Peasant Revolt in the Late Han Dynasty

The peasant uprising at the end of the Han Dynasty (about the middle of the 2nd century to the beginning of the 3rd century) was a key event in the collapse of the Eastern Han Dynasty. It mainly included the Yellow Turban Uprising (184) and subsequent waves of resistance in various places. The uprising shook the rule of the Eastern Han Dynasty, accelerated the formation of warlord separatism, and ultimately led to the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era. Background and causes political corruption Relatives (such as Liang Ji) and eunuchs (such as the "Ten Constant Attendants") had exclusive power. Officials were corrupt and the people were in dire straits. During the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, officials were sold for nobility, local powerful people annexed land, and farmers were displaced. Frequent natural disasters Plagues (such as the "Jian'an Epidemic"), droughts, and locust plagues broke out one after another, and the government failed to provide disaster relief. Religious mobilization Zhang Jiao founded Taiping Dao, with the slogan "Heaven is dead, Huang Tian shall stand", with hundreds of thousands of followers secretly organizing an uprising. Important battles: 1. Battle of Changshe (April 184) 2. Battle of Guangzong (August-October 184) 3. The Battle of Xiaquyang (November 184) 4. Battle of Nanyang (June-August 184) 5. Early Battle of Jizhou (February-June 184) subsequent impact Warlord separatism: Cao Cao incorporated the Qingzhou Yellow Turban Army, while Sun Jian and Liu Bei gained power by suppressing the uprising. The collapse of the Eastern Han Dynasty: the central authority was lost, Dong Zhuo went to Beijing to depose the emperor, and started the Three Kingdoms era.