Revolt red Turbans

The revolt of the red Turbans (hóngjīnzhīluàn 紅巾之亂) (1351 - 1368) is a whole of rebellions of the end of the Dynastie Yuan which precipitated the fall of it. One traditionally makes it begin in 1351 by rising with the Hebei and in Anhui from Han Shantong (韓山童) and Liu Futong (劉福通), chiefs of a sect of the line of the white Lotus. It owes its name with the red scarves that their troops carried. Rebellious chiefs claiming movement - in fact of the independent lords of war - declared themselves soon in other areas of China. During nearly 20 years, the red Turbans battle as well between them as against the Mongolian troops and their local allies. The generals Yuan them-even are detached gradually from the central capacity starting from 1354, combatant more for their own account that for that of the emperor. Zhu Yuanzhang, which joined the movement in 1352, will leave victorious the fray and will found in 1368 the Dynastie Ming after the catch of Dadu (大都).

The principal imperial generals fighting against the rebels were Hesi (赫廝), Tuchi (禿赤), Esen Temür (也先帖木兒), Kuanchege (寬徹哥), Jialu (賈魯), Boluo Temür (孛羅帖木兒); they accepted the assistance of local potentates like Dashibadulu (答失八都魯), the Ouïgour Chahan Temur (察罕帖木兒) and the Hans Li Siqi (李思齊) and Zhang Liangbi (張良弼).

This episode of the Chinese history was popularized in the modern culture sinophone by a novel of the famous author of literature of Kung-fu Jin Yong the celestial sword and the saber of the dragon ( Yitiantulongji - 倚天屠龍記)

History

Background

The dissatisfaction with the Han population with respect to the Yuan dynasty is strongly accentuated starting from 1340 because of floods of the yellow Fleuve facilitated by breaches in the badly maintained dams. These natural disasters come to be added to the increase in the taxes of war whose Han, disadvantaged by the ethnic policy Mongolian, supports the greatest part, like to monetary handling of the government involving an unfortunate devaluation.

The first risings

The movement of the red Turbans is preceded by the first two risings:

the Miao (or Yao) Wu Tianyou (吳天保) gathers in 1346 an army in the Hunan and goes up gradually until the Henan. When he dies in the combat, its troops join the red Turbans of Liu Futong, Xu Shouhui or Chen Youliang.

In 1348, on the coasts of Zhejiang, Fang Guozhen (方國珍) (1319 - 1374) captures a Yuan ship close to Huangyan (黃巖) and occupies the area, installed with Ningbo. It will be dislodged by it only in 1367 by Zhu Yuanzhang, after being itself allied in turn with Mongolian generals and rebels such as Chen Youding of Fujian. With the advent of Ming in 1369, it receives a title of civil servant of the province of the Guangxi of which it perceives the emoluments, while being assigned to residence with Nankin in a residence offered by the Hongwu emperor.

Han Shantong and Liu Futong

Does the movement begin officially with Han Shantong (韓山童) (? - 1351) and its second Liu Futong (劉福通) (1321 - 1363). First is hereditary chief of a sect claiming white, integral Lotus in its practices of the elements Manicheans and the worship of Maitreya. All these beliefs have jointly to promise the victory of the light over darkness and the arrival of providential beings: Maitreya the Buddha of the future, that Han Shantong personifies for its faithful at meetings where it receives them in its “paradise”, and the “King of light” (明王) Manichean, another title of which it is avoided. He claims himself in addition descendant of eighth generation of the emperor Huizong of the Song (徽宗) (1082-1135). Except Liu Futong, it has as principal assistants Of Zundao (杜遵道), Luo Wensu (羅文素) and Cheng Wenyu (盛文郁).

In 1351, work of great scale is necessary to dam up the Yellow River. In Henan and Hebei, 150.000 people are requisitioned under the direction it Mongolian Jialu to work under the orders of 20.000 soldiers. Han Shantong and Liu Futong encourage the corvéables with the revolt, not hesitating to manufacture predict: they make run the noise that a “stone man” will give the signal of the rebellion, and indeed such a statue is discovered at works, probably buried by their care. They organize the workmen dissatisfied and their faithful in an army which will carry scarves and red étendars in rallying sign, from where the name with the movement. The worship of Maitreya, also practiced by the rebels of the army of Xu Shouhui, includes/understands meetings of ritual fumigations, also calls them one “the army of the incense” (香軍).

The insurrectionists envisage to start the revolt the fifth month at the village of the white stag (白鹿庄) in the county of Yongnian (永年), Hebei, but their project is ventilated by local Mandarin and Han Shantong is stopped and carried out. Does Liu Futong succeed in fleeing with its heir Han Lin' er (韓林兒) (? - 1366) and settles in Yingzhou (穎州), current Fuyang (阜陽) in Anhui, province which will become its bastion. In 1355, it makes proclaim Han Lin' er emperor of the Song dynasty (宋) and “small King of light” (小明王), fixing its capital at Bozhou (亳州). Its troops approach the capital little by little and occupy Kaifeng, but are driven out by it in 1359. It is fixed then at Anfeng (安豐) in the county of Shou (壽縣), where it dies in 1363 by defending the city against Zhang Shicheng (張士誠), another rebel.

