Liang Province rebellion facts for kids

The Liang Province rebellion was a big uprising in ancient China. It happened from 184 to 189 AD. This rebellion started in a western area called Liang Province, which is now part of Gansu province.

It began when the Qiang people fought against the Han dynasty. Soon, other groups like the Lesser Yuezhi and some Chinese rebels joined them. They wanted to take control of the province away from the Han government. This rebellion was one of many problems that led to the downfall of the Han dynasty. It greatly weakened the Han government's power in the northwest. This made it easier for non-Han groups to rule these lands later on.

How the Rebellion Started (184)

The rebellion began in the winter of 184. Two groups of Qiang people started causing trouble in northwest China. One group was in the areas of Beidi and Anding. The other was near the Yellow River valley.

These groups likely started fighting the Han government on their own. They saw a chance to resist Han rule, which had become weak and corrupt. The situation got worse in October or November 184. Soldiers from a group called the Auxiliary of Loyal Barbarians From Huangzhong rebelled. These soldiers were Qiang and Lesser Yuezhi recruits. They were supposed to stop the disturbances. Instead, they joined the rebels. They killed their Han Chinese leader, Leng Zheng.

After this, the two rebel groups joined together. Their new leaders were Beigong Boyu and Li Wenhou. They were former Auxiliary soldiers. This meant the rebels now controlled the land along the Yellow River near present-day Lanzhou.

Rebels Take Control of Jincheng

Within a few weeks, the rebels attacked and captured Qianya. This was the capital of Jincheng Commandery. It became their main base. The local governor, Zuo Chang, made things worse. He had stolen money meant for defense. So, no help could come. The Grand Administrator, Chen Yi, tried to talk to the rebels. He wanted to free hostages. But the rebels killed him.

Among the hostages were Bian Zhang and Han Sui. They were important and respected men. The rebels convinced them to join their cause. Having these influential men helped the rebellion gain more support. Bian Zhang and Han Sui would become very important leaders later on.

Han Attempts to Stop the Rebellion

The rebels then surrounded Zuo Chang's headquarters in Ji county. Some Han generals were slow to help Zuo Chang. But He Xun, a respected general, convinced them to act. The rebels respected He Xun and stopped their attack.

After this, Zuo Chang was replaced by Song Nie. Song Nie believed teaching people good morals would fix the problem. He was quickly dismissed. Yang Yong took his place. But the situation did not get better. Rebels soon surrounded local officials again.

The new Protector, Xia Yu, was attacked by a rebel group. This group was led by Qiang chieftain Dianyu. He Xun again led troops to help. But this time, He Xun was badly defeated. Both Xia Yu and He Xun escaped. It was clear that the local government could not handle the rebellion alone.

Local Efforts to Restore Han Power (186–187)

In the winter of 186, the rebel leader Bian Zhang died. Also, Beigong Boyu and Li Wenhou were killed in fights among the rebels. Seeing this chance, Geng Bi, the new Inspector of Liang Province, tried to take back control. He wanted to do this without much help from other parts of China.

A wise official named Fu Xie warned Geng Bi not to attack. He said the people didn't know Geng Bi well. He also said the army wasn't ready. But Geng Bi ignored the advice and went ahead.

Mutiny and New Rebel Leaders

In 187, Geng Bi attacked Longxi. He used an army from six different areas. Longxi had been taken by Han Sui's forces. Its leader, Li Can, had joined the rebels. However, the people were unhappy with Geng Bi's choice of a corrupt official, Cheng Qiu.

When Geng Bi's army reached Longxi's capital, Didao, in April 187, his own soldiers rebelled. They killed Cheng Qiu and then Geng Bi. These rebellious soldiers joined the rebels. They chose Wang Guo as their new leader. Together, they surrounded Hanyang.

Fu Xie, the leader of Hanyang, was well-liked. The rebels hesitated to fight him. They tried to get him to leave or surrender. But Fu Xie decided to defend the city to the death. He died fighting in a final desperate attack.

After this, a Han officer named Ma Teng joined Han Sui. They made Wang Guo their leader. The rebels then raided the area around Chang'an. For the first time, the rebels controlled all of Liang Province. Because of his failures, Zhang Wen was removed from his position.

The Siege of Chencang (188–189)

By late 188, the Han government had almost given up on getting Liang Province back. They mostly left the local defenses to manage on their own. However, Wang Guo led a large force east to attack Chencang. This city was a key entry point to Chang'an.

