The Yellow Turban Army, also known as the Yellow Turban Bandits (after the publishing of the

Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD ...

), was a peasant rebel force led by the late Eastern Han Dynasty mystic

Zhang Jue Zhang Jue (; died October 184) was a Chinese military general and rebel. He was the leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was said to be a follower of Taoism and a sorcerer. His name is sometimes ...

from

Julu Commandery Julu Commandery () was a historical commandery of China, located in modern-day southern Hebei. The commandery was established by Qin after it annexed Zhao in 222 BC. In early Western Han dynasty, it was part of the Zhao Kingdom. After the failed ...

. The Yellow Turbans launched an uprising against the central government in 184, the year of the Jiazi in the

Sexagenary cycle The sexagenary cycle, also known as the Stems-and-Branches or ganzhi ( zh, 干支, gānzhī), is a cycle of sixty terms, each corresponding to one year, thus a total of sixty years for one cycle, historically used for recording time in China and t ...

. The

Yellow Turban Rebellion The Yellow Turban Rebellion, alternatively translated as the Yellow Scarves Rebellion, was a peasant revolt in China against the Eastern Han dynasty. The uprising broke out in 184 CE during the reign of Emperor Ling. Although the main rebelli ...

became one of the biggest rebellions in Chinese history, but it was mostly quelled within a year by the Eastern Han government. As result, the Chinese historiography has always placed it as the progenitor of the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...

Era. Some Yellow Turban factions continued their insurgency for decades, however, and the last known remnants of the movement were defeated in the first decade of the

3rd century The 3rd century was the period from 201 ( CCI) to 300 ( CCC) Anno Domini (AD) or Common Era (CE) in the Julian calendar.. In this century, the Roman Empire saw a crisis, starting with the assassination of the Roman Emperor Severus Alexande ...

Yellow Turban Army

The Yellow Turban Army was composed of commoners, rabble and other people of opportunity.

and his brothers Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang treated many of them, and thus were very popular. When Zhang Jue saw that followers of the

Way of the Taiping The Way of the Taiping, also known as the Way of the Great Peace, was a Chinese Taoist movement founded by Zhang Jue during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Its adherents all around China participated in the Yellow Turban Rebellion of 184, with the rebelli ...

grew more numerous by the day, he openly revolted in the large-scale

. The scale of the Rebellion involved almost a million people, Zhang Jue passed away during the rebellion, with his brothers falling in battle. The Rebellion was put down within the year, but laid the foundations of the fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Impact

The Rebellion may have been put down within the year, but it laid the foundations of the fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The central government handed local officials immense authority with regards to the recruitment of soldiers, which resulted in the warlordism of the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the

Era, undeniably a fatal blow to the Eastern Han. The Rebellion accelerated the demise of the Eastern Han, and even after the defeat of the rebellion, small scale conflicts continued under the Yellow Turban banner along the

Yellow River The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the sixth-longest river system in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Ha ...

. This is also why the Yellow Turban Rebellion is often documented in Chinese historiography as the beginning of the

Era.

Leaders

，head of the Yellow Turban Army, passed away from illness during the Rebellion. Declared himself the "Great Teacher" (大賢良師), and "General of Heaven" (天公將軍). *Zhang Bao，Zhang Jue's second youngest brother，died from a hail of arrows during battles between Eastern Han soldiers from

Qing Province Qingzhou or Qing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China dating back to BCE that later became one of the thirteen provinces of the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). The Nine Provinces were first described in the '' Tribut ...

and

Xu Province Xuzhou as a historical toponym refers to varied area in different eras. Ordinarily, it was a reference to the one of the Nine Provinces which modern Xuzhou inherited. History Pre-Qin era Xuzhou or Xu Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ...

, with the army he led dissolving thereafter. Declared himself "General of Land" (地公將軍). *Zhang Liang，Zhang Jue's youngest brother，a leading general of the Yellow Turban Army. Declared himself "General of the People" (人公將軍).

