"YELLOW BANDS" REBEL
cross. the uprising in China in 184-204; It got its name because the rebels wore yellow headbands on their heads as a sign of commitment to the uprising. At the head of the uprising was Zhang Jiao, a native of Juilu (present-day Hebei province), an adherent of the Taoist sect that promoted the doctrine of "the path of great equality (or prosperity)" (Taipingdao). For religion. The social essence of the demands of the peasantry, who dreamed of universal equality, was hidden by the shell of the doctrine of the "path of great prosperity".
For ten years, Zhang Jiao and his brothers Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao were in the religious mystical. form carried on the propaganda of the revolution. ideas, rallying bunks. the masses to fight against the ruling class and its state. apparatus. They managed to win over to their side several hundred thousand people in eight districts (Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Yuzhou, Jizhou, Jingzhou, Yangzhou, Yanzhou and Yuzhou) on the territory. modern prov. Shandong, Hebei, Hubei, Jiangsu, Anhui and Henan. Zhang Jiao and his supporters created an extensive organization, built according to the military. principle: 36 large and small detachments were formed (fan). Big fans counted St. 10 thousand people, small - 6-7 thousand. Zhang Jiao's agitators in various parts of the country in a veiled form predicted that in the year (under cyclical signs) jia-tzu (184) major events would occur - the fall of the Han dynasty would come and new era: "The blue sky (meaning the ruling dynasty) has already perished. The yellow sky must be established. In the year of chia-tzu, great happiness will come in the Celestial Empire (country)."
Zhang Jiao along with recruiting bunks. the masses tried to use the opposition. groups at the imperial court. He sent one of the leaders of the large Ma Yuan-yi detachment to the capital, where he enlisted the help of the influence. court eunuchs Fyn Xu and Xu Fing, having agreed with them about a joint performance on the fifth day of the third month of the first year of Zhongping (184). However, as a result of betrayal, the conspiracy was exposed, Ma Yuan-i was arrested and killed, and after him St. 1000 people. An order was also issued to arrest Zhang Jiao. Warned of this, Zhang Jiao raised the uprising ahead of schedule - in the 2nd month of 184. In a short time, the uprising seized the meaning. part of the country.
Throughout the year governments. troops together with armament. detachments of large landowners suppressed one hearth after another. Zhang Jiao and his brothers fell in battle. Punishers destroyed hundreds of thousands of bunks. insurgents. But the cross. the masses rose to fight in the new districts. Detachments of the "Yellow Bands" united with the rebels of the "Black Mountains" (by the name of the area - Heishan), and the rebel army exceeded a million people. The uprising spread to Shanxi and Sichuan provinces. A total of 2 million people took part in the uprising; means. some of the rebels were slaves. Only by 205 were the detachments of the "Yellow Bands" and "Black Mountains" finally routed. by the forces of large military commanders-feudal lords Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Liu Bei and others.
"Zh. P." v. contributed to the fall of the Han dynasty and the temporary weakening of the exploitation of the peasants.
Source: Yuan Shu, Tong jian ji shi benmo (General Historical Chronicle), vol. 2, Shanghai, 1955.
Lit .: Li Guang-bi, Handai taipingdao yu huangjin datsii (On the Han "path of great equality" and the uprising of the "yellow bands"), in the book: Zhongguo nongmin ttsii longji (Collected articles on the history of peasant uprisings in China) , Beijing, 1958; He Chang-chun, Lun Huangjin Nongmin Qingdi Kouhao (On the slogans of the peasant uprising of the "yellow bands"), "Lishi Yanjiu", 1959, No. 6.
L. I. Duman. Moscow.
Rise of the Yellow Bands
Soviet Historical Encyclopedia. - M .: Soviet encyclopedia. Ed. E. M. Zhukova. 1973-1982 .
