Numerous rebellions against China's

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

took place between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, prior to the abdication of the last

Emperor of China ''Huangdi'' (), translated into English as Emperor, was the superlative title held by monarchs of China who ruled various imperial regimes in Chinese history. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was considered the Son of Heav ...

Puyi Aisin-Gioro Puyi (; 7 February 1906 – 17 October 1967), courtesy name Yaozhi (曜之), was the last emperor of China as the eleventh and final Qing dynasty monarch. He became emperor at the age of two in 1908, but was forced to abdicate on 1 ...

, in February 1912. The table below lists some of these uprisings and important related events.

Taiping Rebellion

Nian Rebellion

{, class="wikitable" width="800" , - valign="top" ! scope="row" width="14%", Date , , War , , Pro-Chinese parties , , Rebels , , Death , , Length , -valign="top" style="text-align:center;" , 1851 – 1868 , ,

Nian Rebellion The Nian Rebellion () was an armed uprising that took place in northern China from 1851 to 1868, contemporaneously with Taiping Rebellion (1851–1864) in South China. The rebellion failed to topple the Qing dynasty, but caused immense economic ...

, , , , Nian rebels
''Co-belligerents:''
Flag of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
Red Turban rebels , , {{center, 100,000+ killed , , {{Age in months, weeks and days, year1=1853, year2=1868
(minimum)
{{Age in months, weeks and days, year1=1851, year2=1868
(maximum)

Miao Rebellion

{, class="wikitable" width="800" , - valign="top" ! scope="row" width="14%", Date , , War , , Pro-Chinese parties , , Rebels , , Death , , Length , -valign="top" , {{center, 1854 – 1873 , , {{center,

Miao Rebellion There have been several Miao rebellions in Chinese history: * Miao rebellions in the Ming dynasty (14th–15th centuries) * Bozhou rebellion (1589–1600) * Miao Rebellion (1735–36) * Miao Rebellion (1795–1806) * Miao Rebellion (1854–73) {{s ...

{{refn, Also known as the Qian Rebellion., group = lower-alpha , , {{center, {{flag, Qing Dynasty, 1862, name=Qing China , , {{center,

Miao people The Miao are a group of linguistically-related peoples living in Southern China and Southeast Asia, who are recognized by the government of China as one of the 56 official ethnic groups. The Miao live primarily in southern China's mountains, in ...

, , {{center, 4.9 million+ killed , , {{center, {{Age in months, weeks and days, year1=1854, year2=1873

Red Turban Rebellion

Red Turban Rebellion The Red Turban Rebellions () were uprisings against the Yuan dynasty between 1351 and 1368, eventually leading to its collapse. Remnants of the Yuan imperial court retreated northwards and is thereafter known as the Northern Yuan in historiog ...

{{refn, Also known as the Red Turban Revolt and the Taiping Rebellion in Guangdong., group = lower-alpha , , {{center, {{flag, Qing Dynasty, 1862, name=Qing China , , {{center, Red Turban rebels , , {{center, Unknown , , {{center, {{Age in months, weeks and days, year1=1854, year2=1856

Da Cheng Rebellion

{, class="wikitable" width="800" , - valign="top" ! scope="row" width="14%", Date , , War , , Pro-Chinese parties , , Rebels , , Death , , Length , -valign="top" , {{center, 1855 – 1861 , , {{center, Da Cheng Rebellion{{refn, Also known as the Hong Soldiers Rebellion., group = lower-alpha , , {{center, {{flag, Qing Dynasty, 1862, name=Qing China , , {{center, Hong Soldiers rebels , , {{center, Unknown , , {{center, {{Age in months, weeks and days, year1=1855, year2=1861

Panthay Rebellion

{, class="wikitable" width="800" , - valign="top" ! scope="row" width="14%", Date , , War , , Pro-Chinese parties , , Rebels , , Death , , Length , -valign="top" , {{center, 1856 – 1873 , , {{center,

Panthay Rebellion The Panthay Rebellion (1856–1873), also known as the Du Wenxiu Rebellion (Tu Wen-hsiu Rebellion), was a rebellion of the Muslim Hui people and other (Muslim as well as non-Muslim) ethnic groups against the Manchu-led Qing dynasty in southwe ...

