| Miao rebellion 1854–1873 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theMiao Rebellions | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Qing dynasty Chu Army[1] | Miao Tujia Bouyei Hui[1] | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Wang Wenshao | Zhang Xiumei [zh] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | 4.9 million (Almost certainly overstated) | ||||||
TheMiao rebellion of 1854–1873, also known as theQian rebellion (Chinese:黔亂;pinyin:Qián luàn;lit. 'Guizhou uprising') was an uprising of ethnicMiao and other groups inGuizhou province during the reign of theQing dynasty. Despite its name, Robert Jenks estimates that ethnic Miao made up less than half of the uprising's participants.[2] The uprising was preceded by Miao rebellions in1735–36 and1795–1806, and was one of many ethnic uprisings sweeping China in the 19th century. The rebellion spanned theXianfeng andTongzhi periods of the Qing dynasty, and was eventually suppressed with military force. Estimates place the number of casualties as high as 4.9 million out of a total population of 7 million, though these figures are likely overstated.[3]
The rebellion stemmed from a variety of grievances, including long-standing ethnic tensions withHan Chinese, poor administration, grinding poverty and growing competition forarable land.[3] The eruption of theTaiping Rebellion led the Qing government to increase taxation, and to simultaneously withdraw troops from the already restive region, thus allowing a rebellion to unfold.[4] It also inspired the ethnic minorities in Guizhou to revolt.[1]Millenarianism was an influence especially on the non-ethnic Miao participants.[4]
The rebellion started in March 1854, when "Yang Yuanbao, a farmer of the Buyi ethnic group fromDushan County, led hundreds of people to revolt". By May 1854, the Qing army had "brutally suppressed" this revolt. In March 1855, Zhang Xiumei fromTaigong led a Miao rebellion which was followed by other groups in the wider region. In May 1869 several rebel groups won a battle against theChu Army at Huangpiao. After capturing several towns, the rebels, together with the Taiping attacked the provincial capitalGuiyang. Guizhou governor Zhao Deguan was killed in an ambush by the rebels.[1]
Once the Taiping rebellion was suppressed, the Qing government defeated the Miao rebels one-by-one.[1]
The aftermath of the rebellion left many areas of Guizhou depopulated, with farmland being overgrown and towns destroyed,[5] causing many Miao,Hmong and other groups to migrate intoVietnam andLaos.[citation needed]
The term "Miao", explains the anthropologistNorma Diamond, does not mean only the antecedents of today's Miao national minority; it is much more general term, which had been used by the Chinese to describe various aboriginal, mountain tribes of Guizhou and other southwestern provinces of China, which shared some cultural traits.[6] They consisted of 40–60% population of the province.[7][when?]
English language accounts of the Miao Rebellion include the first-hand memoirs of William Mesny in his magazine "Mesny's Chinese Miscellany" (1895–1905); David Leffman's biography of Mesny, "The Mercenary Mandarin"; and "Insurgency and Social Disorder in Guizhou" by Robert D. Jenks.[5] Most contemporary records from the uprising comes from Qing officials who were sent to quell the rebellion.