Heishan bandits

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Heishan bandits (Chinese: 黑山賊; pinyin: Hēishān zéi) was an offshoot of the Yellow Turban Rebellion during the later years of the Eastern Han Dynasty in China.

[edit] History

From the time of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, bandits and rebels sprung up everywhere. In 195, bandits leaders Zhang Niujue (張牛角, aka Oxhorn Zhang) and Chu Yan (褚燕) joined forces to raid the town of Yingtao (癭陶). Zhang Niujue was killed in the skirmish, and his followers followed his last order to join Chu Yan. Chu Yan changed his surname to Zhang to honour his fallen colleague, so he became known as Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan was brave and capable. Soon he became the nominal chief of all bandits east of the Taihang range. His ranks and files grew steadily in number until they were said to reach a million. They became known as the Heishan, or Black Mountain bandits. They were free to rob all the commanderies north of the Yellow river because the government could do nothing against them.

They made many notorious raids on various commanderies, got involved in the fighting for supremacy of the north between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan, played a part in Cao Cao's destruction of the Yuans, before finally surrendering to Cao Cao in 204.

[edit] References

• de Crespigny, Rafe. "To Establish Peace: being the Chronicle of the Later Han dynasty for the years 189 to 220 AD as recorded in Chapters 59 to 69 of the Zizhi tongjian of Sima Guang". Volume 1. Faculty of Asian Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra. 1996. ISBN 0-7315-2526-4.
• de Crespigny, Rafe. "To Establish Peace: being the Chronicle of the Later Han dynasty for the years 189 to 220 AD as recorded in Chapters 59 to 69 of the Zizhi tongjian of Sima Guang". Volume 2. Faculty of Asian Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra. 1996. ISBN 0-7315-2536-1.
• de Crespigny, Rafe. "Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling being the Chronicle of the Later Han dynasty for the years for the years 157 to 189 AD as recorded in Chapters 54 to 59 of the Zizhi tongjian of Sima Guang". Volume 2. Faculty of Asian Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra. 1996. ISBN 0-7315-0655-3.
• Sima, Guang. Zizhi Tongjian