後拜上帝會繼續發展。1851年金田起義後，洪秀全封馮雲山為天父皇上帝的三子、前導副軍師、後軍主將，後加封南王。馮雲山制訂了太平天國初期的官制、禮制和軍制，又創造了一套獨特曆法，在太平天國內使用。

1852年5月24日太平軍路經全州時，守城清軍遙見敵軍中的黃轎，便開炮攻擊，竟命中，馮雲山受重傷，太平軍憤而攻城。6月3日攻克。6月10日太平軍在全州蓑衣渡遭到清軍伏擊，損失慘重，馮于亂軍之中中炮陣亡。

重要性與影響

馮雲山與洪秀全共創太平天國，也是拜上帝會初創期重要的宣傳發展者；馮雲山對整個太平天國發展的重要性與影響如下：

• 馮是太平天國的實際創建人，拜上帝會初創期重要的宣傳發展者 ，初創期時，馮的地位，僅次洪秀全；道光二十八年（1848年）馮被捕後，洪前往廣州營救，此時群龍無首，由於楊秀清自稱天父附身下凡，團結帶領拜上帝會成員，導致馮的地位，降至第三，在洪、楊之後；同年，蕭朝貴亦稱自己是天兄附身下凡，導致馮的地位，落至第四。

• 馮對政治、軍事、典章制度，以至天文、曆法無不精通。他尤善於觀察當前形勢，進行了解和研究，隨機應變 ，其智謀氣度，實為太平天國第一人 。

• 馮能清楚認識到：農工起義若要成功，必須結合儒家，取得知識分子的認同和支持，更何況太平天國是以西方宗教為號召，故其在傳教期間，想方設法和紫荊山區的知識分子、士紳階層打成一片，所以很少有人排擠拜上帝會。不主張毀滅寺廟、道觀、孔廟、書館，而是設法聯合知識分子，並爭取他們支持。

• 馮能以大局為重，為了大局穩定發展，為了革命事業成功，他可以犧牲個人之利益。

• 馮與洪秀全共創太平天國，且楊秀清、蕭朝貴、韋昌輝、石達開、胡以晃等人，均為馮所一手引入提拔 。馮若非早亡，應可憑其威望和地位，平衡各方權力，不使權力過分偏向楊秀清，或可避免，或延緩天京事變發生。

評價

謝介鶴在《金陵甲癸紀事略》中曾稱馮雲山為「奇才」。馮雲山有毅力、有能耐，極受信徒尊重，最艱苦、最基礎七年的紫荊山傳教，均為馮雲山奔走。楊秀清、蕭朝貴、韋昌輝、石達開等人的加入，也是馮的功勞。《李秀成自述》曾提到：「謀立創國者出南王之謀，前做事者皆南王也。」論其智謀器度，實為太平天國第一人。

注釋