Precursors to the Late Yuan Peasant Uprisings (1320s)

Timeline

1. 1321Zhouzhi County · ShaanxiIn June 1321, the monk Yuanming of Zhouzhi County, Shaanxi, gathered followers and proclaimed himself emperor; in July, the Daoist Liu Zhixian of Heyang also launched an uprising through religious organization. The Yuan court sent troops to suppress them, showing that social contradictions had erupted locally.
2. 1321–1327Jianghuai and the Central Plains · East ChinaIn the mid-to-late 1320s, floods and droughts in the Jianghuai region, breaches of the Yellow River, and severe cold on the Mongolian steppe occurred in succession. Inadequate relief caused a surge in refugees; in Jiankang and elsewhere, refugees even 'formed gangs and elected their own leaders,' intensifying unrest at the bottom of society.
3. 1325Xizhou · HenanIn 1325, Zhao Chousi and Guo Pusa of Xizhou, Henan, declared that Maitreya Buddha would rule the world and gathered followers in uprising; Yao people in Guangxi also revolted at the same time. Though the Yuan court suppressed them, the pattern of religious mobilization intertwined with ethnic conflict had begun to recur.
4. 1328–1330Between Dadu and Shangdu · ChinaDuring the Tianli turmoil of 1328–1330, the factions of Wenzong and Mingzong fought for the throne; looting along the route and heavier taxes and corvée damaged central authority. Local officials grew corrupt and violent, bandits ran rampant, creating political and social conditions for the large-scale popular uprisings of the late Yuan.