Han Shantong

Han Shantong

Han Shantong (about 1310 ~ 1351) was born in Luancheng County of Zhaozhou (now Luancheng District of Hebei Province). The leader of peasant uprising at the end of Yuan Dynasty.

In his early years, he spread the Bailian religion, publicized "the birth of the Ming king", advocated overthrowing the rule of the Yuan Dynasty, and met Liu Futong. In 1351, the Yuan Dynasty controlled the Yellow River and forced 150000 migrant workers to build dams. He took the opportunity to make up a folk song that "stone man with one eye stirred up the rebellion against the Yellow River". In the same year, he launched an uprising in Yingzhou, claiming to be the eighth grandson of song Huizong. He was defeated, captured and killed. His son Han lin'er was made king of Xiaoming by Liu Fu Tong.

Life of the characters

The white lotus sect originated from the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism, which named after the White Lotus Society in Huiyuan, Lushan, Eastern Jin Dynasty. In the early Southern Song Dynasty, Mao Ziyuan, a native of Kunshan (now Jiangsu Province), founded bailianzong, or bailianjiao. It worships Amitabha and believes that as long as you recite Amitabha, you can "die" in the Western Paradise. Based on the Sutras of Maituo, Mao Ziyuan compiled "the essentials of Maituo Festival", which preached that "reciting the birth of Maituo, everywhere in front of the blissful view" (the second volume of lianzong Baojian of Lushan Mountain "the samadhi without living Dharma door"), and believed that Maituo and pure land were the products of practitioners' insight. The commandments of the white lotus sect require the disciples to achieve three conversions (conversion to Buddhism, conversion to Dharma, conversion to monks), five Commandments (no killing, no stealing, no lewdness, no lying, no drinking), and advocate vegetarianism. Orthodox monks of Tiantai Sect, such as Zhipan, called Ming sect, Bailian sect and Baiyun sect "evil party" in the book of Buddhism. Zongjian said in the book of Shimen orthodox that "these three religions are all pseudonyms of Buddhism, in order to make use of ignorance and vulgarity".

Bailianjiao spread to the north before Song Dynasty. After the unification of the Yuan Dynasty, both the north and the South were full of incense, which was supported by the Yuan government. However, since the 17th year of the Zhiyuan Dynasty (1280), Du Wanyi, a member of the Bailian sect in Duchang, Jiangxi Province, used the Bailian sect to organize an armed uprising. This kind of situation happened repeatedly, which finally led to the prohibition of the emperor Wuzong of the Yuan Dynasty. During the reign of emperor Renzong of the Yuan Dynasty, although it recovered, it was still discriminated against, and there were more and more believers among the people. When the white lotus sect leader preached, he infiltrated with Mingjiao, Maitreya and even Taoism. For example, before the red scarf army uprising at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the white lotus sect leaders in the north and the South publicized "the birth of Maitreya Buddha", while Han Shantong publicized "the birth of the Ming king". They tried to convince the suffering people that once Maitreya was born and King Ming was born, a bright paradise would be ushered in.

At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, social contradictions were extremely acute, especially after the change of currency and the opening of the river. After Jialu opened the river, Han Shantong and others decided to use this opportunity to launch an uprising. At the same time, they chiseled a stone man with one eye on his back, engraved the words "Mo Dao stone man with one eye, this thing will turn against the world" on his back, and buried it in the river near huanglinggang. In April of the 11th year of Zhizheng (1351), shortly after Jialu opened the river, the migrant workers dug out the one eyed stone man. The news spread like wildfire, and the people's hearts floated in the north and south of the river. Han Shantong and others used the one eyed stone man to instigate rebellion and achieved the expected results.

In early May, Han Shantong and his followers Liu Futong, Du Zundao, Luo Wensu, Sheng Wenyu, Wang Xianzhong, Han Yaoer gathered 3000 people in Yingshang County of Yingzhou (now Fuyang, Anhui Province), killed black cattle and white horses, swore to heaven and earth, and prepared for the uprising. Han Shantong issued a notice, which said, "Yun Yuxi was in Haidong, taking elite troops from Japan. Poor Jiangnan, rich boast Saibei "(" caomuzi · Kejin chapter ") and other words, play" Huben 3000, straight to the land of Youyan; Longfei 95, reopen the days of the Song Dynasty "(" stop farming record "Vol.27" Qi Lian "). Han Shantong also called himself the eighth grandson of Huizong of Song Dynasty. The purpose of these proclamations and propaganda was to expose the inequality between the rich and the poor at that time, and to call on the masses to join the anti yuan armed uprising by "restoring the Song Dynasty". But just as the uprising crowd gathered to swear the uprising, local officials suddenly sent troops to suppress it. Han Shantong was arrested and killed. Han lin'er and his mother Yang fled to Wu'an mountain (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province) to hide.

At this time, Liu Futong and others rushed out of the encirclement, reunited the uprising army, occupied Yingzhou City on the third day of May, and the great uprising officially broke out. Liu Futong and others defeated the yuan army who came to suppress and quickly occupied many cities and towns in Anhui and Henan. In February 1355, Liu Futong took advantage of the situation after the Gaoyou campaign to launch a large-scale armed struggle against the Yuan Dynasty. He welcomed Han lin'er from Jiahe of Dangshan mountain to Bozhou (now Anhui Province), and made him emperor, named Xiaoming king. He founded the great Song Dynasty, changed the Yuan Dynasty to Longfeng, and took lin'er's mother Yang's family as empress dowager. Han lin'er is known as the ninth grandson of Huizong of Song Dynasty, and his native country is known as Song Dynasty, in order to cater to the national feelings of Han people and to show the realization of "restoring Song Dynasty"; the so-called "Xiao Ming Wang" is to cater to the prophecy of "Ming Wang's birth", to show that the darkness has passed and the light has come.

Historical evaluation

Historians have always fairly commented on the actions of Han's monarchs and ministers in the peasant uprising at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.

Li Wenfeng was quoted as saying in a brief introduction to the heroes in the early period of the state: "the Yuan Dynasty can not rely on horses or wheels to the left of the river, but on the Song Dynasty. Han's monarchs and ministers are not unique to China, they are also very meritorious to me

The biography of Han lin'er in the history of the Ming Dynasty praises: "at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, a swarm of heroes rose Lin'er ruled the Central Plains and ravaged it for more than ten years. Taizu was able to create the Creator with ease. The prosperity of an emperor must have the capital of a pioneer to accomplish his career. How can I happen to do so by chance