Revolt of the Three Feudatories

Timeline

1. 1673Beijing · North ChinaThe Kangxi Emperor adopted the proposal to abolish the feudatories, first allowing Prince Pingnan Shang Kexi to retire and then ordering Prince Pingxi Wu Sangui to relocate to Guizhou, triggering a crisis of trust between the Three Feudatories and the Qing court. Wu Sangui perceived the central government's intentions and began to ready his forces, shifting the situation from political maneuvering to military confrontation.
2. 1674Kunming · YunnanWu Sangui raised troops in Yunnan, proclaiming himself 'Grand Marshal of All the Realm's Forces for Suppression,' and soon declared himself emperor, founding the Zhou dynasty. Prince Jingnan Geng Jingzhong in Fujian and Prince Pingnan Shang Zhixin in Guangdong also rebelled in turn, forming a north-south coordination among the Three Feudatories and controlling Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and other provinces.
3. 1676–1678Hunan · Central ChinaThe Qing army used Yuezhou (present-day Yueyang) as its base and fought a prolonged seesaw war with Zhou forces in Hunan. Geng Jingzhong and Shang Zhixin successively surrendered to the Qing, and the alliance of the Three Feudatories broke apart. Wu Sangui died of illness at Hengzhou in 1678; the Zhou regime was inherited by his grandson Wu Shifan but could no longer reverse its decline.
4. 1681Kunming · YunnanThe Qing army besieged Kunming; Wu Shifan (Wu Sangui's grandson) killed himself and the Zhou regime was extinguished. The Revolt of the Three Feudatories was thus completely pacified, the Qing court completed its direct rule over the provinces of the Chinese heartland, and the foundation was laid for the subsequent unification of Taiwan and the consolidation of the multi-ethnic state's territory.