The White Lotus Rebellions in Chinese History

In the thousands of years of Chinese history, it can be surprising to see the amount of peasant revolts against their masters and the similarities between each of them. Of course variations in demands, leadership, fighting strategy, and so on did occur in response to changing historical circumstances. Yet the overriding impression is “of a tenacious persistence of certain patterns of revolt in particular geographical regions” and we can see this with the White Lotus Rebellion.

The White Lotus was a syncretic sect, combining rudiments of Buddhism, Taoism, and Manicheanism. Its customs included medical healing, sitting and breathing exercises, martial arts, and the chanting of spells and charms. When we look at the social aspect of the sect, they were a sanctuary for the poor and dejected peasants of North China, providing not only material aid but spiritual aid as well.

Ideology speaking, they believed in equality and put this into practice. This tradition was based in the creation myth of this society, which stated that the Eternal Mother, Wu Sheng Lao Mu, created all life. The fact that all people were believed to be the children of the Eternal Mother unlocked the door for equality between men and women. In many White Lotus rebellions throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties, women were active fighters and group leaders. Indeed, the first notable White Lotus Rebellion was led by a woman from Shandong province, Tang Sai-er, in 1426 CE.

The White Lotus Society had considerable influence and made a deep impact on Chinese history. During the Yuan Dynasty (1279 – 1368 CE), it is recorded that a White Lotus devotee by the name of Han Shan-tang declared the forthcoming coming of the Maitreya Buddha. In the Huai valley, followers’ gatherer to Han's cause, publically announcing that he was the rightful emperor. “An army of red-turbaned peasants was raised and revolt broke out. While this initial uprising was quickly suppressed, other aspirants arose to lead the so-called Red Army. Finally a Buddhist monk, Zhu Yuan-zhang, succeeded in overthrowing the Mongols and establishing the Ming dynasty”.

This triumph proved a mixed blessing for the White Lotus Society, however. Soon prohibited by the new emperor, Ming Tai-zu, the White Lotus Society found themselves once again pushed into a role of resistance. Throughout five centuries of Ming and Qing rule, the White Lotus Society was constantly connected with popular uprisings in the Huai River valley.

Although the White Lotus sect was repetitively outlawed, it continued to grow, acclimatize, and transform, which became an advantage as it became the mainstream of the popular religious sectarian tradition from the Yuan dynasty on.

Bibliography:

Overmyer, Daniel L. (1982) The White Cloud Sect in Sung and Yuan China, Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Harvard-Yenching Institute.

Perry, Elizabeth J. (1976) Worshippers and Warriors: White Lotus Influence on the Nian rebellion, Modern China, Sage Publications Inc.