The White Lotus led impoverished slaves to freedom, promising personal salvation in return for their loyalty. 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 @media only screen and (min-device-width : 320px) and (max-device-width : 480px) { 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. Administrators also seized and destroyed sectarian scriptures used by the religious groups. A decree by the Daoguang Emperor admitted, "it was extortion by local officials that goaded the people into rebellion" By threatening the arrest of people who engaged in sectarian activities, local officials and police extorted money from people. The White Lotus led impoverished settlers into rebellion, promising personal salvation in return for their loyalty. Asia for Educators, Columbia University, 2009. What brought about the collapse of this once-mighty empire, ushering in the modern era in China? The White Lotus Rebellion was a rebellion initiated by followers of the White Lotus movement during the Qing dynasty of China. Strong rebel leaders began to have major impacts on the ability of the Qing to rule. 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. The doctrine of the White Lotus includes an alleged forecast to the advent of the Buddha. [CDATA[ 12 talking about this. 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 end of the White Lotus Rebellion in 1804 also brought an end to the myth of military invincibility of the Manchu, perhaps contributing to the greater frequency of rebellions in the 19th century. Issues and Trends in China's Demographic History. Because of the brutality of the Qing troops, however, the troops were soon nicknamed the "Red Lotus" Society. The tide of the rebellion was turned by Qing leaders relying on the local gentry-raised private militias of Hunan, Hubei and Shaanxi. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. 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 bands mainly used guerrilla tactics, and once they disbanded were virtually indistinguishable from the local population. [6], A systematic program of pacification followed in which the populace was resettled in hundreds of stockaded villages and organized into militia. What anecdote, or short personal story, does Didion tell at the beginning of the essay "Georgia O'Keeffe"? This rebellion was less successful than that of the Red Turbans, and the Qing government succeeded in crushing this uprising. 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. In 1774, one instance of a derivative sect, the Eight Trigrams arose in the form of underground meditation teachings and practice in Shandong province, not far from Beijing near the city of Linqing. Consequently, a person's actual participation in sectarian activities had no impact on his or her arrest; what really mattered was whether monetary demands were met or not. In 1794, a similar movement arose in the mountainous region that separated Sichuan province from Hubei and Shaanxi provinces in central China, initially as a tax protest. 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). Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 5 recommendations for White Lotus Dental from neighbors in Frisco, TX. [2][3]. After both died in battle in 1796, Beijing sent new officials but none were successful. A major contribution to the downfall of the last dynasty were external forces, in the form of new Western technologies, as well as a gross miscalculation on the part of the Qing as to the strength of European and Asian imperialistic ambitions. Beginning as tax protests, the eventual rebellion gained growing support and sympathy from many ordinary people. 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. 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. - marked a turning point in the history of the Qing dynasty. 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). This is a list of major rebellions that have occurred in China from 209 BCE to present times. 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 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. 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 . Ch'ien-lung (1711-1799) was the fourth emperor of the Ch'ing, or Manchu, dynasty in China. This book has since become an invaluable source in understanding the beliefs of these groups. however it was indirectly responsible because it was the catalyst for the other rebellions that occurred in the future. The Red Turban Rebellion which took place in 1352, was led by the White Lotus group. The White Lotus Rebellion began as a tax protest led by the White Lotus Society, a secret religious society. The White Lotus Society is traditionally considered to have first appeared during the Jin dynasty founded by Huiyuan in Mountain Lu, Jiujiang. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. One Qing response was to suppress the word "revolution" by banning it from their world-history textbooks. [2][3], The White Lotus Rebellion was initiated as an antitax protest led by the White Lotus Society, a secret religious society. It was an organized religion, which was once popular in Yuan Dynasty. 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. Actual participation in sect activities had no impact on an arrest; whether or not monetary demands were met, however, did. The crippled Qing dynasty clung to power for another decade, behind the walls of the Forbidden City, but the Wuchang Uprising of 1911 put the final nail in the coffin when 18 provinces voted to secede from the Qing dynasty. On assuming effective power in 1799, however, Emperor Chia Ch'ing (reigned 17961820) overthrew the Ho-shen clique and gave support to the efforts of the more vigorous Manchu commanders as a way of restoring discipline and morale. 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. In its last stage, the Qing suppression policy combined the pursuit and extermination of rebel guerrilla bands with a program of amnesty for deserters. ThoughtCo. The rebellion grew in number and power and eventually, into a serious concern for the government. 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. 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]. The Qianlong Emperor (r. 173596) sent Helin (, brother of Heshen) and Fuk'anggan to quell the uprising. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. https://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/white-lotus-rebellion, "White Lotus Rebellion A similar movement arose in the mountainous region that separates Sichuan province from Hubei and Shaanxi provinces in central China as tax protests. The rebellion was ended by the deaths of some 100,000 rebels. (2020, August 27). Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. 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 Qing commanders who were sent to repress the rebellion had a difficult time putting down the White Lotus. 3: China and Her National Minorities; Han. Eventually, the Qing armies and the peasants united, but they were unable to defeat the foreign powers. Omissions? Beginning as enslavement protests, the eventual rebellion gained growing support and sympathy from many citizens. Southern Shensi, with its great amounts of vacant land, attracted immigrants on a large scale after severe famines and crop failures had occurred in Hupeh and Szechwan provinces in the 1770s. 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). 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. Write in the blank the verb and tense indicated in parentheses. 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. Update now. White Lotus Rebellion, (17961804), large-scale uprising in the mountainous regions of central China that contributed to the decline of the Qing dynasty (16441911/12). Snow Lotus | Frisco TX Although the rebellion was finally crushed by the Qing government in 1804, it marked a turning point in the history of the Qing dynasty. 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).