The Manchu Qing victory over the Chinese Ming Dynasty in the mid-seventeenth century was one of the most surprising and traumatic developments in China's long history. In the last year of the Ming, the southwest region of China became the base of operations for the notorious leader Zhang Xianzhong (1605–47), a peasant rebel known as the Yellow Tiger. Zhang's systematic reign of terror allegedly resulted in the deaths of at least one-sixth of the population of the entire Sichuan province in just two years. The rich surviving source record, however, indicates that much of the destruction took place well after Zhang's death in 1647 and can be attributed to independent warlords, marauding bandits, the various Ming and Qing armies vying for control of the empire, and natural disasters.
On the Trail of the Yellow Tiger is the first Western study to examine in detail the aftermath of the Qing conquest by focusing on the social and demographic effects of the Ming-Qing transition. By integrating the modern techniques of trauma and memory studies into the military and social history of the transition, Kenneth M. Swope adds a crucial piece to the broader puzzle of dynastic collapse and reconstruction. He also considers the Ming-Qing transition in light of contemporary conflicts around the globe, offering a comparative military history that engages with the universal connections between war and society.
Author(s): Kenneth M. Swope
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Year: 2018
Language: English
Pages: 454
Tags: History, China, Ming, Qing, Ching, Dynasty
Cover......Page 1
Cover Page......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Contents......Page 8
List of Illustrations......Page 10
Acknowledgments......Page 12
Note on Editorial Style......Page 16
Chronology of the Ming-Qing Transition......Page 18
A Legacy of Blood......Page 24
The Ming- Qing Transition in a Global Context......Page 29
1. Southwest China in the early Qing era. Map created by Jordan Moore.......Page 31
Trauma, Memory and Catharsis......Page 33
An Overview of the Documentary Record......Page 34
Structure of the Book......Page 37
Zhang’s Early Years and Rise to Prominence......Page 40
Trouble in the Northwest......Page 43
The Start of the Peasant Rebellions......Page 45
Zhang Emerges as a Leader......Page 48
Zhang Expands His Operations......Page 52
Yang Sichang Enters the Fray......Page 53
Back in the Field against Yang Sichang......Page 55
Expanding Horizons and Attracting Support......Page 59
Founding a Regime......Page 61
Back on the Move......Page 66
Unrest in Sichuan......Page 68
Zhang’s Strategic Dilemma......Page 70
The Initial Invasion of Sichuan......Page 72
The Ming Response......Page 74
Taking Chongqing......Page 75
Consolidating Control in Sichuan......Page 81
Crisis in Chengdu......Page 82
Developments around the Empire......Page 84
The Battle for Chengdu......Page 88
The Occupation of Chengdu......Page 90
Imperial Dreams Realized......Page 96
Establishing a Government......Page 100
Appraisals of Zhang’s Rule and Personality......Page 104
Expanding Operations and Seeking Divine Legitimation......Page 108
Budding Resistance to Zhang’s Rule......Page 110
Zhang Tightens the Noose......Page 114
The Loyalist Movement Expands......Page 117
The Militarization of the Countryside......Page 121
Zhang Responds to His Challengers......Page 123
The Strategic Dilemma of the Ming......Page 125
Zhang’s Mental State Deteriorates......Page 126
The Mass Killings Expand......Page 128
The Broader Geo- Strategic Situation......Page 129
Zhang’s Excesses Multiply......Page 130
Evaluating the Veracity of the Tales about Zhang......Page 140
Tales of Survivors......Page 141
Changing Strategy......Page 142
Evaluating Zhang as a Leader......Page 144
Zhang’s Advisers......Page 146
The Tide Starts to Turn......Page 147
Abandoning Chengdu......Page 148
Establishing a New Base......Page 152
The Qing Close In......Page 155
The Death of Zhang Xianzhong......Page 157
2. The Qing advance and movement of the Da Xi army into Yunnan in 1647– 48. Map created by Jordan Moore.......Page 158
Evaluating Zhang......Page 159
The Aftermath of Zhang’s Death in Sichuan......Page 160
Struggling to Survive......Page 164
The Ming Loyalist Courts Emerge......Page 168
Forming the Loyal and True Battalions......Page 173
Taking the Offensive against the Qing......Page 177
3. Qing southern advance, 1645– 46. Map created by Jordan Moore.......Page 178
The Defense of Guilin......Page 181
The “Pacification” of Huguang......Page 183
4. Movements of the Yongli emperor, 1647– 48. Map created by Jordan Moore, adapted from a map in The Southern Ming, 1644 - 1662 by Lynn A. Struve (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1984).......Page 184