Han Lin' er then places its hopes in Zhu Yuanzhang, which initially recognizes it as emperor; it titrates it duke, then king de Wu. In 1366, Zhu Yuanzhang makes it come to Yingtian, its general headquarter; whereas it crosses the Changjiang in Guabu (瓜步), Jiangsu, its boat sinks and it drowns. The historians almost unanimously allot the incident to a plot of the future Hongwu emperor.

Xu Shouhui and its allies

In 1351, in Qishui (蘄水) in the current county of Xishui (浠水), Hubei, the former hawker Xu Shouhui (徐壽輝), having wind of revolt of Han Shantong, also begins an insurrection claiming red Turbans. It is assisted of Zou Pusheng (鄒普勝) and Peng Yingyu (彭瑩玉), still called “Peng the monk” (彭和尚), who propagates to him also the belief in the nearest arrival of Maitreya. Xu Shouhui proclaims emperor quickly and fixes his capital at Qishui. The name of its dynasty is Tianwan (天完): the first character, “sky”, represents the size (大) and the unit (一); the second, “completion”, are the yuan (元) of the reigning dynasty chapeauté, and symbolize his end. It is killed in 1360 by its subordinate Chen Youliang (陳友諒) (1320 - 1363), who proclaims emperor Han (漢帝) and fixes his capital at Jiangzhou (江州), current Jiujiang (九江) with the Shanxi, before dying in 1363 in a battle against Zhu Yuanzhang, to which his/her son Chen Li (陳理) goes the following year.

Entered the army of Xu Shouhui in 1357, Ming Yu zhen (明玉珍) (1331 - 1366) takes on its behalf Chongqing and Chengdu and occupies the Sichuan with the title of prince de Long and Shu (隴蜀王). With died of Xu Shouhui, he proclaims emperor of the dynasty Daxia (大夏), capital Chongqing. Their offset position makes it possible Daxia to remain until in 1371, three years after the proclamation of the Ming dynasty. It is his/her son Ming Sheng (明昇) who goes to the troops of Zhu Yuanzhang.

Guo Zixing and Zhu Yuanzhang

Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of Ming, joined in 1352 the army of Guo Zixing (郭子興) (1302 - 1355), rebellious chief of Haozhou (濠州) in Anhui, of which he marries the adopted girl My Xiuying (馬秀英) and which he succeeds when he dies of disease. Its troops go up until Nankin where it settles in 1356 and which it names Yingtianfu (應天府).

Han Lin' er, “Song emperor”, regards it as one of its allies and names it in 1361 duke of Wu (吳國公), then king de Wu in 1364 after having overcome Chen Youliang, successor of Xu Shouhui. In 1366, Zhu Yuanzhang makes it come in Yingtian. Whereas it crosses the blue River in Guabu (瓜步), Jiangsu, its boat sinks and it drowns; little believes in the assumption of an accident.

With the victory of Hooted (Chinese Hans) on Hu (barbarians) like watchword and a more considered and less heavy operating process for the population than its rivals, Zhu Yuanzhang gradually takes the step on them. In 1367, it sends its generals Xu Da (徐達) (1332 - 1385） and Chang Yuchun (常遇春) （1330 - 1369） with the attack of Dadu, which they take in 1368. January 23rd of this same year, it founds its own dynasty, Ming (明) or “light”, name chosen according to some in reference to the “Kings of light” Han Shantong and Han Lin' er which it replaces from now on. It begins the era from Hongwu (洪武) of which it will bear the name in the history (Hongwu emperor).

Others rebellious

In reaction to the news of the rising of Han Shantong (1351), Li er (李二), called “Li with sesame” (芝麻李) because it was accustomed to distributing some to the disaster victims, occupies Xuzhou with seven other companions, of which Peng Da (彭大) and Zhao Junyong (趙君用). The city is taken again the following year by the Yuan troops which kill Li er, massacre the inhabitants and reduce the administrative row of the city; it will find it only in 1368 with the arrival of Ming to the capacity. The Li er companions join Guo Zixing.

In 1353, Zhang Shicheng (張士誠) (1321 - 1367) raises itself in Taizhou (泰州) in Jiangsu where it founds the dynasty Zhou (周), capital Pingjiang (平江), current Suzhou. It holds head in Yuan and the others rebellious for which it is a frightening adversary; it finally will be captured and carried out by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Two former civils servant Yuan, Chen Youding (陳友定) (? - 1368) and He Zhen (何真), take each one its independence, the first with Badu (八郡) in the Fujian where it is combined one moment with Fang Guozhen, and the second with Zhuzhoucun (諸州郡) in the province of Guangdong. In 1368, first is captured and carried out by the Ming armies, but the second goes and will be honoured like a hero anti-Mongols by Zhu Yuanzhang.

See too

Dynasty Yuan
Dynasty Ming
Zhu Yuanzhang
Sect of the white lotus
Manicheism in China

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