Yellow Turban Rebellion facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yellow Turban Rebellion
Part of the wars at the end of the Han dynasty
Map showing the extent of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in China in 184 CE
Date c.March 184–205 CE Location Various locations in China Result Rebellion suppressed, Han victory Han dynasty heavily weakened Beginning of a state of turmoil in China
Belligerents
Han dynasty	Yellow Turban Army
Commanders and leaders
Emperor Ling He Jin Huangfu Song Lu Zhi Zhu Jun	Zhang Jue  † Zhang Bao  † Zhang Liang  †
Strength
350,000	2,000,000 (360,000 were initially followers of Zhang Jue)
Casualties and losses
Unknown

The Yellow Turban Rebellion was a huge uprising by farmers and common people in ancient China. It happened during the late Eastern Han dynasty, starting in 184 CE. The rebellion got its name because the rebels wore yellow headscarves or turbans.

Even though the main rebellion was stopped by 185 CE, it took 21 more years to fully put down all the smaller groups and new uprisings. This rebellion greatly weakened the Han government. It also led to powerful military leaders, called warlords, taking control of different parts of China. This period of chaos eventually led to the famous Three Kingdoms period.

This rebellion is also important in the history of Taoism. This is because its leaders were connected to secret Taoist groups. The story of the Yellow Turban Rebellion is also the very first event in the famous historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Why the Rebellion Started

By 184 CE, the Han Dynasty's central government was in trouble. Officials called eunuchs, who worked for the emperor, were using their power to get rich. They had too much influence over Emperor Ling. The emperor even said that two powerful eunuchs were like his parents.

People believed that this government corruption was causing many problems. These problems included plagues, natural disasters, and bad harvests. Many thought this meant the emperor had lost his "Mandate of Heaven." This was a belief that heaven chose the emperor to rule. If things went wrong, it meant he had lost heaven's approval.

Also, the Yellow River flooded, forcing many farmers to move south. This meant there were too many workers, and they were easily taken advantage of. Diseases also spread often between 171 and 185 CE. Some think these diseases might have come from the Antonine Plague that spread along the Silk Road.

A Taoist leader named Zhang Jue started gaining followers. He claimed he could cure people with special water and bamboo music. He sent his students all over northern China to prepare for a revolt. His group grew quickly, almost unnoticed, until they became very powerful. Zhang Jue planned a big uprising across the Han Empire. But his plan was discovered before he was ready. Rebel supporters in the capital city, Luoyang, were arrested and killed. This forced the rebellion to start early, in March 184. Even without full planning, tens of thousands of people rose up. They attacked government offices and forced the imperial armies to defend themselves.

Who Were the Rebels?

The Leaders

The rebellion was led by Zhang Jue. His followers called him the "General of Heaven." His two younger brothers, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang, also helped lead. They were born in a place called Julu Commandery. The brothers started a Taoist religious group. They were known as healers who helped poor people for free. They saw how local governments treated farmers badly with hard work and high taxes. This made them decide to plan a rebellion.

Their Beliefs

The rebels followed a Taoist group called the Way of Supreme Peace. They worshipped a god named Huang–Lao. Zhang Jue said this god gave him a special book called the Crucial Keys to the Way of Peace. Zhang Jue was also said to be a sorcerer. He called himself the "Great Teacher."

When the rebellion began, Zhang Jue spread a 16-word slogan through his medical work. It said: "The Azure Sky is already dead; the Yellow Sky will soon rise. When the year is jiǎzǐ, there will be prosperity under Heaven!"

Religious Practices

Zhang Jue claimed to cure people by having them confess their sins. The Zhang brothers believed a big change was coming in the jiazi year. This was the start of a new 60-year cycle. They believed yellow skies would signal a new government. This idea inspired the yellow color of their headwear.

Their group held activities like trances, fasting, music, chanting, and sermons. These activities brought people together from different backgrounds. Some Xiongnu leaders, like Yufuluo, even supported them. This might have led Zhang Jue to use some of their spiritual practices.

Zhang Jue's Plans

Before the rebellion started, Zhang Jue sent a man named Ma Yuanyi to find followers. He gathered them in a city called Ye. Ma Yuanyi often traveled to Luoyang, the Han capital. There, he convinced two eunuchs from the imperial court to secretly help Zhang Jue. They planned to start the rebellion on April 3, 184.

