The
Yellow Turban Rebellion was an AD
184 peasant rebellion against Emperor
Lingdi[?] of the
Han Dynasty of
China. Called the
yellow turbans or
yellow scarves for the scarves they wore around their heads, the rebels were associated with secret Taiping
Taoist societies. The Taiping taoist principles of equal rights of all peoples and equal distribution of land threatened the privileges of landholding families, ruling entity and the
mandate of heaven held by the emperor. The peasants were reacting to the high taxes imposed on them to build fortifications along the
Silk Road and garrisons against foreign infiltrations and invasions. The adverse condition deteriorated due to famine conditions, which indicated the emperor no longer had the favor of heaven. A ragtag mob of rebels led by firebrand
Zhang Jue[?] and his two younger brothers ravaged in the
North China Plain and engaged the emperor's forces. The emperor was able to put down the rebellion, but in the process his generals and local adminstrators gained self-governing powers, leading to the collapse of the dynasty in AD
220.
The Yellow Turban Rebellion is the opening event in the Chinese literary classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It also marked an important point in the history of Taoism.
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