See what the "" YELLOW BANDS "REBELLION" is in other dictionaries:
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"YELLOW BANDS" UPRISING, popular movement in China in 184-205. It was caused by the deterioration of the economic situation of broad strata of the population, the growing influence of "strong houses" (large landowners), who sought political independence and formal recognition of the personal dependence of the peasants, a deep crisis and disintegration of the bureaucratic system of the Han Empire and the decline of the imperial power. The "yellow bandage" uprising was systematically prepared for 10 years by the Taipingdao ("Path of Great Prosperity"), a religious sect of the Sellossian sect, created by the preacher and healer Zhang Jiao, who called himself the Master of the highest virtue. Zhang Jiao predicted that on 4.4.184 an era of great prosperity would come on earth, the "Blue Sky" (Han dynasty) would perish and the "Yellow Sky" (the kingdom of justice) would reign. Zhang Jiao called himself "Yellow Sky", acting as the savior of humanity from the evil of the vicious world of "Blue Sky". The sect's adepts wore yellow headbands on their heads. Zhang Jiao's followers acted throughout the empire in preparation for a general uprising. In the 8 most populated provinces, 36 religious centers were established, in which members of the sect (about 360 thousand people) secretly underwent military training. The "Yellow Bands" uprising began on the orders of Zhang Jiao and in a short time covered a large part of the country. Its participants smashed government agencies, killed representatives of the authorities as carriers of universal evil, emptied warehouses, seized the property of the rich, flooded fields, freed slaves, released prisoners from prisons. At the same time, a wave of uprisings not associated with the Zhang Jiao sect (uprisings in Guangdong and Sichuan) arose throughout the country, and demonstrations of tribes subject to China began (in the region of Kukunor, Southern Ordos, the upper reaches of the Yellow River). In various regions of the empire, along with detachments of the "yellow bands", independent rebel armies ("Black Mountain", "White Wave", "Yellow Dragon", "Great Spill", etc.) operated. The imperial troops were unable to suppress the "Yellow Bands" uprising, which received the support of broad sections of the population (in total, about 2 million people took part in it). The "strong houses" joined the fight against the rebels, united under the command of the large landowner Huangfu Song and formed their own army. By the beginning of 185, they managed to defeat the rebel forces in the central regions of China, the main leaders of the Yellow Bands uprising (Zhang Jiao and his brothers Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao) were killed. However, in other areas, the struggle continued until 205. The case of suppressing the uprising was completed by the famous for his unparalleled cruelty, the largest representative of the "strong houses" Cao Cao, who defeated the rebel army under the command of Yuan Tang in Shandong.
The “yellow band” uprising dealt a crushing blow to the Han empire, finally undermined the authority and position of the imperial power, as a result of which the Han split into three independent states.
Little reliable information about the "Yellow Bands" uprising has survived. There is no reason to assert that the peasantry was its main driving force, because the sources do not report any actions and demands of the rebels that could be associated with the aspirations of the peasants. The idea of equalizing land allotment appears in the teachings of Taoist sects not earlier than the 4th century. There is no doubt only that the "Yellow Bands" uprising, which appeared under the religious cover of the Taipingdao teachings, was the first mass popular movement in the history of China to have its own ideology. As such, it was the prototype of future peasant uprisings in medieval China.
Lit .: Essays on the history of China / Edited by Shang Yue. M., 1959; History of the East. M., 1997.Vol. 1.
The Rise of the Yellow Bands is one of the largest folk performances in ancient China. Its causes are due to factors such as the weakness of the tsarist elite, civil strife among the political parties of the nobility, merciless exploitation of the peasantry and an unprecedented economic decline. And also its difference lies in especially brutal methods of suppression.
Background of the Yellow Stripe Uprising: Country Situation in Brief
The situation preceding the uprising in China looked like this. In the II century A.D. NS. in the Celestial Empire is ruled by the Han dynasty, which overthrew in 206 BC. NS. The once prosperous Han empire is facing political and economic decline.
Its military power is also weakening. China is losing influence in the western territories, the northeastern and northern lands are attacked by the Xianbi tribes (ancient Mongolian nomads).
Social inequality is reaching catastrophic proportions. Smallholders go broke and become dependent on larger farms called "strong houses." Famine begins among the peasants, the population is massively reduced. The situation is aggravated by crop failure and plague epidemics. Rebellions break out, peasants go on hunger strikes.
Among the two ruling classes, called "scientists" and "eunuchs", the contradictions are growing stronger, each of the groups struggling to increase political influence.
Reasons for the uprising of the Yellow Bandages
The uprising breaks out for the following reasons. The state is losing control over average landowners and peasants who depend on "strong houses". Medium and small owners lease land from large ones, paying them huge rents. The same try to hide taxes from the state, appropriating them to themselves.