Notable Individuals

Ma Yuanyi The Yellow Turban Rebellion, alternatively translated as the Yellow Scarves Rebellion, was a List of peasant revolts, peasant revolt in China against the Eastern Han dynasty. The uprising broke out in 184 CE during the reign of Emperor Ling of ...

(馬元義)，in the early days of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Ma led tens of thousands of the Yellow Turban Army in secret, and plotted with close officials (Zhong Chang Shi 中常侍) of the Emperor to rise up in Ye. The plot leaked and he was pulled apart by chariots in

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang ...

. * Zhang Mancheng (張曼成)，Zhang was from

Nanyang Nanyang is the romanization of two common Chinese place names. It may refer to: Written as 南洋 (Southern Ocean) * Nanyang (region), a Chinese term denoting the Southeast Asian lands surrounding the South China Sea ;China * Nanyang Fleet, Qing ...

, and he rose up with tens of thousands of the Yellow Turban Army, killing the Junshou (Jun Governor), Chu Gong 褚貢. Two months later he was in turn killed by the newly appointed Taishou of Nanyang, Qin Jie 秦頡. *Zhao Hong (趙弘)，after the death of Zhang Mancheng, Zhao Hong became the leader of his faction of the Yellow Turban Army. Zhao occupied and held Wancheng, but was killed in a shock attack led by Zhu Jun. *

Han Zhong Han Zhong may refer to: * Han Zhong (Daoist) (韓終, fl. 215 BCE), Qin dynasty Transcendent and herbalist *Han Zhong (韓忠, d. 184 CE), Han Dynasty rebel leader during the Yellow Turban Rebellion *Hanzhong Hanzhong (; abbreviation: Han) is a ...

(韓忠)，after the death of Zhao Hong, Han Zhong led the remainder of his faction of the Yellow Turban Army, and reoccupied Wancheng, holding out against Zhu Jun. Zhu caught Han in a surprise attack and Han surrendered. Han was killed in a fit of rage by Qin Jie. *Sun Xia (孫夏)，after the death of Han Zhong, Sun Xia became the commander of Han's Yellow Turban Army remains. He led the defence of Wancheng against Zhu Jun, only to fall in battle. This faction of the Yellow Turban Army thus dispersed. *

Bo Cai The Yellow Turban Rebellion, alternatively translated as the Yellow Scarves Rebellion, was a peasant revolt in China against the Eastern Han dynasty. The uprising broke out in 184 CE during the reign of Emperor Ling. Although the main rebel ...

(波才)，Bo Cai defeated Zhu Jun in battle. A month later, the combined forces of

Huangfu Song Huangfu Song pronounced in Mandarin (died April 195), courtesy name Yizhen, was a military general who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is best known for helping to suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion and Liang Province Rebe ...

and Zhu Jun won a great victory against Bo. *Peng Tuo (彭脫)，Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun chased Peng's Yellow Turban Army in Xihua, and shattered it. *Luo Ji (卜己)，Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun then went on to engage Luo Ji's Yellow Turban Army, which was based in Dong Jun, near present-day

Puyang Puyang is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Henan province, People's Republic of China. Located on the northern shore of the Yellow River, it borders Anyang in the west, Xinxiang in the southwest, and the provinces of Shandong and Hebei ...

. Huang and Zhu caught up to Luo's Army near Cangting, north of present-day Yanggu County, Shandong, and managed to capture Luo alive, decapitating over 7,000 of his soldiers.

Beihai Jun Yellow Turbans

*Zhang Rao (張饒)，led 200,000 Yellow Turbans from Ji Province, and defeated Kong Rong in battle. * Guan Hai (管亥)，Guan besieged Kong Rong, and this led Kong to send

Taishi Ci Taishi Ci () (166–206), courtesy name Ziyi, was a Chinese military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He had served as a minor Han official, before eventually coming to serve warlords Liu Yao, Sun Ce, and Sun Ce's s ...

from

Donglai Commandery Donglai Commandery ( zh, 東萊郡) was a historical Chinese commandery on the Jiaodong Peninsula, existing from Han dynasty to Tang dynasty. Donglai Commandery was likely established during Emperor Jing of Han's reign on the lands of Jiaodong Co ...

