A Chinese official or administrator, especially one stationed in a foreign territory or colony during the Qing Dynasty.
From Manchu 'amban' (official, administrator) which became a borrowed term in English when describing Chinese imperial government officials, particularly those sent to Tibet and Xinjiang.
The ambans were essentially China's regional governors during the Qing Dynasty, and their power and influence in places like Tibet made them key figures in Asian colonial history—they represented imperial control far from Beijing.
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