Here, the White Lotus led impoverished settlers into rebellion, promising personal salvation in return for their loyalty. Due to their brutality, the Qing troops were soon nicknamed the "Red Lotus" Society. Soon the new migrants began to outnumber the indigenous people, and conflict over local leadership grew and grew strong. Grandmother. In particular, the court marked itself off from its subjects in certain religious, linguistic, ritual, and social characteristics, always presenting themselves as outside conquerors. "Reluctant guerrillas in early nineteenth century China: the White Lotus insurgents and their suppressors. [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. An independent military force, the militia proved difficult to disband, and frequently it turned against the dynasty in the early 20th century. Although the rebellion continued for nine years, it never became an organized attempt to establish a new dynasty. The Qianlong Emperor (r. 173596) sent Helin (, brother of Heshen) and Fuk'anggan to quell the uprising. His rule covered a span of 63 years, a reign lo, Kublai Khan 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. The balance of power had tipped decidedly away from the imperial court and toward the foreign powers. The White Lotus bands mainly used guerrilla tactics, and once they disbanded, they were virtually indistinguishable from the local population. The White Lotus bands mainly used guerrilla tactics, and once they disbanded were virtually indistinguishable from the local population. During the Qing dynasty, inventions continued to emerge despite the turbulent uprisings and conflicts such as the White Lotus Rebellion, the First Opium War, and the Taiping Rebellion. from Hubei and Shaanxi provs. The White Lotus Rebellion 1796-1804 In the densely forested border area between the provinces Hubei, Sichuan and Shaanxi, a lot of homeless peasant refugees(liumin, see also shed people) had gathered to escape the grip of landowners, creditors and tax collectors. However, the rulers were afraid that White Lotus Society might menace their rules. ." Without a clear enemy to fight against, brutality against civilians became more common. Administrators also seized and destroyed sectarian scriptures which were used by the religious groups. The government had to depend on more Han Chinese recruits (Green Standard) since there were not enough Manchu. "Civilians Go into Battle: Hired Militias in the White Lotus War, 1796-1805. These militia groups were later instrumental in defeating the Taiping rebellion. Though he passed through an area inhabited by almost a million peasants, his army never measured more than 4,000 soldiers, many of whom had been forced into service. The White Lotus rebellion was an eight year uprising that led to the downfall of the Qing dynasty. The White Lotus bands mainly used guerrilla tactics, and once they disbanded, they were virtually indistinguishable from the local population. Since the 1340s, the Mongol Yuan Dynasty was experiencing problems. Others began to openly call for the overthrow of the existing regime and replace it with a constitutional rule. [2][3]. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Surprisingly, the ill-organized rebels managed to defeat the inadequate and inefficient Qing imperial forces. However, the date of retrieval is often important. . We are committed to providing our patients care in the same warm, caring, and professional manner we would extend to members of our own family. Beginning as tax protests, the eventual rebellion gained growing support and sympathy from many ordinary people. This took place during the Qing Dynasty, and lasted from 1796 to 1804. [10], The Qing commanders who were sent to repress the rebellion had a difficult time putting down the White Lotus. 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. The White Lotus War (1796-1804) in central China marked the end of the Qing dynasty's golden age and the fatal weakening of the imperial system itself. Alternate titles: Bailianjiao, Pai-lien chiao, San Jos State University - The White Lotus Religion in China. As one Qing official complained: The rebels are all our own subjects. This humiliation showed all of China's subjects, neighbors, and tributaries that the once-mighty China was now weak and vulnerable. 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. _____ us amazing stories about her youth in Hong Kong. The Qing had forbidden agriculture in the northern regions, which were left to the Mongol pastoralists, but the introduction of new world crops such as potato and maize opened the northern region plains farming. The White Lotus society (Bailianjiao) was a religious cult already in existence in the Nan (Southern) Song dynasty (1127-1279). 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. Although the Manchu finally crushed (1804) the rebellion, the myth of the military invincibility of the Manchu was shattered, perhaps contributing to the greater frequency of rebellions in the 19th cent. Though he passed through an area inhabited by almost a million peasants, his army never measured more than 4,000 soldiers, many of whom had been forced into service. from Hubei and Shaanxi provs. The rebellion began in 1794, when large groups of rebels claiming White Lotus affiliations rose up within the mountainous region that separated Sichuan province from Hubei and Shaanxi provinces. Encyclopedia.com. It apparently began as a tax protest led by the White Lotus Society, a secret religious society that forecast the advent of the Buddha, advocated restoration of the native Chinese Ming dynasty, and promised personal salvation to its followers. At the same time, technologies for treating contagious diseases such as smallpox, and the