(東萊郡) to request the then Chancellor (相) of

Pingyuan State Pingyuan Commandery ( zh, 平原郡) was a historical commandery of China, existing from Han dynasty to Tang dynasty. It was centered around present-day northwestern Shandong province. The commandery was carved out of the Jibei Kingdom during Empe ...

(平原國)

Liu Bei Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the ...

for aid.

White Wave Bandits The Yellow Turban Rebellion, alternatively translated as the Yellow Scarves Rebellion, was a peasant revolt in China against the Eastern Han dynasty. The uprising broke out in 184 CE during the reign of Emperor Ling. Although the main rebell ...

* Guo Tai(郭泰)，Between 16 March and 13 April 188, Guo Tai (郭太) led some 100,000 Yellow Turban remnants to start a rebellion in

Xihe Commandery Xihe Commandery ( zh, 西河郡) was a historical commandery of China, located in modern northern Shanxi and part of Inner Mongolia. The name "Xihe" referred to a southward section in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. The commandery was se ...

(西河郡; around present-day Fenyang, Shanxi). As they originated from Baibo Valley (白波谷; "White Wave Valley") in Xihe Commandery, they later became known as the "White Wave Bandits" (白波賊). They allied with the

Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 20 ...

leader

Yufuluo Chizhi Shizhu Hou (; 150–196; r. 188–195 AD), personal name Yufuluo (於夫羅), was a puppet chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu during the late Han Dynasty. In 188, he was appointed chanyu by the Han court following the murder of his father Qian ...

and attacked

Taiyuan Commandery Taiyuan Commandery ( zh, 太原郡) was a commandery of China from the Warring States period to Tang dynasty. It was located in modern central Shanxi province. The commandery was established by the Qin state in 248 BC, after Qin general Meng Ao a ...

(太原郡; around present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi) and Hedong Commandery (河東郡; around present-day

Yuncheng, Shanxi Yuncheng is the southernmost prefecture-level city in Shanxi province, People's Republic of China. It borders Linfen and Jincheng municipalities to the north and east, and Henan (Luoyang and Jiyuan to the east, Sanmenxia to the south) and Sha ...

).( ��平五年二月， ...��巾餘賊郭太等起於西河白波谷，寇太原、河東。) ''Houhanshu'' vol. 8. Between 27 October and 25 November 189, when the bandits attacked Hedong Commandery, the warlord

Dong Zhuo Dong Zhuo () (died 22 May 192), courtesy name Zhongying, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. At the end of the reign of the Eastern Han, Dong Zhuo was a general and powerful minist ...

sent his son-in-law

Niu Fu Niu Fu () (died 192) was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Eastern Han dynasty. Life Niu Fu had served under the warlord Dong Zhuo when the latter was still serving as a military genera ...

to lead troops to attack them, but Niu Fu failed to defeat them.(初，靈帝末，黃巾餘黨郭太等復起西河白波谷，轉寇太原，遂破河東，百姓流轉三輔，號為「白波賊」，眾十餘萬。卓遣中郎將牛輔擊之，不能卻。) ''Houhanshu'' vol. 72. *

Yang Feng Yang Feng (died 197) was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Life Yang Feng was a leader of the White Wave Bandits. Later, he became a subordinate of Li Jue. In 192, Li Jue, Guo Si and other former follo ...

(楊奉)，Around mid-195,

Emperor Xian Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until 11 December 220. Liu Xie was a so ...

fled from the imperial capital

Chang'an Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin S ...

, where he had been held hostage by Dong Zhuo's followers, led by Li Jue and

Guo Si Guo Si () (died 197), also known as Guo Duo, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He assisted Dong Zhuo in his many campaigns and served as a su ...

