Wang Lun likely failed because he did not make any attempts to raise wide public support. Corrections? Though he passed through an area inhabited by almost a million peasants, his army never measured more than four thousand soldiers, many of whom had been forced into service. Administrators also seized and destroyed sectarian scriptures which were used by the religious groups. that can be demarcated by a territorial boundary and identified by its distinctive clothing and language. Issues and Trends in China's Demographic History. The group later reemerged in the late 18th century in the form of an inspired Chinese movement. Motivated by millenarian Buddhists who promised the immediate return of the Buddha, it erupted out of social and economic discontent in the impoverished provinces of Hubei, Shaanxi, and Sichuan (including modern Sichuan and Chongqing). As a result of such technological improvements, the Chinese population exploded, increasing from just shy of 178 million in 1749 to almost 359 million in 1811; and by 1851, the population in Qing dynasty China was close to 432 million people. At first, farmers in regions adjacent to Mongolia worked for the Mongols, but eventually, the people in the overcrowded Hubei and Hunan provinces flowed out and into the region. This Liu Chi-hieh set up a youth named Wang Fa-sheng, whom he represented to be a member of the Chu family and a descendant of the Ming emperors, as the rightful sovereign of the people. Under the Ming and the Qing, the movement existed in small, secret congregations and its doctrines were spread through baojuan ("precious volumes . The end of the White Lotus Rebellion in 1804 also brought an end to the myth of the military invincibility of the Manchus, contributing to the increasing frequency of rebellions in the 19th century. These militia groups were later instrumental in defeating the Taiping rebellion. By 1387, after more than thirty years of war, their leader, Zhu Yuanzhang had liberated all of China. After 48 years, official Zeng Guofan studied and was inspired by the dynasty's methods during the White Lotus Rebellion while considering ways to defeat the Taiping movement. In 1794, one instance of a derivative sect of the White Lotus, the Eight Trigrams arose in the form of underground meditation teachings and practice in Shandong province, not far from Beijing (Zhili) near the city of Linqing. By 1804 the area was again placed under imperial control by the local militia. In his opening speech, Satan vows never to "repent or change" (line 969696). The elites' self-proclaimed position as outsiders contributed to their eventual demise. The dynasty had to resort to a strategy of removing all food supplies from the countryside and collecting the peasants into a series of armed stockades. Only after 1800 did the Qing government adopt new tactics that established local militias (tuan) to help surround and destroy the White Lotus. The Fall of China's Qing Dynasty in 19111912. Chien-lung When the Manchu tribes of Manchuria (now Northeast China) conquered China some 500 years later in the 17th century and proclaimed the Qing dynasty, the White Lotus members dedicated themselves to the overthrow of the alien Manchu and to the return of the previous Ming dynasty (13681644). Although the rebellion was finally crushed by the Qing government after eight years of fighting, it marked a sharp decline in the strength and prosperity of the Qing dynasty. Many partisans joined and the society grew rapidly until 1794, when it broke out into the rebellion that subsequently spread over Hupeh and Western China under Liu Cbi-hieh and cast a gloom over the close of the long and brilliant reign of Kien-lung. However, the date of retrieval is often important. After more than 2,000 years, though, Chinese imperial power under the last Chinese dynasty was about to collapse for good. The White Lotus Society is traditionally considered to have first appeared during the 14th century under the Mongol -led Yuan dynasty. Japan stripped away Taiwan, took effective control of Korea (formerly a Chinese tributary) following the First Sino-Japanese War of 189596, and also imposed unequal trade demands in the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki. [13], Forty-eight years later, Zeng Guofan, leader of Hunan-based Xiang Army studied the Qing government's methods during the White Lotus Rebellion and he was inspired by them while he was considering ways to suppress the Taiping Rebellion. [4], Though many movements and rebellions were considered by imperial bureaucrats to have been led by White Lotus Society leaders, there is reason to doubt that the White Lotus Society had any organizational unity. Unable to build up a support base, he was forced to quickly flee all three cities that he attacked in order to evade government troops. Tibet has been an independent country throughout the historical period and since time immemorial according to Tibetans' own myth-based sense of, Xinjiang (shnjyng) or Sinkiang (shnjyng, snkyng) [Chinese,=new frontier], officially Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Mandarin Xinjiang U, For more information on Chinese history and culture, seeVol. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"uAtwiiQKDz3pej8tikjjXf8qtftBywxw48FuRjxp2JM-86400-0"}; The White Lotus peasant rebellion broke out in 1795 (White Lotus was the name of a secret society that had first fought against the Mongols). Then a turn of fortune and successive victories of the imperialists would almost annihilate their armies and crush all their hopes. When the Manchu tribes of Manchuria (now Northeast China) conquered China some 500 years later in the 17th century and proclaimed the Qing dynasty, the White Lotus Read More Yuan dynasty In China: Foreign religions He simply and quietly disappeared. ." Matt, I think religion played an important rule in peasants' rebellion in ancient China. The government had to depend on more Han Chinese recruits (Green Standard) since there were not enough Manchu. The Qianlong emperor ordered that the Eight Banner armies, whether they had Manchu or Han banners, were not to be used to suppress internal uprisings, so the Qing mainly relied on the Han Chinese Green Standard Army and Han militias in order to suppress rebellions such as the White Lotus. Forty-eight years later, Zeng Guofan, leader of Hunan-based Xiang Army studied the Qing government's methods during the White Lotus Rebellion and he was inspired by them while he was considering ways to suppress the Taiping Rebellion. Update now. The Emperor Qianlong (Ch'ien-lung) (reigned 173599) sent Helin, brother to the infamously corrupt eunuch Heshen and Fukangan, related by marriage to the Emperor, to quell the uprising. It was an organized religion, which was once popular in Yuan Dynasty. Imperial Mistakes A similar movement arose in the mountainous region that separates Sichuan province from Hubei and Shaanxi provinces in central China as tax protests. The Red Turban Rebellion which took place in 1352, was led by the White Lotus group. Eventually, the rebellion was crushed by the Qing elites; but the White Lotus organization remained secret and intact, and advocated for the overthrow of the Qing dynasty. . [6] The term was only used by the millenarian rebels under intense pressure during government interrogations. As one Qing official complained:[6], "The rebels are all our own subjects. The White Lotus bands mainly used guerrilla tactics, and once they disbanded were virtually indistinguishable from the local population. It is only as historical sources look back upon these events do they began to summarize the various aspects of these uprisings as the "White Lotus rebellion. Approximately 7,000 Banner troops were sent in from Manchuria in combination with Green Standard Army soldiers from Guizhou and Yunnan as well as tens of thousands of local mercenaries. How did the Rebellion impact the Qing dynasty? - rebellion began in 1794; rebellion initiated by followers of the White Lotus movement during the Qing dynasty of China, - the ill-organized rebels managed to defeat the inadequate and inefficient Qing imperial forces, - was initiated as a tax protest led by the White Lotus Society, a secret religious society. After both died in battle in 1796, the Qing government sent new officials, but none were successful. White Lotus Rebellion, (1796-1804), large-scale uprising in the mountainous regions of central China that contributed to the decline of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911/12). Only after 1800 did the Qing government adopt new tactics that established local militias (tuan) to help surround and destroy the White Lotus. ", Without any clear enemy to fight, brutality against civilians became more common. Encyclopedia.com. however it was indirectly responsible because it was the catalyst for the other rebellions that occurred in the future. Within China, dissent grew, and the empire began to crumble from within. In 1805, the imperial authorities suppressed the White Lotus Rebellion by instituting a combination of military and social policies. //]]>. The White Lotus continued to be active, and it might have influenced the next major domestic rebellion, the Eight Trigrams Uprising of 1813. "The Fall of China's Qing Dynasty in 19111912." [6] The group forecast the advent of Maitreya, advocated restoration of the native Chinese Ming Dynasty, and promised personal salvation to its followers while promising the return of the Buddha.