Red Turban Rebellions
The Red Turban Rebellions () were uprisings against the Yuan dynasty between 1351 and 1368, eventually leading to its collapse. Remnants of the Yuan imperial court retreated northwards and is thereafter known as the Northern Yuan in historiography. Background Factional strife In the early 1300s, the imperial court of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty was split between two factions on how best to govern the empire. One faction favored a Mongol-centric policy that favored Mongol and Inner Asian interests while the opposing faction leaned towards a more Han-based "Confucian" governing style. The latter group conducted a coup in 1328 to enthrone Kusala (Emperor Mingzong). Kusala was literate in the Chinese language and made efforts to write Chinese poetry and to produce Chinese calligraphy. He patronized Chinese learning and art with a new academy and office in the inner court. Others at court such as the Merkit Majarday and his son, Toqto'a, also led the way in cultivating Chinese l ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Yangtze River Valley
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, in a generally easterly direction to the East China Sea. It is the fifth-largest primary river by discharge volume in the world. Its drainage basin comprises one-fifth of the land area of China, and is home to nearly one-third of the country's population. The Yangtze has played a major role in the history, culture, and economy of China The People's Republic of China is a Developing country, developing Mixed economy, mixed socialist market economy, incorporating Industrial policy, industrial policies and strategic Five-year plans of China, five-year plans. —Xu, Chenggang. "T .... For thousands of years, the river has been used for water, irrigation, sanitation, transportation, industry, boundary-marking, and war. The Yangtze Delta ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Uskhal Khan Tögüs Temür
Uskhal Khan ( Mongolian: Усхал; Mongolian script: ; ), also called the Last Lord of Northern Yuan () or by his era name the Tianyuan Emperor (), born Tögüs Temür (; 7 March 1342 – 18 November 1388), was an emperor of the Northern Yuan dynasty, reigning from 1378 to 1388. He was the last powerful khagan of the Mongols until Dayan Khan. Tögüs Temür was the younger brother of Biligtü Khan (Emperor Zhaozong) and son of Toghon Temür (Emperor Huizong), the last Yuan emperor. Before ascending to the Northern Yuan throne, he held the noble title of Prince of Yi (益王). He succeeded to the throne with the title of Uskhal Khan after Biligtü Khan died in 1378. During the funeral of the late emperor, the Ming court sent an embassy to participate in it and released the Northern Yuan prince, Maidarbal, who had been captured at the battle of Yingchang in 1378. Uskhal Khan Tögüs Temür mobilized troops near Yingchang and Karakorum. He continued to press the Ming dyna ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Xu Shouhui
Xu Shouhui () (1320–1360) was a 14th-century Chinese rebel leader who proclaimed himself emperor of the Tianwan (天完) dynasty during the late Yuan dynasty period of China. He was also known as Xu Zhenyi (徐真一 or 徐真逸, romanized in Wade–Giles as Hsü Chen-i). Born in Luotian (羅田, now in Hubei), Xu was a cloth vendor by profession. Emperor In August 1351, he worked with others in Qízhōu () to establish the rebel army of Red Turbans under the pretense of the Buddhist White Lotus Society. In the following months of the Red Turban Rebellion, they captured Qishui () and made it the command centre of the Red Turbans and the capital of the newly declared Empire of Tianwan (), originally called Song () with himself as the emperor with the era name of "Zhiping" (). The number of his supporters increased rapidly as he claimed to be Maitreya Buddha () who sought to "destroy the rich to benefit the poor" (). In 1352, he invaded more of Hebei, and moved on to take ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Hu Dahai