{{refn, Also known as the Du Wenxiu Rebellion and the Tu Wen-hsiu Rebellion., group = lower-alpha , , {{center, {{flag, Qing Dynasty, 1862, name=Qing China , , {{center, pro-Du Wenx forces , , {{center, Unknown , , {{center, {{Age in months, weeks and days, year1=1856, year2=1873

First Dungan Revolt

{, class="wikitable" width="800" , - valign="top" ! scope="row" width="14%", Date , , War , , Pro-Chinese parties , , Rebels , , Death , , Length , -valign="top" , {{center, 1862 – 1877 , , {{center, First Dungan Revolt{{refn, Also known as the Tongzhi Hui Revolt and the Hui (Muslim) Minorities War., group = lower-alpha , , {{center, {{flag, Qing Dynasty, 1862, name=Qing China , , {{center, Kashgar's rebels , , {{center, Unknown , , {{center, {{Age in months, weeks and days, year1=1862, year2=1877

Summary

{, class="wikitable" width="800" , - valign="top" ! scope="row" width="14%", Date, , Event , -valign="top" , 1850–1864 , , The

Taiping Rebellion The Taiping Rebellion, also known as the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Revolution, was a massive rebellion and civil war that was waged in China between the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and the Han, Hakka-led Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It last ...

, led by the

heterodox In religion, heterodoxy (from Ancient Greek: , "other, another, different" + , "popular belief") means "any opinions or doctrines at variance with an official or orthodox position". Under this definition, heterodoxy is similar to unorthodoxy, w ...

Christian convert

Hong Xiuquan Hong Xiuquan (1 January 1814 – 1 June 1864), born Hong Huoxiu and with the courtesy name Renkun, was a Chinese revolutionary who was the leader of the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing dynasty. He established the Taiping Heavenly Kingdo ...

, sees southern China descend into civil war. The rebellion later becomes an inspiration to

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serve ...

, the leader of the

1911 Revolution The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty, the Manchu people, Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of Chi ...

. , -valign="top" , 1851–1868 , , The

, revolt in Northern China , -valign="top" , 1861–1895 , , The

Self-Strengthening Movement The Self-Strengthening Movement, also known as the Westernization or Western Affairs Movement (–1895), was a period of radical institutional reforms initiated in China during the late Qing dynasty following the military disasters of the Opium ...

seeks institutional reform – members of China's elite seek to modernise the nation. , -valign="top" , 1890s , , More intellectuals and members of the elite, mostly students studying abroad, vow to overthrow the

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) an ...

Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

and build a

republic A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...

. , -valign="top" , 1892 , , Yeung Ku-wan, together with

Tse Tsan-tai Tse Tsan-tai (; 16 May 1872 – 4 April 1938), courtesy name Sing-on (), art-named Hong-yu (), was an Australian Chinese revolutionary, active during the late Qing dynasty. Tse had an interest in designing airships but none were ever construct ...

and others, start the Furen Literary Society in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

. , -valign="top" , 1894, ,

founds the Revive China Society (''Xingzhonghui'') in

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the isla ...

, Hawaii. , -valign="top" , 1895 , , China is defeated in the

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a conflict between China and Japan primarily over influence in Korea. After more than six months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the p ...

, revealing the severe weaknesses of the Qing state, and the power of the modernised

Japanese Empire The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

. , -valign="top" , 1895 , , The Furen Literary Society is merged into the Hong Kong chapter of the Revive China Society, with Yeung Ku-wan as president and Sun Yat-sen as Secretary. , -valign="top" , 1895 , , The

Gongche Shangshu movement The Gongche Shangshu movement (), or Petition of the Examination Candidates, also known as the Scholar's Petition to the Throne, was a political movement in China during the late Qing dynasty, seeking reforms and expressing opposition to the Treaty ...

– a petition of civil service candidates – becomes the first modern Chinese political movement, with intellectuals and members of the elite petitioning the Qing government for political reform. The leaders of the movement become the key figures of the

Hundred Days' Reform The Hundred Days' Reform or Wuxu Reform () was a failed 103-day national, cultural, political, and educational reform movement that occurred from 11 June to 22 September 1898 during the late Qing dynasty. It was undertaken by the young Guangxu E ...

. , -valign="top" , 1895 , , The abortive

First Guangzhou uprising The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China. The revolution was the culmination of a d ...

is organised by the Hong Kong chapter of the Revive China Society. Sun Yat-sen and Yeung Ku-wan are forced to leave China and Hong Kong, respectively. , -valign="top" , 1898 , , The

sees the young

Guangxu Emperor The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), personal name Zaitian, was the tenth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, w ...

initiate 103 days of reform, which are ended by conservative opponents led by

Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; mnc, Tsysi taiheo; formerly romanised as Empress Dowager T'zu-hsi; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908), of the Manchu Yehe Nara clan, was a Chinese noblewoman, concubine and later regent who effectively controlled ...

