# Chinese Life in the Tibetan Foothills/Book 3/Sichuan Guluzi

The Ssŭch‘uan Ku-lu-tzŭ (嘓嚕子)
The province was practically depopulated by the robber bands of Li Tzŭ-ch‘êng (李自成), Chang Hsien-chung (張獻忠), Wang San-huai (王三槐), and others. Many were slaughtered, many fled. Afterwards immigrants from Hupei, Hunan, and other provinces occupied the deserted soil and bound themselves by oaths for mutual protection against remnants of robber bands or returning émigrés.
Many old inhabitants returned, to find their lands in possession of strangers. Such people, the weak taking to beggary, the strong to robbery, together with the scattered remnants of the earlier robber bands, all together received the name of ku-lu-tzŭ.
This term is peculiar to Ssuch'uan and it was contracted into ku-fei (嘓匪). The explanation of this is not satisfactory. The Kuang Yün (廣韻) says that ku resembles the sound of quacking and gabbling, while lu means flattering words such as beggars use. The Chêng Tzŭ T‘ung (正字通) speaks of tu-lu (吐嚕) as meaning k‘o-hsi (可惜), a term of pity. In some parts evilly disposed beggars are still called tu-lu-tzŭ, so it is possible that it is a term of pity, and meant, pity the poor aborigine. Some explain by saying the ku-fei were to be feared because of their number and character while the lu-fei were to pitied because of their extreme poverty. This explanation, which seems reasonable, makes the term ku-lu-tzŭ mean robbers and beggars; and it may have been applied by the Mongol and Manchu troops who came to the province to restore order.
As the Ch‘ing dynasty gradually got control of the country the ku-lu-tzŭ were dispersed, and began to be spoken of as p‘i-fei (痞匪), which means obstructionists. They were also jokingly called hsien-ta-lang (閒打浪), or idle wave beaters; this is now contracted to ta-lang-êrh, and seems to mean one who lives by his wits or his luck.
These obstructionists lived in blue tents, and were used as entertainers at funerals or festivities. On such occasions they pitched their tents at the door of the dwelling house ​where they were invited and opened a gambling booth for the entertainment of the visitors.
Such entertainers were divided into two distinct classes, the red cash and the black cash fraternity. The latter made secret vows amid the sacrificial burnings of the incense hall, carried arms, and lived by burglaries. The red cash fraternity occupied themselves with slitting open cash bags or cutting off the last 200 cash on a string of cash. If any red cash brother got caught and was branded on the face he was at once degraded into the black cash brotherhood. These two classes exist to-day, the red cash people being gamblers and pickpockets by daylight while the black cash brethren live by burglary in the dark.
The settlers from other provinces naturally hated all ku-lu-tsŭ and called them "rats" because of their nocturnal habits and because they so readily disappeared at the approach of the enemy. In the south of the province any one with the look of an aborigine is still called a rat. But the curse has come home to roost, for in Hupei and Hunan all Ssŭch'uanese are now called by this term, whatever their extraction. In retaliation the Hupei people in Ssŭch'uan are contemptuously termed "Hupei bean-curd."
In spite of government and settlers the ku-lu-tzŭ have never been exterminated, and they continue to style themselves the Han Liu.
The terms "Han Liu" and ku-fei seem synonymous, the former being used by the brethren, the latter being applied to them by the officials. The former term implies their wish to preserve the ancient Han ideals and aspirations as against Mongol and Manchu influences. The other term, ku-fei, indicates that the officials regard them as malcontents and opponents of law and order.
For many years before the Hsien Fêng reign (1851-62) the "Yellow River was at peace," that is, was free from rebellion. Then the ku-fei rose in revolt under the leadership ​of Lan Ta-shun (藍大順) and Li-Tuan-ta (李短韃). The different characters of these two are shown by their nicknames, "Lan hurry up," and "Li go slowly." Though not Ssŭch‘uanese they easily persuaded the ku-fei to join them against the Manchus. The revolt was quelled by Hunan troops under Viceroy Lo Wên-chung. The remnants of Lan's marauders were scattered in Tsung Ch‘ing-chou, Kuan-hsien, and Tai-I hsien. These districts west of the Min River seem to have been also the chief refuge of Chang Hsien-chung's bands, which no doubt accounts for the lawless, ungovernable character of the population there.
After Lo Wên-chung's coming the ku-fei began to be called t‘u-fei, but the former term is still known and is sometimes applied to them by officials. The term t‘u was used of the aboriginal tribes, and fei probably meant they were not fit to be classed as men, fei-jên (非人). This term, fei-jên (匪人), has been systematically applied to all aborigines all over China.
The meaning of Han Liu is also variously given; some regard it as meaning simply brigands; others say the name means the descendants of Liu Pei (劉備) of the Han dynasty; but it most likely means the descendants of the obstructives and outcasts of the Han period.
It may safely be said that there is now little or no difference between Han Liu, ku-fei, t‘u-fei, p‘ao-ko (胞哥), ko-lao (哥老), and chiang-hu (江湖); all are somehow linked up in one great fraternity. The prestige of some brethren extends over several provinces and it would be highly interesting to trace the connection between the Dragon throne and the rolling dragons of the provinces.