At the same time, the fiscal burden increases. The central government is losing its power, as the "strong houses" cease to reckon with it. In addition to wealth, they have their own armies of up to ten thousand people.
Famine begins and entire villages die out. Many go to the forests, wander, hunger riots break out, cannibalism spreads. The economy is in decline.
A political group called "scientists" is trying to carry out a coup d'etat and bring its protégé to power. However, the conspiracy is revealed, many of the rioters are executed, the rest of the dissatisfied are thrown into prisons.
Beginning of performances
As a result of the events described above, a large-scale uprising breaks out in the empire, which is raised by small landowners, free producers, peasants and slaves. It began in A.D. 184. NS. and was later called the uprising of the Yellow Bands. The mutiny had fatal consequences.
The uprising of the Yellow Bands in China was led by the Taoist preacher Zhang Jio, who was also the founder of one of the secret sects. It was planned to begin on the fifth day of the third month of 184 CE. NS. Ma Yuan, one of Zhang Jio's closest associates, went to Luoyang County to discuss the details of the uprising with the allies.
However, due to the denunciation, which revealed the date of his speech against the authorities and the names of the conspirators, he was arrested and executed. Also in the capital, numerous supporters of Zhang Jio were executed.
Upon learning of the execution of Ma Yuan, Zhang Jio ordered the immediate start of the uprising, without waiting for the scheduled date. It was agreed that all participants should tie yellow scarves on their heads, from which the name "uprising of the Yellow Bandages" came from.
Continuation of revolutionary events
Together with Zhang Jio, his siblings, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang, led the uprising of the Yellow Bands in ancient China as military commanders. It rose in the second month of A.D. 184. BC, and at the time of the first performance, Zhang Jio's army numbered more than 360 thousand people. A week later, popular unrest was sustained in an impressive area, from Sichuan to Shandong.
Every day the number of rioters increased significantly. The largest revolutionary events took place in the provinces of Henan, Hubei, Hebei and Shandong. Small rebel armies attacked cities, killing officials and members of the local nobility, setting fire to government buildings and looting food stores.
They appropriated the property of the rich, flooded fields, released prisoners from prisons, freed slaves. Many of the freed people joined the rebel army. Learning that the indignation of the poor was blazing in the neighboring provinces, the nobility and officials fled in panic.
Enmity between political factions
While the Yellow Turbans revolt was raging throughout the empire, enmity between the "scholars" and "eunuchs" political groups intensified at court. The former argued that the main reasons for the uprising were the cruelty and abuse of the "eunuchs" who patronized the "strong houses". The second, together with their associates, in turn, talked about high treason on the part of "scientists".
Emperor Liu Hong (Ling-di) convenes a state council, which decides to immediately send an army of 400 thousand people to suppress the rebel forces. However, government troops sent to fight the rioters were constantly defeated in battles.
Observing the helplessness of the imperial army and the government as a whole, representatives of the nobility and "strong houses" realized the danger of their position. Together with influential generals, they began to form forces for an independent struggle against the large army of the people who had risen to fight.
The defeat of the uprising
The troops, gathered by the nobility and "strong houses", began to gain the upper hand over the rebel armies. After that, they extremely cruelly dealt with everyone who met them on the way, not sparing women, children and the elderly. The captives were also exterminated. One of the chiefs of the army of the nobility was Huangfu Sune, who, according to legend, killed more than two million people.
In the sixth month of 184, the punitive forces marched against Zhang Jio's troops in Hebei. He took up defenses in one of the cities and successfully held back the offensive. After his sudden death, Zhang Liang's elder brother took over command.
Desperate resistance was unsuccessful, and Zhang Liang's army was completely defeated, and he himself died in battle. In this battle, more than 30 thousand rebels were killed, and more than 50 thousand died, drowning in the river and swamps, fleeing. Zhang Jio's younger brother, Zhang Bao, led the remaining rebel forces, but was defeated, captured and executed as a result of fierce fighting.
Last resistance
The death of the main leaders of the uprising significantly weakened the insurgent forces, but they did not stop their resistance. New leaders appeared, and the fierce struggle against the troops of the nobility and "strong houses" continued again.