[7]. Led by Lin Qing (; 1770-1813) and Li Wencheng, the revolt occurred in the Zhili, Shandong, and Henan provinces of China. Strong rebel leaders began to have major impacts on the ability of the Qing to rule. Another major contributing factor to the downfall of the Qing dynasty was European imperialism and China's gross miscalculation of the power and ruthlessness of the British crown. Buddhist sects, such as the White Lotus sect, a group that attracted many followers among the Chinese lower classes. In its last stage, the Qing suppression policy combined the pursuit and extermination of rebel guerrilla bands with a program of amnesty for deserters. . Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. One such official was Huang Yupian (), who refuted the ideas which were found in the scriptures which expressed orthodox Confucian and Buddhist views in A Detailed Refutation of Heresy ( Pxi Xingbin), which was written in 1838. Members of the society were not ethnically different from Han Chinese, but subscribed to a belief based on a mixture of Taoism, Buddhism, and Manichaeism. The rebellion grew in number and power and eventually, into a serious concern for the government. Wang Lun likely failed because he did not make any attempts to raise wide public support. "Reluctant guerrillas in early nineteenth century China: the White Lotus insurgents and their suppressors. The grew in number and power and eventually, into a serious concern for the government. One such official was Huang Yupian (), who refuted the ideas found in the scriptures with orthodox Confucian and Buddhist views in A Detailed Refutation of Heresy ( Pxi Xingbin), which was written in 1838. BJ Ter Haar has argued that the term "White Lotus" was used primarily by Ming and Qing imperial bureaucrats to disparagingly explain a wide range of unconnected millenarian traditions, rebel movements, and popular religious practices. However, the rulers were afraid that White Lotus Society might menace their rules. Snow Lotus is your One stop shop for exclusive Antique Silver Artifacts & Authentic Silver in Dallas. Although the rebellion continued for nine years, it never became an organized attempt to establish a new dynasty. Eventually, the rebellion was crushed by the Qing elites; but the White Lotus organization remained secret and intact, and advocated for the overthrow of the Qing dynasty. [4] The term was only used by the millenarian rebels under intense pressure during government interrogations. The White Lotus Rebellion was initiated as an antitax protest led by the White Lotus Society, a secret religious society. The Qing commanders who were sent to repress the rebellion had a difficult time putting down the White Lotus. In the closing years of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, they organized resistance to the foreign overlords, and now they are doing so again, but against the reigning Ming Dynasty! Some of these militia groups were further trained as attack armies to seek out the rebels, whose forces were thinned by offers of amnesty to the rank and file and of rewards for the capture of the leaders. A pattern emerged of growing rice in the valley bottoms, corn on the lower mountain slopes, and Irish potatoes on the higher land. - the imperial authorities suppressed the White Lotus Rebellion in 1805 using a combination of military and social policies. A decree from the Emperor Daoguang admitted, "it was extortion by local officials that goaded the people into rebellion" Using the arrest of sectarian members as a threat, local officials and police extorted money from people. [8] The leader, herbalist and martial artist Wang Lun, led an uprising that captured three small cities and laid siege to the larger city of Linqing, a strategic location on the north-south Grand Canal transportation route. It took nine years of warfare and great loss. Administrators also seized and destroyed sectarian scriptures used by the religious groups. The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. . In the late 18th century, in response to famine, crowded conditions, and harassment from petty government officials, White Lotus leaders in central China began a rebellion; they promised their followers that there would be the return of the Buddha and the end of suffering. }, Page last modified: In particular, the court marked itself off from its subjects in certain religious, linguistic, ritual, and social characteristics, always presenting themselves as outside conquerors. Rapid and often reckless development of the Shensi uplands, however, often led to soil erosion, rapid loss of fertility, and declining crop output. These three Atlantic RevolutionsAmerican, French, and Haitianwere part of a broader world crisis at the end of the eighteenth century.