. Many reformers are forced to leave the country. , -valign="top" , 1898 , , The

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an Xenophobia, anti-foreign, anti-colonialism, anti-colonial, and Persecution of Christians#China, anti-Christian uprising in China ...

highlights hostility to foreigners and domestic political frustration. The movement targets foreign concessions and missionaries in China. , -valign="top" , Early 1900s , , The Revive China Society and other revolutionary groups stage abortive coups across the country, including the Huizhou uprising in 1900, the Ping-liu-li uprising in 1906, and the Huanggang uprising in 1907. Japan becomes the most popular destination for Chinese students, as revolutionary sentiments spread. , -valign="top" , 1901, , Yeung Kui-wan is assassinated and buried in an unnamed tomb in Hong Kong. , -valign="top" , 1905 , , Sun Yat-sen and

Song Jiaoren Song Jiaoren (, ; Given name at birth: Liàn 鍊; Courtesy name: Dùnchū 鈍初) (5 April 1882 – 22 March 1913) was a Chinese republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuomintang (KMT). Song Jiaoren led the KMT to elec ...

found the

Tongmenghui The Tongmenghui of China (or T'ung-meng Hui, variously translated as Chinese United League, United League, Chinese Revolutionary Alliance, Chinese Alliance, United Allegiance Society, ) was a secret society and underground resistance movement ...

, an alliance of many Chinese revolutionary groups, in Tokyo. Its oath is "To expel Tartar barbarians and to revive China, to establish a republic, and to distribute land equally among the people". , -valign="top" , 1911 , , The Railway Protection Movement begins in response to public anger over the sale, by the Qing government, of railway construction rights to foreigners. Violence spreads to

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of t ...

Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), N ...

and

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangx ...

. The Qing government mobilises troops to put down unrest in

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The p ...

. , -valign="top" , April 27, 1911, ,

Second Guangzhou Uprising The Second Guangzhou (Canton) Uprising, known in Chinese as the Yellow Flower Mound Uprising or the Guangzhou Xinhai Uprising, was a failed uprising took place in China led by Huang Xing and his fellow revolutionaries against the Qing dynasty i ...

or the Yellow Flower Mound revolt, is led by

Huang Xing Huang Xing or Huang Hsing (; 25 October 1874 – 31 October 1916) was a Chinese revolutionary leader and politician, and the first commander-in-chief of the Republic of China. As one of the founders of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Republic o ...

, the Tong Meng Hui leader. Over a hundred revolutionaries force their way into the residence of the viceroy of

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020 ...

and

Guangxi Guangxi (; ; alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam ...

provinces. The revolt ends in a catastrophic defeat, and most of the revolutionaries are killed. , -valign="top" , October 10, 1911 , , Revolutionary groups organise the Wuchang Uprising in the

city of

Wuchang Wuchang forms part of the urban core of and is one of 13 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, China. It is the oldest of the three cities that merged into modern-day Wuhan, and stood on the ri ...

. This serves as the catalyst for the

Xinhai Revolution The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China. The revolution was the culmination of ...

and the establishment of the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeas ...

. , -valign="top" , January 1, 1912 , , Sun Yat-sen announces the establishment of the

Nanking Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...

, and is inaugurated as the provisional president of the republic. , -valign="top" , February 12, 1912 , , The last Qing emperor,

, abdicates. , -valign="top" , February 14, 1912 , ,

Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 1859 – 6 June 1916) was a Chinese military and government official who rose to power during the late Qing dynasty and eventually ended the Qing dynasty rule of China in 1912, later becoming the Emperor of China. H ...

is elected provisional president of the Republic of China by the provisional Nanjing senate and on March 10, in Peking (Beijing), is sworn in.

Notes

{{reflist, group=lower-alpha

References

{{reflist

Bibliography

* {{cite book, last=Tucker, first=Spencer C., year=2017, title=The Roots and Consequences of Civil Wars and Revolutions: Conflicts that Changed World History, publisher=ABC-CLIO, location=Santa Barbara, California, isbn=978-1-44-084-2948 *''

Sunday Morning Post Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In most Western countries, Sunday is a day of rest and a part of the weekend. It is often considered the first day of the week. For most observant adherents of Christianity, Sunday ...

'' (hard copy).

. 9 October 2011. {{Qing dynasty topics {{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline of late anti-Qing Dynasty rebellions 19th century in China 19th-century rebellions 20th century in China