The government then appointed Huangfu Song to deal with this threat. Huangfu Song was given 20,000 soldiers. Dong Zhuo also commanded 20,000 men and was to help Huangfu. When they reached Chencang, Dong Zhuo wanted to attack right away. But Huangfu Song disagreed. He said Chencang was strong and hard to capture. He believed they should wait for Wang Guo's men to get tired.

Indeed, Wang Guo's men surrounded Chencang for over eighty days. They had no success.

Rebels Retreat and Han Victory

In spring 189, Wang Guo's men were exhausted. They gave up the siege and retreated. Huangfu Song ordered his rested men to chase them. Dong Zhuo protested. He said it was a rule of war not to chase a retreating army. He feared they might fight back fiercely.

But Huangfu Song ignored him. He said Wang Guo's retreat was not planned. It was because they had lost all hope of winning. Huangfu led his men to attack, leaving Dong Zhuo behind. They won a great victory, killing over ten thousand rebels. Dong Zhuo was said to be angry and held a grudge against Huangfu from then on.

After this defeat, Han Sui and Ma Teng removed Wang Guo as leader. They chose Yan Zhong to take his place. But Yan Zhong died soon after. This caused the rebels to fight among themselves. They finally split into three groups. Han Sui's group was in Jincheng. Ma Teng's group was in the Wei Valley. Song Jian's group was in Fuhan.

As Chinese rebels gained more power, the Qiang and Yuezhi people slowly stopped supporting the rebellion. They did not play a major role after this.

The rebellion might have ended then. But big events happened in the capital, Luoyang, in 189. After Emperor Ling died, a huge fight broke out. Dong Zhuo led his frontier soldiers to the capital during the chaos. He took control of the court. He replaced the emperor and made himself the most powerful official. By the end of the year, civil war had spread across China. The Liang Province Rebellion became just one small part of the Han dynasty falling apart.

What Happened Next: The End of the Rebels

As China fell into chaos, the three rebel leaders of Liang Province became powerful warlords. They each chose different paths. Song Jian stayed away from the main conflict in China. He declared himself "King of the Sources of the River Who Will Pacify Han." He ruled his area for almost thirty years on his own.

Han Sui and Ma Teng, however, got involved in the wider empire. They made peace with Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo asked for their help against other warlords who were fighting him. After Dong Zhuo died in 192, his followers took power. They gave Han Sui and Ma Teng official titles. This meant the two rebel leaders were now recognized by the government.

Later Conflicts and Cao Cao's Rise

Han Sui and Ma Teng had a difficult relationship. Sometimes they were allies, and sometimes they fought each other. In 209, Ma Teng had to flee and ask for help from Cao Cao. Cao Cao was a powerful warlord who controlled much of northeast China. Cao Cao invited Ma Teng to his headquarters. He kept Ma Teng there, almost like a hostage. Ma Teng and his family were later killed when his son, Ma Chao, rebelled against Cao Cao.

In 211, Cao Cao sent an army to the Wei Valley. This made the northwestern warlords, including Han Sui and Ma Chao, form a group to fight Cao Cao. They fought in the Battle of Tong Pass. Cao Cao cleverly moved his army behind them. He defeated them in a big battle. This defeat marked the beginning of the end for the independent warlords in the northwest.

Cao Cao returned east after this. He left his general Xiahou Yuan to finish the job. Ma Chao tried to fight back. He captured the city of Ji and allied with the Di people. But he was defeated in 213 by Xiahou Yuan's army and internal rebellions. Ma Chao fled south and later died in 221.

In 214, Xiahou Yuan defeated Han Sui's forces. He then attacked the Di people and Song Jian. Song Jian died, and his capital was captured. His officials were all killed. Han Sui died the next year. His remaining followers sent his head to Cao Cao as a sign of surrender. So, the powerful groups that started with the Liang Province Rebellion thirty years earlier were finally gone.

Legacy of the Rebellion

After Cao Cao died in 220, his son Cao Pi took over. He forced the last Han emperor to step down. Cao Pi then started a new state called Cao Wei. Under his rule, areas in the northwest were rebuilt. There were only small local rebellions. In 222, trade with Central Asia started again. It had been stopped by the fighting in Liang Province.

However, Chinese power in the northwest was weaker than before the rebellion. The Cao Wei state controlled less land there. Some areas, like Song Jian's realm, were simply left empty. The Chinese population in the area decreased. More Qiang and Di tribes moved into the southern mountains.

Later, during the early Western Jin period, these tribes rebelled against Chinese rule. This happened first under Tufa Shujineng (270–279) and then Qi Wannian (296–299). These rebellions caused a lot of damage to the region. After the Jin dynasty was driven out of the north, these powerful tribes created their own states. This happened during the Sixteen Kingdoms period.