By the beginning of 185, the punitive army had defeated the main forces of the Yellow Stripe uprising in the central provinces of China, but small groups continued to resist. After the outbreak of the uprising, a large wave of resistance and riots arose throughout China, not associated with Zhang Jio and his sect. In a battle near Kukunor, the rebels led by Bo-Yuem and Bei-Gong defeated the bloody Huangfu Song's army.
For about twenty years, various rebel groups, including the Yellow Bands, in many parts of the empire successfully resisted the troops of the nobility, winning numerous victories. And only by 205 the army of "strong houses" and the nobility managed to almost completely deal with the rioters.
Historical implications
Having told briefly about the uprising of the Yellow Stripes in China, one cannot fail to mention how these bloody events turned out in the future and what were the consequences.
The last of the Yellow Bands were destroyed in 208. The bloody massacre was completed by the cruel representative of the nobility Cao Cao, who defeated one of the last leaders of the rebels - Yuan Tang.
The suppressors of popular uprisings gathered large armies, the heads of "strong houses" and the generals completely ceased to take into account the interests of the emperor, who by that time did not have any authority with them. Having drowned numerous uprisings of the common people in blood, they began a fierce internecine struggle for influence and power in the empire.
After years of bloody wars, the emperor of the Han dynasty was killed, and China was divided into three parts. The empire was destroyed and the era of the Three Kingdoms began.
This uprising, like other riots, showed the entire inconsistency of the Han Empire in protecting its interests and the interests of the entire ruling class. It is safe to say that the uprising of the Yellow Stripes and the fall of the Han Empire are directly related.
I think there are important clues to understanding this song in the last lines:
And only when the lights behind the curtains go out,
He adjusts the yellow band around his sleeve.
And locked up his dugout, tightly for the night,
In the distance he leaves, knocking on the asphalt with a white stick.
First, there is a yellow band on the sleeve. In territories occupied by Nazi Germany, armbands with a yellow six-pointed star were used to identify Jews. Apparently, the song is talking about just such a bandage, therefore, the hero of the song is a Jew, or has some direct relation to the Jews. Secondly, a white stick, which is a hallmark of the blind and visually impaired.
So, the song is about a certain blind Jew. Who is he? To answer this question, you need to go back about two thousand years ago, at the time of the birth of Christianity. In the 1st-3rd centuries A.D. NS. Simultaneously with the Christianity that has come down to us, Christian, near-Christian and not entirely Christian sects arose, known today as the Gnostics. They were quite diverse in their beliefs, and in particular, one of their beliefs was that our world, imperfect, full of evil, suffering, violence and injustice, was created by an imperfect creator. The creator of this was called the Greek word "demiurge" or the name "Yaldabaoth", and blindness was the symbol of his imperfection and inferiority. In addition, Yaldabaoth was identified with the Old Testament God, the God of the Jews, Yahweh, which in general was not devoid of its logic, given how much cruelty and violence was happening in the Old Testament, often initiated by God himself. Actually, it is about him, about Yaldabaof that the CCTV song is written. Feel the subtlety of the metaphor? Such a gnostic theodicy. God sees everything, more precisely, he has "technical capabilities" for this, but in reality he is blind. Therefore, all this is happening in the world:
Somewhere three foreheads beat a patient,
putting on a frill, painted like a clown.
Somewhere they bury the children of an exemplary orphanage,
But behind them, the grandfather looks at both from the telescope.
As an additional justification of my point of view, I will cite a quote from another song by Myron, from which it becomes clear that he is clearly aware of who the Gnostics are:
Is hell waiting for me at the churchyard? Come on
Like bones. There was an agnostic
Out of anger, I became like a gnostic.
Returning to the actual question. I will not say for sure in which particular book it is written specifically about Yaldabaoth, as the blind creator of the Universe, but it is clearly necessary to dig in the direction of the Gnostic apocrypha. Unfortunately, not all of them have survived to this day, but some have survived. The good news is that in 1945 a large collection of Gnostic texts was discovered, called the Nag Hammadi Library.