, since Dong Zhuo's death in 192. He returned to the ruins of the old imperial capital

, which Dong Zhuo burnt down in 191 while forcefully relocating its residents to Chang'an. Dong Cheng (a former subordinate of Niu Fu) and

(a former White Wave bandit)(傕將楊奉本白波賊帥， ...) ''Houhanshu'' vol. 72. protected Emperor Xian in Luoyang when Li Jue and Guo Si tried to pursue and bring the emperor back to Chang'an. Dong Cheng and Yang Feng summoned the White Wave Bandits, led by Li Le (李樂), Han Xian, Hu Cai (胡才) and others, to come to Emperor Xian's aid. * Han Xian(韓暹)，Emperor Xian returned from Chang'an, and Xiongnu forces led by Qubei (去卑) and the leader of the White Wave Bandits, Han Xian, came to his aid. * Hu Cai(胡才)，Came to Emperor Xian's aid on Dong Cheng and Yang Feng's command. Xiongnu forces led by Qubei (去卑) also responded to the call and came to help Emperor Xian resist Li Jue and Guo Si's forces.(李傕、郭汜既悔令天子東，乃來救段煨，因欲劫帝而西， ... 而張濟與楊奉、董承不相平，乃反合傕、汜，共追乘輿，大戰於弘農東澗。承、奉軍敗，百官士卒死者不可勝數，皆棄其婦女輜重，御物符策典籍，略無所遺。 ... 天子遂露次曹陽。承、奉乃譎傕等與連和，而密遣閒使至河東，招故白波帥李樂、韓暹、胡才及南匈奴右賢王去卑，並率其眾數千騎來，與承、奉共擊傕等，大破之，斬首數千級，乘輿乃得進。董承、李樂擁衛左右，胡才、楊奉、韓暹、去卑為後距。傕等復來戰，奉等大敗，死者甚於東澗。) ''Houhanshu'' vol. 72. * Li Le(李樂)，Came to Emperor Xian's aid on Dong Cheng and Yang Feng's command. Xiongnu forces led by Qubei (去卑) also responded to the call and came to help Emperor Xian resist Li Jue and Guo Si's forces.

Self-Declared Yellow Turbans

Ma Xiang Ma Xiang (died 188) was a self-declared Emperor of China, Yellow Turban rebel, warlord, and bandit leader who lived in the late 2nd century. Although operating after the main Yellow Turban Rebellion had been defeated, Ma proved highly successf ...

(馬相). In 188, Ma Xiang (馬相) and Zhao Zhi (趙祗) led Yellow Turban remnants to start a rebellion in

Yi Province Yizhou (益州), Yi Province or Yi Prefecture, was a '' zhou'' (province) of ancient China. Its capital city was Chengdu.de Crespigny, p. 256. During the Han dynasty, it included the commanderies Hanzhong, Ba, Guanghan, Shu, Wenshan, Jianwei, ...

(益州; covering present-day

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

and Chongqing). They killed Li Sheng (李升; Prefect of Mianzhu County 緜竹縣), Zhao Bu (趙部; Administrator of Ba Commandery 巴郡) and Xi Jian (郗儉; Inspector of Yi Province). Ma Xiang even declared himself emperor. The rebellion was suppressed by local forces led by Jia Long (賈龍), a former subordinate of Xi Jian. 859] *

Zhao Di Zhao may refer to: * Zhao (surname) (赵), a Chinese surname ** commonly spelled Chao in Taiwan or up until the early 20th century in other regions ** Chiu, from the Cantonese pronunciation ** Cho (Korean surname), represent the Hanja 趙 (Chinese ...

(趙祗), as above.

Footnotes

References

{{Reflist * 張傳璽主編：《簡明中國古代史》. 北京：北京大學出版社，1994年. * 傅樂成：《中國通史》. 台北：大中國圖書公司，1982年.