extensive use of fertilizers and irrigation techniques were also imported from the West. The White Lotus continued to be active, and it might have influenced the next major domestic rebellion, the Eight Trigrams Uprising of 1813. The White Lotus Rebellion was put down in 1805 as a combination of military and social policies. The White Lotus Rebellion was initiated as an antitax protest led by the White Lotus Society, a secret religious society. White Lotus sectarianism appealed to other Chinese, most notably to women and to the poor, who found solace in worship of the Eternal Mother, who was to gather all her children at the millennium into one family. ", Dai, Yingcong. The government had to depend on more Han Chinese recruits (Green Standard) since there were not enough Manchu. When they congregate and oppose the government, they are rebels; when they disperse and depart, they are civilians once more. At first the Ch'ing administration, under the control of Ho-shen, sent inadequate and inefficient imperial forces to suppress the ill-organized rebels. The White Lotus Rebellion Another important rebellion launched by members of the White Lotus Society was the White Lotus Rebellion . Beginning as tax protests, the eventual rebellion gained growing support and sympathy from many ordinary people. 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. The Fall of China's Qing Dynasty in 19111912. The term was only used by the millenarian rebels under intense pressure during government interrogations. that can be demarcated by a territorial boundary and identified by its distinctive clothing and language. A White Lotus rebellion known as the Red Turban Uprising helped Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming dynasty, capture Beijing, but he turned against the group once he had achieved imperial power. Since then, this book has become an invaluable source because it has enabled scholars to understand the beliefs of these groups. Omissions? 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). 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). The White Lotus society (Bailianjiao) was a religious cult already in existence in the Nan (Southern) Song dynasty (1127-1279). window.__mirage2 = {petok:"uAtwiiQKDz3pej8tikjjXf8qtftBywxw48FuRjxp2JM-86400-0"}; This is a list of major rebellions that have occurred in China from 209 BCE to present times. The feared Manchu banners, since their conquests of the early 1700s, showed they were no longer a military force of much value, and the emperor had to recruit a new army made up of Chinese militia. Nothing is known of his end. In its last stage, the Qing suppression policy combined pursuit and extermination of rebel guerrilla bands with a program of amnesty for deserters. This signaled the beginning of the end for the Qing dynasty. Nevertheless, where can you catch hints that the -angel longs for his former state? 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. List of battleships of the United States Navy, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, http://www.scribd.com/doc/37359117/Bodycount-Final, http://books.google.com/books?id=Md801mHEeOkC&pg=PA9, History of Chinese Culture on History.com. Dimitri Vegas, Steve Aoki The White Lotus Theme (Aloha!) 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). 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. He declared that to prevent the capture of the young prince when a child, he had fled with him and concealed him beyond the borders of China. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. He did not distribute captured wealth or food supplies, nor did he promise to lessen the tax burden. Led by Lin Qing (; 1770-1813) and Li Wencheng, the revolt occurred in the Zhili, Shandong, and Henan provinces of China. https://www.thoughtco.com/fall-of-the-qing-dynasty-195608 (accessed March 4, 2023). The Red Turban Rebellion which took place in 1352, was led by the White Lotus group. The White Lotus Society is traditionally considered to have first appeared during the Jin dynasty founded by Huiyuan in Mountain Lu, Jiujiang. She has taught at the high school and university levels in the U.S. and South Korea. What brought about the collapse of this once-mighty empire, ushering in the modern era in China? The nine-years long White Lotus war had devastated a large number of districts in Central China. In the stockades they were organized into local militia defense corps. The White lotus (Bailian Jiao, ) was a Buddhist political and religious movement that believed in a universal female divinity, the "Unborn Old Mother" who would gather all of her children towards the end of the millennium, into one large family. This rebellion was less successful than that of the Red Turbans, and the Qing government succeeded in crushing this uprising. The Qing believed that the way to avoid the errors of the White Lotus rebellion was to clamp down on foreign influence. Contents 1 Daze Village Uprising 2 Rebellion of the Seven States 3 Llin 4 Chimei 5 Yellow Turban Rebellion 6 Five Pecks of Rice Rebellion 7 An Shi Rebellion 8 Red Turban Rebellion 9 Li Zicheng's Rebellion 10 Revolt of the Three Feudatories It was an organized religion, which was once popular in Yuan Dynasty. [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. "Rebellion and Religious Identity: The Case of the White Lotus Uprising (17961804)", This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 03:10. however it was indirectly responsible because it was the catalyst for the other rebellions that occurred in the future. But as oue leader fell or was captured, another replaced him, and as the rebellion was extinguished in one place, it blazed out in another. What should be done with these revolutionary cultists? . The elites' self-proclaimed position as outsiders contributed to their eventual demise. 