The Miao Rebellion of 1735–1736 was an uprising of autochthonous people from

southwest China Southwestern China () is a region in the People's Republic of China. It consists of five provincial administrative regions, namely Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Xizang. Geography Southwestern China is a rugged and mountainous region, ...

(called by the Chinese "Miao", but including more than the antecedents of the present-day Miao national minority).

Background

Since the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

(1368–1644), southwestern China (

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

Guizhou ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_map = Guizhou in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_alt = Map showing the location of Guizhou Province , map_caption = Map s ...

Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...

) was within the control of the Ming Empire, but the state control of these territories was weak. The

Yongzheng Emperor The Yongzheng Emperor (13 December 1678 – 8 October 1735), also known by his temple name Emperor Shizong of Qing, personal name Yinzhen, was the fourth List of emperors of the Qing dynasty, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the third Qing em ...

of the Qing dynasty decided to strengthen it, replacing local, semi-independent chieftains, called ''

tusi ''Tusi'', often translated as "headmen" or "chieftains", were hereditary tribal leaders recognized as imperial officials by the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties of China, and the Later Lê and Nguyễn dynasties of Vietnam. They ruled certain ...

'', with regular Qing administration. To achieve this goal, the prince Ortai led several military campaigns into the area, pacifying them between 1726 and 1732. However, military control did not stop the official abuse and extortion, suppressing only the reaction against them.

Rebellion

By 1735, misrule and extortion proved too much and the local people rose to fight. Some of them were desperate enough as to kill their wives and children before joining the rebellion, thus burning all bridges behind them. The uprising started in Taigong, then covering the area of

Liping Liping may refer to: *Liping County Liping County () ( Dong language: Liic bienc) is a county in the southeast of Guizhou province, China, bordering Hunan to the east and Guangxi to the southeast. It is part of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Au ...

and

Duyun Duyun () is the capital city of Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou province, China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding ...

. Local Qing administration, unable to cope with the rebels, suggested making a kind of agreement with them, but the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...

recalled the previous commanders and appointed Zhang Guangsi, an experienced officer under Ortai, to quell the rebellion. The uprising was bloodily suppressed, the last rebels doggedly fighting at Niupidajing. Altogether Qing armies destroyed approximately 1200 Miao forts and killed over 18,000 warriors. The campaign lasted from February to November 1736. Zhang, meanwhile appointed Governor-General of Guizhou, started to build roads, strengthening the

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

s and opening the mines, to enhance both imperial control and the economy of the region. The suppression of the revolt granted the area half a century of peace, but the deep causes of unrest remained unchanged and the tensions grew again, until the Miao rebelled again in 1795.

Background

Rebellion

See also

References

Further reading