Hu Dahai (; died 1362), courtesy name Tongfu (), was a Chinese Muslim and military general who lived in the 14th century. He is best known for helping Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor) establish the Ming dynasty in China. Life Hu Dahai was born in present-day Si County, Anhui Province. His family was of Persian extraction (though he was almost certainly of mixed Persian-Chinese blood), having come to China through the Silk Road and settled in Anhui as youtiao vendors; Hu was a Chinese Muslim from the Hui ethnic group. Hu joined Zhu Yuanzhang's army sometime around the fall of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. After Zhu's forces crossed the Yangtze River, they captured all of southern Anhui, most of Zhejiang, and other surrounding areas. Hu received positions of leadership and led troops which defeated rival warlord Yang Wanzhe, leading other Miao chieftains Jiang Ying, Liu Zhen, and Li Fu to surrender. He served as administrator of the entire Jiangnan region, and was responsible ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Liu Bowen
Liu Ji (1 July 1311 – 16 May 1375),Jiang, Yonglin. Jiang Yonglin. 005(2005). The Great Ming Code: 大明律. University of Washington Press. , 9780295984490. Page xxxv. The source is used to cover the year only. courtesy name Bowen, better known as Liu Bowen, was a Chinese military strategist, philosopher, and politician who lived in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. He was born in Qingtian County (present-day Wencheng County, Lishui, Zhejiang). He served as a key advisor to Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dynasty, in the latter's struggle to overthrow the Yuan dynasty and unify China proper under his rule.Windridge, Charles. 999(2003) Tong Sing The Chinese Book of Wisdom. Kyle Cathie Limited. . pg 124–125. Liu is also known for his prophecies and has been described as the "Divine Chinese Nostradamus". He and Jiao Yu co-edited the military treatise known as the '' Huolongjing'' (''Fire Dragon Manual''). Liu Bowen initially aided ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Fu Youde
Fu Youde (1327 – 20 December 1394) was a prominent Chinese military leader and one of the top generals under the Hongwu Emperor, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty. He played a crucial role in the Red Turban Rebellion, which resulted in the expulsion of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty from China. Initially, he fought in different armies before joining the Hongwu Emperor in 1361. He served in the emperor's army and led the successful conquest of Sichuan in 1371. Ten years later, he also led the conquest of Yunnan for his emperor. Throughout his career, he alternated between serving on the northern border and in Yunnan. Biography Fu Youde was from Suzhou in northern Anhui. He lost his family during an epidemic in the 1340s and subsequently relocated to northern Anhui Province. In 1351, he joined the Red Turban Rebellion in Suzhou and in 1355, he became a member of the army led by Han Song emperor Han Lin'er. He rose through the ranks and eventually became an officer in the army of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Chang Yuchun
Chang Yuchun (常遇春, 1330 – 9 August 1369), courtesy name Boren (伯仁) and art name Yanheng (燕衡), was a Chinese military general of the Ming dynasty. He was a follower of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, and contributed heavily to the establishment of the Ming Empire. He was famous for his bravery and formidable prowess in battle, which earned him the nickname of "Chang Hundred-Thousand" (), because he alone was said to be as effective as a force of 100,000 troops. Biography Chang was born in Huaiyuan County, Anhui, he was described as a stalwart man with imposing look and great strength. Chang joined the Red Turban Rebellion in 1355 to overthrow the Mongol-ruled Yuan dynasty in China. In the sixth month of that year, he followed Zhu Yuanzhang on a battle with the Yuan army that took place at Caishi (near present-day southern Ma'anshan, eastern bank of the Yangtze River). The rebel forces emerged victorious in that battle and Chang be ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Xu Da
Xu Da (1332–1385), courtesy name Tiande, known by his title as Duke of Wei (魏國公), later posthumously as Prince of Zhongshan (中山王), was a Chinese military general and official who lived in the late Yuan dynasty and early Ming dynasty. He was a friend of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder and first ruler of the Ming dynasty, and assisted him in overthrowing the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty and establishing the Ming dynasty. He was also the father of Empress Xu, who married the third Ming ruler, the Yongle Emperor, and maternal grandfather of the Hongxi Emperor. All but two subsequent Ming and Southern Ming emperors were descended from him. Xu Da was cautious and skilled in governing the army, making outstanding contributions to the establishment of the Ming Dynasty and the recovery of Chinese territory. Zhu Yuanzhang praised him as "the Great Wall" of the Ming Dynasty. After his death, Xu Da was posthumously honored as the title "King of Zhongshan" (中山王) by Zhu in 138 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Hongwu Emperor