WEAKENING OF THE MILITARY POWER OF THE KHAN EMPIRE
From the II century. n. NS. the military power of Han China began to weaken. Even during the Ban Chao wars, the court dignitaries repeatedly insisted on stopping the campaigns to East Turkestan. In 75 AD, at the time of Ban Chao's most intense struggle for conquering the Western Land, he received an order to return to Luoyang. Ban Chao did not obey the imperial order and acted completely independently for 14 years. Only in 89, after the major victories of Ban Chao, military reinforcements were sent to him and the emperor authorized his actions. After Ban Chao's death in 102 A.D. NS. The Huns renewed their attacks on the Western Territory, and the Qian tribes became more active. Ban Chao's son, Ban Yun, continued to fight in the Western Land for some time, but his actions did not meet with any support at court. The aggravation of class contradictions and the internal weakening of China forced the government to abandon further conquests. The Han Empire could no longer actively fight to strengthen its power in East Turkestan. Ban Yong, who successfully operated in the Western Region, was accused of abuse of power, recalled to Luoyang and thrown into prison.
In the middle of the II century. all territories of the Western Territory fell away from China. The "Great Silk Road" was again interrupted, trade along it stopped. The northern and northeastern borders of China began to be attacked by the Xianbei tribes who occupied the former nomadic camps of the Huns. The Han Empire barely had enough strength to defend its borders.
ECONOMIC DECLINE. STRENGTHENING THE NATURALIZATION OF THE FARM
Throughout the II century. n. NS. the Han Empire was in a state of deep economic and political decline.
Huge growth in the II century. n. NS. concentration of land resulted in a sharp deterioration in the situation of free producers. Driven to ruin, the farmers were forced to surrender under the protection of "strong houses", thus falling into personal dependence on their patron, but at this price they received the right to use a plot of land. Sources provide information relating to the end of the II century. n. e., about individual representatives of "strong houses", under the patronage of which there were several thousand families of ke. This practice led to an ever-increasing reduction in the number of taxable population of the state. If in the middle of the II century. n. NS. according to the census in the empire, there were about 50 million people, then by the middle of the III century. n. NS. the number of recorded population decreased to 7.5 million. Neither an extreme increase in mortality due to constant hunger strikes, uprisings and wars at the end of the second and beginning of the third century. AD, as well as in connection with the terrible plague epidemic that swept China at that time, neither the great difficulties of accounting for the population in an atmosphere of internal strife could not lead to such a colossal population decline. Invisibly, the main reason for this was that a huge number of the formerly free population, subject to registration by the state, moved to the position of semi-free people, personally dependent on large owners, and could not be taken into account by state censuses.
In connection with the increased need of the state to replenish the treasury revenues, caused by a significant reduction in the number of taxpayers, the tax burden increased.
From the beginning of the II century. sources incessantly tell about natural disasters, epidemics, crop failures and chronic famine in all regions of the country. Special officials were sent to various areas of the empire to determine the number of people in extreme poverty, vagrancy, and starvation. Officials reported that the people had "cramped fields" and many were unable to feed themselves, that in some famine-stricken areas almost not a single family remained. By the middle of the II century. the strongest famine engulfed all the central regions of the empire. Agricultural product prices have risen unreasonably. “People turned into cannibals, and bones from the dead were scattered all over the country,” reports The History of the Younger Han Dynasty. The area of arable land was drastically reduced. Trade froze. The decline of commodity-money relations began. The huge estates of the feudal lords and the nobility of the "strong houses", where all the necessary products of agriculture and crafts were produced, gradually turned into closed economic units, little connected with the market and but interested in the development of trade. From the end of the 1st - the beginning of the 2nd century. n. NS. various statesmen insistently proposed that all taxes be calculated in grain and silk, which they proposed to be the only medium of exchange. At the beginning of the III century. n. NS. such events were temporarily carried out. So, in 204, a decree was issued on the collection of all taxes in kind, and a little later, at the beginning of the 20s of the 3rd century, money was abolished by an imperial decree and grain and silk began to be used as a means of exchange.