However, the plans were betrayed. A person named Tang Zhou, who was part of the movement, reported Ma Yuanyi to the authorities. Ma Yuanyi was arrested and killed in Luoyang.

When Emperor Ling found out about Zhang Jue's plot, he ordered an investigation. Many people involved in the conspiracy were arrested and executed.

The Yellow Turban Rebellion Begins

When Zhang Jue heard the government knew about his plans, he quickly told his allies across China to act right away. So, in March 184, Zhang Jue started the Yellow Turban Rebellion. He had about 360,000 followers, all wearing yellow headscarves.

Zhang Jue called himself the "Lord General of Heaven." His brothers, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang, were called the "Lord General of Earth" and "Lord General of People." The rebels attacked government offices, robbed villages, and took control of many areas. Within just 10 days, the rebellion had spread across China. This greatly worried the Han imperial court in Luoyang.

The rebels were mainly in the Ji, Jing, You, and Yu provinces. Zhang Jue and his brothers gathered support in Ji Province, north of the Yellow River. Other major uprisings happened in You Province (near present-day Beijing) and Yu Province (near present-day Xuchang, Henan).

On April 1, 184, Emperor Ling made his brother-in-law, He Jin, the General-in-Chief. He ordered him to lead the imperial armies against the rebels. The emperor also sent three generals – Lu Zhi, Huangfu Song, and Zhu Jun – with about 40,000 soldiers. Lu Zhi went to Zhang Jue's base in Ji Province. Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun went to Yingchuan Commandery.

Battles in You Province

In You Province, the rebels killed the provincial Inspector, Guo Xun, and the Administrator of Guangyang Commandery, Liu Wei.

A colonel named Zou Jing led imperial forces to fight the rebels there. Liu Bei and a group of volunteers also helped him.

Battles in Yu Province

In Yu Province, the rebel leader Bo Cai first defeated Zhu Jun. The imperial court sent a young officer named Cao Cao with more soldiers to help Zhu Jun. Zhu Jun, Huangfu Song, and Cao Cao then joined forces. They defeated Bo Cai in a big battle. Bo Cai tried to run away, but Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun chased him and defeated him again.

Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun then defeated other rebels in Runan Commandery. The imperial court told them to split up. Huangfu Song went to attack rebels at Dong Commandery. Zhu Jun went to attack rebels at Nanyang Commandery.

Battles in Ji Province

Meanwhile, Lu Zhi defeated Zhang Jue's forces in Julu Commandery. He surrounded Zhang Jue in Guangzong County. However, a eunuch falsely accused Lu Zhi of treason. Emperor Ling then ordered Lu Zhi's arrest. The imperial court sent General Dong Zhuo to take over. But Dong Zhuo failed and retreated.

Later, Huangfu Song defeated other rebel groups. He then replaced Dong Zhuo and went to attack Zhang Jue. Zhang Jue died of illness in October 184 while Huangfu Song was attacking him.

Between November and December, Huangfu Song continued attacking Zhang Liang, Zhang Jue's brother. Zhang Liang had taken command of the rebels. Huangfu Song tricked the rebels into letting their guard down. Then, he launched a surprise night attack. Zhang Liang was killed, along with 30,000 rebels. Another 50,000 rebels drowned trying to escape across a river. Huangfu Song burned many rebel supplies and captured their families.

Emperor Ling rewarded Huangfu Song for his victories. Huangfu Song then joined forces with Guo Dian to attack Zhang Jue's other brother, Zhang Bao. They defeated the rebels, killed Zhang Bao, and over 100,000 rebels surrendered.

Battles in Jing Province

In Nanyang Commandery, a rebel leader named Zhang Mancheng killed the Administrator, Chu Gong. He took control of the capital, Wancheng. Chu Gong's replacement, Qin Jie, gathered local forces. He attacked and killed Zhang Mancheng before Zhu Jun's soldiers arrived.

After Zhang Mancheng died, Zhao Hong became the new rebel leader in Wancheng. Qin Jie and Zhu Jun joined forces with Xu Qiu, the Inspector of Jing Province. They attacked Wancheng with about 18,000 soldiers. They defeated and killed Zhao Hong.

After Zhao Hong's death, Han Zhong and the remaining rebels took Wancheng. They continued to fight. Zhu Jun tricked Han Zhong into coming out of the city. Han Zhong lost the battle and tried to flee. About 10,000 of his men were killed. Han Zhong surrendered to Zhu Jun, but Qin Jie had him executed.