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. Instead, Britain began a lucrative, illicit trade in opium, traded from British imperial India into Canton, far from Beijing. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. 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 . ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/fall-of-the-qing-dynasty-195608. By the mid-19th century, the Qing dynasty had been in power for over a century, and the elites and many of their subjects felt they had a heavenly mandate to remain in power. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/fall-of-the-qing-dynasty-195608. The rebellion was ended by the deaths of some 100,000 rebels. The White Lotus Rebellion was initiated as an antitax protest led by the White Lotus Society, a secret religious society. Szczepanski, Kallie. The Red Turban Rebellion which took place in 1352, was led by the White Lotus group. 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). [citation needed]. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. What started as a local rebellion grew into a serious political crisis, as the central government was no longer able to operate its military machine. The White Lotus Rebellion (Chinese: ; pinyin: Chun ch bi lin jio q y, 17941804) was a rebellion that occurred during the Qing Dynasty of China. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). 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. [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. [9] 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. 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. The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. . By 1387, after more than 30 years of war, their leader, Zhu Yuanzhang conquered the North China Plain and occupied the Yuan capital Khanbaliq (present-day Beijing). The Last Emperor, 6-year-old Puyi, formally abdicated the throne on Feb. 12, 1912, ending not only the Qing dynasty but China's millennia-long imperial period. //]]>. The White Lotus Society is traditionally considered to have first appeared during the 14th century under the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. Actual participation in sect activities had no impact on an arrest; whether or not monetary demands were met, however, did. Surprisingly, the ill-organized rebels managed to defeat the inadequate and inefficient Qing imperial forces. Without a clear enemy to fight against, brutality against civilians became more common. International imperialism brought the Opium Wars (1840-42 and 1856-60), Sino-French War (1884-85), Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and Boxer War (1898-1900). Rather than following the path of Japan's Meiji Restoration and modernizing the country, Cixi purged her court of modernizers. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. The White Lotus led impoverished slaves to freedom, promising personal salvation in return for their loyalty. Kublai Khan Within China, dissent grew, and the empire began to crumble from within. The river flooded constantly, and other natural disasters also occurred. After both died in battle in 1796, the Qing government sent new officials, but none were successful. Ch'ien-lung (1711-1799) was the fourth emperor of the Ch'ing, or Manchu, dynasty in China. The Qing dynasty promoted itself as a conquering force, ruling China for 268 years before collapsing in 19111912. This page was last updated at 2022-12-21 05:40 UTC. In its last stage, the Qing suppression policy combined the pursuit and extermination of rebel guerrilla bands with a program of amnesty for deserters. 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. 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. Barend Joannes 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. 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.[6]. By 1387, after more than thirty years of war, their leader, Zhu Yuanzhang had liberated all of China. Definition 1 / 6 - rebellion began in 1794; rebellion initiated by followers of the White Lotus movement during the Qing dynasty of China - large groups of rebels claiming White Lotus affiliations rose up within the mountainous region that separated Sichuan province from Hubei and Shaanxi provinces You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Qing Dynasty, China's Last Imperial Family, The Boxer Rebellion in Editorial Cartoons, Biography of Sun Yat-sen, Chinese Revolutionary Leader, The Fall of the Ming Dynasty in China in 1644, Tibet and China: History of a Complex Relationship, The Complex Structure of Ethnic Conflict in the Frontier: Through the Debates Around the 'Jindandao Incident' in 1891, The Monarch and Inner/Outer Court Dualism in Late Imperial China, 'Revolution': Conceptualizing Political and Social Change in the Late Qing Dynasty, Moving to the Right Place at the Right Time: Economic Effects on Migrants of the Manchuria Plague of 191011, Size and Dynastic Decline: The Principal-Agent Problem in Late Imperial China, 17001850. Save up to $6,685 on one of 9 used Lotus Evora 400s in Frisco, TX. Dr. Kallie Szczepanski is a history teacher specializing in Asian history and culture. Eventually, the Qing armies and the peasants united, but they were unable to defeat the foreign powers. The rules of Emperor Kangxi from 1661 to 1772 and Emperor Qianlong from 1735 to 1796 were still considered the golden age of prosperity. The White Lotus Rebellion was initiated as an antitax protest led by the White Lotus Society, a secret religious society. 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). By 1804 the area was again placed under imperial control by the local militia. Main article: White Lotus Rebellion Beginning in 1794, two decades after Wang Lun's failed uprising, a movement also arose in the mountainous region that separates Sichuan from Hubei and Shaanxi in central China as tax protests. 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. 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. - marked a turning point in the history of the Qing dynasty. There the foreign powers essentially controlled trade and the military, although technically they remained part of Qing China. Administrators also seized and destroyed sectarian scriptures used by the religious groups. "Broken Passage to the Summit: Nayanchengs Botched Mission in the White Lotus War." Beginning as enslavement protests, the eventual rebellion gained growing support and sympathy from many citizens. 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. The Red Turban Rebellion which took place in 1352, was led by the White Lotus group. Find your perfect car with Edmunds expert reviews, car comparisons, and pricing tools. Because of the brutality of the Qing troops, however, the troops were soon nicknamed the "Red Lotus" Society. Qing control weakened and prosperity diminished by the 19th century. 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. The grew in number and power and eventually, into a serious concern for the government. 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). The rebellion began in 1794, when large groups of rebels claiming White . "The Fall of China's Qing Dynasty in 19111912." Ordinary Han Chinese felt little loyalty to the Qing rulers, who still presented themselves as conquering Manchus from the north. 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. Szczepanski, Kallie. The Chinese authorities burned 20,000 bales of opium, and the British retaliated with a devastating invasion of mainland China, in two wars known as the Opium Wars of 183942 and 185660. The White Lotus Rebellion began as a tax protest led by the White Lotus Society, a secret religious society. Qing rule gradually collapsed during the second half of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th, due to a complicated interplay between internal and external factors. [9], A systematic program of pacification followed: the populace was resettled in hundreds of stockaded villages and organized into militias. This book has since become an invaluable source in understanding the beliefs of these groups. Sikh uprisings against the Mughal Empire in India, Pugachev's Revolt in the Russian Empire, and the White Lotus Rebellion in China mirrored the rebellions in the Atlantic world. . Chien-lung If mathematical, chemical, physical and other formulas are not displayed correctly on this page, please useFirefox or Safari, For the 14th-century rebellion also related to the White Lotus, see, Conscientious objection to military taxation, List of historical acts of tax resistance, National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee, The Cold War and the Income Tax: A Protest, Royal and noble ranks of the Qing dynasty, Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Convention Between Great Britain and China Respecting Tibet, Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, Banknotes of the Ta-Ching Government Bank, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Administrators also seized and destroyed sectarian scriptures which were used by the religious groups. 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. In 2014, with the publication of White Lotus Rebels and South China Pirates: Crisis and Reform in the Qing Empire (2014), Wensheng Wang challenged the perception of the Jiaqing reign (1796-1802) as a "dead middle hiatus" between its past and present by arguing that the emperor successfully carried out policy reforms that readjusted the priorities of governance and enabled the dynasty to . The Rebellion is estimated to have caused the deaths of some 100,000 rebels.[1][2]. Surprisingly, the ill-organized rebels managed to defeat the inadequate and inefficient Imperial forces. XIX Century Civil Wars. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. In 1775, a chief of the White Lotus Society, named Liu Sung, was banished from Anhwei to Kansuh after sending people to the area under pretext of healing diseases by prayer and incantation, to gain adherents to his cause in Western China. Due to their brutality, the Qing troops were soon nicknamed the "Red Lotus" Society. 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. After both died in battle in 1796, Beijing sent new officials but none were successful. Althongh there were several risings against the Manchu dynasty during the first four reigns, the White Lotus Society kept quiet until about 1761, when the Emperor Kien-lung issued an edict against it and the Ming Tsuen or Illustrious Worthies and the Pah Yun or White Cloud sects. [9], Throughout the 1820s and 1830s, the area of the boundary between Henan and Anhui was perpetually plagued by White Lotus revolts, the White Lotus rebels were frequently in league with the area's brigands and salt smugglers. 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. It took nine years of warfare and great loss. [CDATA[ When the White Lotus Rebellion (1796-1804) occurred, the dynasty was forced to turn to peasant soldiers to suppress the rebels in central and southern China, since the regular army lacked the necessary strength and morale. 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."[7]. The rebellion was started by some elements of the millenarian Tianli Sect () or Heavenly Principle Sect, which was a branch of the White Lotus Sect. [4] The term was only used by the millenarian rebels under intense pressure during government interrogations.