EXPANSION OF CLASS STRUGGLE
Suffering from increased extortions and duties and brutal oppression of officials, people driven to despair abandoned their occupations, left their homes and fled to forests and mountains, turning into homeless vagabonds. Unrest and food riots broke out throughout the class of the country. They were scattered and local in nature. The rebels organized themselves into detachments, attacked and burned cities, and killed the rich and officials. Regional and district troops were sent against them. The insurgent detachments avoided engaging with them and dispersed at the news of the approach of government troops. As soon as the troops withdrew, the rebel troops gathered again. From the beginning of the reign of An-di (107-125) to the first year of the reign of Ling-di (168-189), sources note more than 70 local uprisings.
CONTRADICTIONS IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE MAIN CLASS
Contradictions also intensified among the ruling class. Two political groups fought at court: "eunuchs" and "scientists". "Scholars", most of whom were government officials, Confucian by education, expressed the interests of small and medium landowners. They were interested in strengthening the central government and strengthening the bureaucratic apparatus. Relatively small farms of "scientists" could not withstand the competition of "strong houses", the strengthening of which threatened their well-being. Behind the backs of the eunuchs, there were apparently representatives of the "strong houses". With the growth of their economic power, their political strength also increased. The isolated "strong houses", which also had their own private armies, opposed themselves to the central government and sought to weaken the state apparatus and the power of the emperor.
In the II century. n. NS. harem eunuchs began to play an exceptionally large role at court. The group of eunuchs nominated juvenile emperors to the throne, who fell entirely under their influence. With the support of the emperors, the eunuchs appointed their henchmen to the highest government posts. Their relatives became high-ranking officials in the regions and counties. By engaging in extortion and bribery, they amassed enormous wealth. The unbridled arbitrariness of the clique of eunuchs resulted in severe corruption and corruption of the state apparatus. The group of "scholars" submitted numerous reports to the emperor on the abuses of eunuchs and demanded an investigation of their cases. By the middle of the II century. n. NS. the situation at court became especially tense. In 169 A.D. NS. “Scientists” tried to carry out a coup d'état and elevate their protege to the throne. The conspiracy was revealed. Many of the "scientists" were executed, a thousand people were thrown into prison along with the empress who supported them. The group of eunuchs became even stronger and seized all major government posts. The emperor became a toy in their hands.
YELLOW BAND REBELS AND OTHER END REBELSIICENTURY A.E.
In the midst of economic and political decline, the country broke out into a huge uprising of ruining free producers and dependent farmers, as well as slaves, known as the Yellow Bands uprising. An uprising broke out in 184 AD. NS. It was headed by the Taoist preacher Zhang Jio, the founder of one of the secret Taoist sects. Zhang Jio began to preach his doctrine long before the start of the uprising. He had many followers. Zhang Jio became especially popular during the plague epidemic in Shandong, when he became widely known as a healer. Patients flocked to him from all regions of northern China. At this time, he began to intensively preach his teaching "Tai ping dao" ("Path to great equality"), which promised the onset of a new, happy life. Zhang Jio predicted that the unjust order existing on earth would soon come to an end, that evil and violence, which he called "Blue Sky", would perish and a time of great happiness would come on earth, a new life, which he called "Yellow Sky". In his sermons, Zhang Jio called for the overthrow of the "Blue Sky", and everyone understood that it was about the destruction of the hated Han dynasty. The followers of Zhang Jio preached his teachings wherever many people gathered, - in cities and villages, in mines and workshops, at irrigation works. Zhang Jio's associates infiltrated the capital and even the imperial palace, recruiting supporters.
For ten years, the secret activities of members of the Zhang Jio sect were carried out. The number of its supporters numbered many tens of thousands. All of them were distributed among the military-territorial districts and secretly trained in military affairs. Thus, Zhang Jio created 36 units. Each of them was headed by a military leader. The largest detachments numbered 10 thousand people, the smaller ones - 6-7 thousand. According to the plan outlined by Zhang Jio, the uprising was to begin in the first year of a new sixty-year cycle - the year of "jia-tzu", which fell to 184 AD. NS. Zhang Jio pointed out in his sermons that it was in the year of "jia-tzu" that the "yellow sky" should replace the "blue sky". As this date approached, the situation in the country became more and more tense. According to The History of the Younger Han Dynasty, “malicious rumors” were spreading everywhere: “The end of the blue sky, the Yellow sky must reign; in the year of chia-tzu, great happiness will come in the Celestial Empire. " In the capital, regional and county cities - everywhere people wrote with white clay on the gates and walls the hieroglyphs "chia-tzu" as a symbol calling for an uprising.