In January 185, Zhu Jun defeated another rebel force led by Sun Xia. Sun Xia fled, but Zhu Jun chased him and defeated him again.

Other Provinces

In Xu Province, the Inspector Tao Qian and Zang Ba defeated the rebels and brought peace back to the area.

Sun Jian, a minor official, joined Zhu Jun's army. He brought young men and soldiers from his area.

In Yang Province, rebels attacked Shu County. Yang Xu, the Administrator of Lujiang Commandery, gathered thousands of men to fight them and put out fires.

End of the Main Rebellion

By early 185, the main Yellow Turban Rebellion was mostly stopped. This was thanks to Zhu Jun taking back Wancheng and Huangfu Song's victories over the Zhang brothers. Government forces continued to chase smaller rebel groups. By mid-February 185, Emperor Ling announced the "pacification achieved."

Later Yellow Turban Activities

Even though the main rebellion ended in 185, smaller groups of Yellow Turban rebels continued to cause trouble for the next two decades.

White Wave Bandits

In 188, Guo Tai led about 100,000 Yellow Turban rebels in Xihe Commandery. They became known as the "White Wave Bandits." They teamed up with a Xiongnu leader and attacked other areas.

Later, in 195, Emperor Xian escaped from the capital, Chang'an. He had been held hostage by powerful warlords. He returned to the old capital, Luoyang. Two officials, Dong Cheng and Yang Feng, protected the emperor. They called on the White Wave Bandits to help. Xiongnu forces also came to help. Later, the warlord Cao Cao brought the emperor to his own base in Xu.

Rebels in Other Areas

In 188, Ma Xiang and Zhao Zhi led Yellow Turban rebels in Yi Province. They killed several officials. Ma Xiang even declared himself emperor. But local forces quickly stopped this rebellion.

Around 189, Zhang Rao led about 200,000 Yellow Turban rebels in Qing Province. They defeated imperial forces. Later, another rebel leader, Guan Hai, surrounded an official named Kong Rong. Kong Rong's officer, Taishi Ci, got help from Liu Bei. Liu Bei brought 3,000 soldiers and saved Kong Rong.

In the 200s, Xu He and Sima Ju led Yellow Turban rebels in Qing Province. They were defeated and killed by generals like Xiahou Yuan and Zang Ba.

Cao Cao's Qingzhou Army

Around 192, hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban rebels from Qing Province moved into Yan Province. They killed an official and moved into Dongping Commandery. The Inspector of Yan Province, Liu Dai, attacked them but was killed. Officials then invited Cao Cao to be the new Governor of Yan Province. Cao Cao, even with fewer soldiers, managed to defeat the rebels. Over 300,000 rebels and their families surrendered to Cao Cao. He then took their best fighters and formed a special military unit called the Qingzhou Army.

Rebels in Runan and Yingchuan

In Runan and Yingchuan commanderies, thousands of Yellow Turban rebels remained active. They were led by He Yi, Liu Pi, Huang Shao, and He Man. They were first allied with warlords like Yuan Shu and Sun Jian. But they became an independent force. In 196, the warlord Cao Cao attacked them. He killed Liu Pi, Huang Shao, and He Man. He Yi and the remaining forces surrendered to Cao Cao.

Other Yellow Turban forces in Runan Commandery were led by Wu Ba and Gong Du. Wu Ba was defeated and captured. Gong Du became a threat to Cao Cao when he teamed up with Cao Cao's rival, Liu Bei. They took control of Runan Commandery in 201. Cao Cao sent a general to fight them, but he was killed. So, Cao Cao personally led his troops to attack and defeat them. Liu Bei fled south, and Gong Du's rebels scattered.

What Happened After?

The Han armies won the rebellion. But many government buildings were destroyed, important officials died, and the dynasty's land was broken up. Hundreds of thousands of rebels died, and many innocent people lost their homes. The Han Dynasty was very weak and could not fully control its lands. It gave more power to military commanders and local leaders. This eventually led to its complete collapse by 220 CE.

After Emperor Ling died in 189, there was a power struggle. His brother-in-law He Jin and the eunuchs fought for control. He Jin was killed. His ally, Yuan Shao, burned the palace and killed the eunuchs in revenge. Then, the warlord Dong Zhuo took control of the young emperor. This allowed him to take over the capital. Dong Zhuo was known for being cruel and was killed in 192. After that, the warlord Cao Cao gained power.

Images for kids

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  Map showing the extent of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in China in 184 CE