Reverting to the Ming Cause......Page 187
The Death of He Tengjiao......Page 190
Du Yinxi Tries to Restore Order......Page 191
Qu Shisi’s Gambit......Page 193
Sun Kewang Enters Yunnan......Page 194
Chasing Sha Dingzhou......Page 198
Establishing a Regime in Yunnan......Page 199
Strife between “Brothers”......Page 202
Crushing the Revolt of Sha Dingzhou......Page 203
Creating a Viable Administration in Yunnan......Page 205
Establishing Order and Enforcing Discipline......Page 206
Sun Kewang’s Ambitions......Page 208
The State of Affairs in Sichuan......Page 212
5. Warlords in Sichuan Province, ca. 1648. Map created by Jordan Moore.......Page 214
Li Guoying’s Efforts to Succor the People......Page 215
The Curious Case of Zhu Rongfan......Page 217
Desperation in the Countryside......Page 219
Zhu Rongfan’s Demise......Page 222
The Warlords Vie for Power......Page 223
The Assassination of Yang Zhan......Page 226
Sun Kewang Enters the Fray......Page 227
Reacting to Sun Kewang......Page 229
The Qing Drive South......Page 230
The Death of Qu Shisi......Page 231
Sun Seizes an Opportunity......Page 233
Sun Exacts His Revenge......Page 234
The Dragon Receives a Respite......Page 236
Li Dingguo Goes on the Offensive......Page 237
6. Battle of former Da Xi commanders and Qing, 1652. Map created by Jordan Moore.......Page 238
Riding the Crest of Victory......Page 239
The Qing Respond to the Challenge......Page 241
Another Prince Bites the Dust......Page 243
Assessing the Southern Ming Military......Page 245
Liu Wenxiu’s Northern Expedition......Page 248
The Continuing Contest for Huguang......Page 252
The Strategic Situation of the Ming in Early 1653......Page 254
The Sun- Li Rift Grows......Page 256
Li Dingguo Invades Guangdong......Page 259
Li Dingguo Extracts Yongli......Page 260
7. Movements of the Yongli emperor, 1651– 59. Map created by Jordan Moore, adapted from a map in The Southern Ming, 1644– 1662 by Lynn A. Struve (New Haven: YaleUniversity Press, 1984).......Page 261
Negotiating with Sun Kewang......Page 264
The Situation in the Countryside......Page 265
Li Guoying Moves to Restore Order......Page 266
Hong Chengchou’s Efforts in Huguang......Page 267
The Final Clash between Sun and Li......Page 270
Sun Kewang Surrenders to the Qing......Page 272
Disarray in Victory......Page 273
The Qing Advance......Page 275
8. The Qing advance into Yunnan, 1658– 59. Map created by Jordan Moore.......Page 276
The Struggle for Yunnan......Page 278
The Yongli Court in Retreat......Page 282
Ambushes and Guerrilla Attacks......Page 284
Yongli Flees to Burma......Page 286
9. The terminal route of the Yongli court. Map created by Jordan Moore, adapted from a map in Voices from the Ming- Qing Cataclysm: China in Tiger’s Jaws by Lynn A.Struve (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993).......Page 287
Continuing Troubles for the Qing......Page 289
Efforts to Rescue Yongli......Page 291
Plots and Counterplots......Page 292
The Qing Retrieve Yongli......Page 294
The Final Days of Li Dingguo......Page 295
Reconsidering Li Dingguo and the Southern Ming Resistance......Page 297
A Wild Frontier Region......Page 300
Who Were the Kuidong 13?......Page 302
The Qing Mobilize for Action......Page 304
10. Qing’s army’s encirclement of the Kuidong 13. Map created by Jordan Moore.......Page 306
Counterattack at Wushan......Page 308
Closing In on the Holdouts......Page 309
Showdown at Maolushan......Page 311
Aftermath......Page 312
The Shadow of the Ming- Qing Transition......Page 314
Assessing the Yellow Tiger......Page 315
Tigers and the Decline of Civilization......Page 319
Making Sense out of Famine Accounts......Page 323
The Supernatural in Times of Warfare......Page 324
Dislocation and Migration......Page 326
The Malleability of Memory......Page 327
Suffering in Chinese Culture......Page 329
The Literary Heritage of the Ming-Qing Transition......Page 331
Contemporary Implications......Page 333
Appendix 1: Defenders,
Contenders, and Pretenders......Page 336
Appendix 2: Chinese Weights and Measures......Page 338
Appendix 3: Rebels, Rogues, Regents, and Rascals......Page 340
1. Zhang Xianzhong and the Ming-Qing Transition......Page 346
2. The Rise of the Yellow Tiger......Page 350
3. Establishing the Great Western Kingdom......Page 357
4. Looting Heaven’s Storehouse......Page 367
5. Erasing the Shame of Banditry......Page 380
6. Allying with the Ming......Page 390
7. A House Divided......Page 401
8. The Annihilation of the Kuidong 13......Page 411
9. The Rhetoric of Catastrophe......Page 414
Bibliography......Page 418
Index......Page 442
Studies in War, Society, and The Military......Page 453