It was decided to start the uprising on the 5th of the 3rd month of 184, Ma Yuan-yi, one of Zhang Jio's closest assistants, was sent to Luoyang to finally agree with Zhav Jio's comrades-in-arms in the capital on the date of the march. All the activities of Zhang Jio's associates were kept in the deepest secrecy, but as the sect's sphere of action expanded, the number of its followers increased and the uprising was approaching, rumors began to creep about an impending uprising. Just at the time when Ma Yuan-yi was operating in the capital, the emperor received a denunciation, which listed the names of the main leaders of the movement and announced the day of the uprising. Ma Yuan-yi was captured and executed. The executions of Zhang Jio's supporters began in the capital.
Upon learning of this, Zhang Jio gave the signal to speak immediately, without waiting for the agreed time. He ordered all the rebels to tie their heads with yellow headscarves (as a distinctive sign), hence the name "Yellow Bands". At the head of the rebels, Zhang Jio and his brothers Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao stood as the highest military leaders.
The uprising of the Yellow Bands began in the 2nd month of 184 AD. NS. At the time of the speech, Zhang Jio's army numbered 360 thousand people, but less than ten days had passed before the flames of the uprising blazed on a vast territory from Shandong to Sichuan. The number of insurgents increased every day. The main areas of the uprising were Hebei, Henan, Shandong and Hubei provinces. Rebel groups attacked cities, killed officials, burned down government buildings, emptied warehouses, seized the property of the rich, and flooded fields. Insurgents everywhere opened prisons, released prisoners, freed slaves. Officials and nobles fled in horror.
In the context of the outbreak of the uprising at the imperial court, the struggle of political groups intensified again. The "scholars" blamed the eunuchs for everything and argued that their abuse and cruelty were the main causes of the rebellion. The eunuchs and their adherents responded by accusing the "scholars" of high treason. The emperor convened a council of state, at which it was decided to immediately send an army of 400 thousand people against the rebels. However, the government troops sent against the rebels suffered one defeat after another. Seeing the helplessness of the imperial court and realizing the danger of their position, the largest representatives of the ruling class, "strong houses" and prominent commanders began to gather forces and independently fight the rebels. Their troops acted with extreme cruelty, sparing neither children, nor women, nor those who surrendered. For a long time, the popular rumor kept terrible memories of one of the bloodiest suppressors of the uprising - the largest representative of the "strong houses" Huangfu Suna, who allegedly killed more than 2 million insurgents.
With their knowledge of the art of war, the Han military leaders acted prudently and cautiously. They knew very well that they were dealing with people driven to despair and ready to fight to the last drop of blood. “If 10,000 people who decided to sell their lives dearly are invincible, then 100,000 are all the more invincible,” said one of the suppressors of the uprising. Therefore, they did their best to prevent the rebel detachments from uniting into large armies, realizing that the strength of the rebels lies in their number, and not in the ability to fight. Fighting for life and death in open battles, the rebels could hardly withstand a long siege and defense and, despite the heroic struggle, could not resist an incomparably more experienced adversary in military terms.
In the 6th month of 184, select forces of punitive forces were thrown against Zhang Jio's army operating in Hebei. Zhang Jio fortified himself in one of the cities and successfully repelled attacks. A strong army of Huangfu Song opposed him. As she approached the city, Zhang Jio suddenly died of illness, and his elder brother Zhang Liang took command in his place. Despite desperate resistance, Zhang Liang's army was completely defeated, the city was taken, and Zhang Liang himself was killed in battle. According to legend, more than 30 thousand rebels died in this battle, more than 50 thousand drowned in the river and swamps during a disorderly flight. Huangfu Song threw all his forces against the troops led by Zhang Bao, Zhang Jio's younger brother. In a fierce battle, the rebels were defeated again, Zhang Bao was captured and executed.
The death of the three main leaders of the uprising weakened the forces of the rebels, but did not break their resistance. The insurgents nominated new leaders and continued to fight hard. However, by the beginning of 185, detachments of representatives of the ruling class were able to destroy the main centers of the Yellow Bands uprising in the central regions of China. The largest rebel armies were defeated, and individual detachments continued to operate in many parts of the country.