The Hongwu Emperor (21 October 1328– 24 June 1398), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizu of Ming, personal name Zhu Yuanzhang, courtesy name Guorui, was the List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1368 to 1398. In the mid-14th century, China was plagued by epidemics, famines, and peasant uprisings during the rule of the Mongol Yuan dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang, orphaned during this time of chaos, joined a Buddhist monastery as a novice monk, where he occasionally begged for alms to sustain himself, gaining an understanding of the struggles faced by ordinary people, while harboring disdain for scholars who only gained knowledge from books. In 1352, he joined a rebel division, quickly distinguishing himself among the rebels and rising to lead his own army. In 1356, he conquered Nanjing and established it as his capital. He formed his own government, consisting of both generals and Confucian scholars, rejecting Mongol rule ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Guo Zixing
Guo Zixing (; d. 1355) was a rebel leader in the late Yuan dynasty of China. He was the father-in-law of Zhu Yuanzhang, the future founder of the Ming dynasty. Life Guo Zixing originally came from Dingyuan. His father was a fortune teller and his mother was the daughter of a wealthy man. Guo was a good fighter but had a rash temper. As the leader of a local White Lotus society and a follower of the Maitreya Buddha, Guo believed that a time of great change was ahead so he used his money to gather a group of loyal soldiers. He and four friends – one of which was Sun Deya () and all of whom were made commanders-in-chief – led their followers to capture Haozhou in February 1352. Guo Zixing's role as leader was shaky from the start and he struggled to control his underlings. The Yuan dynasty's response to the capture of Haozhou was initially lackluster, consisting of undisciplined village raiding and temple burning. The temple where Zhu Yuanzhang resided was burned in Februa ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Liu Futong
Liu Futong (; d. 1363) was a leader in the Red Turban Rebellion during the late Yuan dynasty of China. He had a major presence in northern China and was killed by Zhang Shicheng in 1363. Life Liu Futong was recruited by the northern Chinese White Lotus sectarian leader Han Shantong in 1351. Earlier that year, the Yuan official Toqto'a had mobilized 150,000 poor farmers to redirect the Yellow River. Though the project was ultimately successful, it provided a surplus of disgruntled workers in northern China. Liu Futong successfully recruited many of these workers to the Red Turban Rebellion; this resulted in a massive increase in rebel activity from 1351 onwards. After Han Shantong was captured and executed by Yuan forces, his son, Han Lin'er, escaped with Liu Futong to Yingzhou where Liu established a base of operations. The Mingtongji, a chronicle of the Ming dynasty, starts in 1351 with Liu Futong's rebellion. Liu conquered southern Henan in 1352. Han Lin'er was proclaim ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Han Lin'er
Han Lin'er (; d. 1367) was one of the leaders of the Red Turban Rebellion. From 1355, he was the emperor of the Han Song dynasty. However, he only ruled the empire formally; his minister Liu Futong had the actual power. From 1363, he was only a puppet of Zhu Yuanzhang. After the Song dynasty was defeated in 1279, all of China came under the rule of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Han people did not accept foreign rule and organized resistance against the Mongols. The most prominent of the anti-Mongol societies and sects was the White Lotus, a secret Buddhist organization heavily influenced by Manichaeism. The leader of the White Lotus was Han Shantong, the father of Han Lin'er. A long-planned uprising broke out in May 1351 in central China among peasants gathered to reconstruct the dikes on the Yellow River. Han Shantong became the leader of the rebels, claiming to be a descendant of the Song emperor Huizong and an incarnation of Maitreya Buddha. However, he was soon captured ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |