The Yellow Turban Rebellion in China

The Yellow Turban Rebellion in China The people of Han China reeled under a crushing tax load, famine, and floods, while at court, a group of corrupt eunuchs wielded power over the decadent and hapless Emperor Ling.  Chinas government demanded ever more taxes from the peasantry to fund fortifications along the Silk Road, and also to build sections of the Great Wall of China in order to fend off nomads from the Central Asian steppes. As natural and barbarian disasters plagued the land, the followers of a Taoist sect led by Zhang Jue decided that the Han Dynasty had lost the Mandate of Heaven.  The only cure for Chinas ills was a rebellion and the establishment of a new imperial dynasty.  The rebels wore yellow scarves wrapped around their heads - and the Yellow Turban Rebellion was born. The Origins of the Yellow Turban Rebellion Zhang Jue was a healer and some said a magician.  He spread his messianic religious ideas through his patients; many of them were poor farmers who received free treatments from the charismatic doctor. Zhang used magical amulets, chanting, and other practices derived from Taoism in his cures. He preached that in the year 184 CE, a new historical era would begin known as the Great Peace. By the time the rebellion broke out in 184, Zhang Jues sect had 360,000 armed followers, mostly from the peasantry but also including some local officials and scholars.   Before Zhang could set his plan into motion, however, one of his disciples went to the Han capital at Luoyang and revealed the plot to overthrow the government. Everyone in the city identified as a Yellow Turban sympathizer was executed, more than 1,000 of Zhangs followers, and court officials marched out to arrest Zhang Jue and his two brothers. Hearing the news, Zhang ordered his followers to start the uprising immediately. An Eventful Uprising Yellow Turban factions in eight different provinces rose up and attacked government offices and garrisons. Government officials ran for their lives; the rebels destroyed towns and seized armories.  The imperial army was too small and incompetent to deal with the wide-spread threat posed by the Yellow Turban Rebellion, so local warlords in the provinces built their own armies to put down the rebels.  At some point during the ninth month of the year 184, Zhang Jue died while leading the defenders of the besieged city of Guangzhong.  He likely died of disease; his two younger brothers died in battle with the imperial army later that year. Despite the early deaths of their top leaders, smaller groups of the Yellow Turbans continued to fight for another twenty years, whether motivated by religious fervor or simple banditry. The most important consequence of this on-going popular rebellion was that it exposed the weakness of the central government and led to the growth of warlordism in different provinces around China.  The rise of warlords would contribute to the coming civil war, the dissolution of the Han Empire, and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms period.   In fact, General Cao Cao, who went on to found the Wei Dynasty, and Sun Jian, whose military success paved the way for his son to found the Wu Dynasty, both gained their first military experience fighting against the Yellow Turbans. In a sense, then the Yellow Turban Rebellion spawned two of the three kingdoms.  The Yellow Turbans also allied themselves with another group of major players in the downfall of the Han Dynasty - the Xiongnu. Finally, the Yellow Turban rebels have served as role models for Chinese anti-government movements through the ages, including the Boxer Rebels of 1899-1900 and the modern-day Falun Gong movement.

Comparative Analysis Essay

Comparative Analysis Essay Comparative Analysis Essay Comparative Analysis Essay: The Basics The old adage tells us, Cognition comes through comparison. Really it is hard to qualify anything as absolute in our world. As long as there are people with their unique tastes, preferences and views, there will be comparison and of course comparative analysis. Perhaps no writer, actor, musician or painter ever escaped comparison with someone else. For this purpose a comparative analysis essay and a comparative analysis paper are usually written. As you might have guessed the comparative analysis essay includes not only writers personal opinion but also critical comparative analysis. The main goal of the comparative analysis essay is a comprehensive analysis of works, for instance books, and their comparison. Comparative Analysis Essay: What Can You Write About? Homogeneity of comparison objects. Most probably you understand that it is impossible to compare an orange with a tank or a cookie with plutonium, but sometimes the verge is not that obvious. Thus before you start analyzing the objects, make sure they are homogeneous. Practicability of the comparison. For instance, Mozart and Stevie Wonder have a lot in common: both are genius and famous composers, both play piano, and etc. But does the comparative analysis of these people make sense? What is the use of it? Therefore, make you comparative analysis essay practical: Key points for the comparison and analysis. The comparison of principle characters, styles, techniques, word pictures anything you consider to be important for your comparative analysis essay may be a key point. The key points will help you in the final text of the comparative analysis essay, but you do not have to emphasize them separately use them for simplification and systematization of your work. Personal opinion. The essay requires the expression of your personal viewpoint. The comparative analysis in this case is only the tool of thoughts expression. If you do not mention your personal opinion in the comparative analysis essay, then why did you write it? Comparative Analysis Essay: Final Advice With the help of the recommendations in this article you will be able to write the comparative analysis essay on any topic better and faster. With each new experience in writing the comparative analysis essay you will develop your own methods and principles. Analytical and comparative skills will stand you in good stead in real life. And finally instead of I like this more than that you will provide an argumentative comparative analysis on the topic. Read more: Descriptive Essay Sample Deforestation Essay Conformity Essay Writing Editing Revising an Essay