As soon as the Yellow Bands uprising broke out, there was a wave of uprisings all over the country that were not associated with the Zhang Jio sect. So, in 184 A.D. NS. Great uprisings broke out in Guangdong and Sichuan. At the same time, uprisings arose among the tribes subordinate to China. The largest of these erupted in the northwest of the empire. It began in A.D. 184. NS. in the Kukunor region and was headed by Bei-gun, Bo-yu and other leaders from the tribe of "small Yuezhi". The uprising was immediately supported by the tribes of the Southern Ordos and the basin of the upper reaches of the Yellow River. The rebel forces successfully repelled the attacks of the pacifiers and even threatened Chanani. Huangfu Song's army was severely defeated by them. The rebels fortified themselves in Jincheng and for four years controlled the entire northwestern Liang District and the Weihe River Basin. Only in 189 was this uprising suppressed.
For 20 years in various areas of the empire, along with the "Yellow Bands" detachments, scattered insurgent detachments operated under various names. For example, sources report on rebel units of the "Black Mountain", "White Wave", "Yellow Dragon", "Great Spill", etc. The leaders of these units are mostly known to us only by their nicknames, such as "Zhang on a white horse "," Liu-stone "," Tso-mustache "," Chief over slaves "," Zhang-swallow "," Li-big eyes "," Poor worm "," Scribe ", etc. In large detachments there were 20-30 thousand insurgents each, in small - 6-7 thousand. The strongest were the detachments of the "Black Mountain", numbering up to a million people.
Only by 205 did the armies of the ruling class manage to deal with the Yellow Bands and other insurgents. The bloody work of suppressing the uprising was completed by the famous for his unparalleled cruelty, the largest representative of the "strong houses" Cao Cao, who defeated in Shandong one of the last leaders of the "Yellow Stripes" - Yuan Tan. Separate small detachments of the "Yellow Bands" continued scattered operations in a number of areas until 208. The fall of the Empire of the Younger Han. The disintegration of China into three kingdoms
The Yellow Bandage movement and other uprisings of the late 2nd century AD. revealed the complete failure of the Han Empire in protecting the interests of the ruling class. Having gathered large armies, suppressors of the uprising, the heads of "strong houses" and the Han generals completely ceased to reckon with the emperor, who had lost all significance and authority. Having drowned the popular movement in blood, they began a fierce internecine struggle for power. In this struggle, Cao Cao, Sun Jian and Liu Bei, who took an active part in suppressing the uprisings, turned out to be the strongest.
After many years of bloody wars with his rivals, Cao Cao captured the territory of Northern China, killed the Han emperor, and founded the Wei state. Sun Jian fortified himself in the southeast, creating the state of Wu. In Sichuan, the state of Shu was formed, headed by Liu Bei.
The uprisings dealt a crushing blow to the Han Empire, and the internecine wars of the pretenders to the throne completed its defeat. The Han Empire was destroyed. China split into three independent kingdoms.
THE GENERAL CHARACTER OF THE END REBELSIICENTURY A.E. AND THEIR HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The main driving forces of the uprisings of the late II - early III century. n. NS. there were dependent farmers, small free producers and slaves, and minor officials and poor landowners also joined the rebels. Despite the enormous scope of the Yellow Bands uprising and its lengthy preparation, the movement as a whole was spontaneous and poorly organized. Other uprisings were even less organized. The insurgent units, as a rule, acted in disunity and were not welded together by strong military discipline. The rebels did not have a clear goal in front of them, they killed officials and representatives of the nobility, burned palaces, destroyed dams, seized the property of the rich and stopped there; in some cases, the leaders of the rebels, having seized power, declared themselves emperors. Without sufficient military experience and knowledge, the rebels could not consolidate their victories for a long time. All this determined the weakness and the final defeat of the movement. But the significance of these uprisings and their influence on the further course of history were enormous.
The great popular movement of the end of the 2nd century. n. BC, which went down in history as the uprising of the "Yellow Bands", played a decisive role in the destruction of the state machine of the ancient Chinese Han Empire and predetermined its downfall. It served as a turning point in the history of ancient China, clearing the ground for the development of new, more progressive relations of production.
