The Miao Rebellion in Hunan and Guizhou (1795-1796)

The Miao 苗 rebellion of 1795 was the first in a series of uprisings of native tribes of the provincial triangle of Hubei, Hunan and Sichuan against the Qing dynasty 清 (1644-1911). It was a consequence of the transformation of native rule into Chinese-style districts and paved the way for the large White Lotus rebellion.

The change in the southwestern tribal regions from indirect administration through native chieftains to a direct administration under the imperial government (gaitu guiliu 改土歸流) caused widespread discontent among the local tribes. Their griefs about high taxation and requisition for labour were aggravated by an increased colonization of their homelands by Chinese settlers. Several years of crop failures finally caused a rebellion of Miao tribes in the south of Hunan and in Guizhou.

The Miao chieftain Shi Liudeng 石柳鄧 from Songtao 松桃廳 in Guizhou and Shi Sanbao 石三保, Wu Bansheng 吳半生 and Wu Longdeng 吳隆登 from Yongsui 永綏 in Hunan secretly met in Yabaozhai 鴨保寨 (鴨堡寨) near Fenghuang 鳳凰廳, Hunan, and planned to join their forces for a rebellion to be started on 1/20 (lunar calendar), 1795, in the towns of Songtao, Yongsui and Qianzhou 乾州. Yet the Qing authorities soon became aware of the preparations for an insurrection, which caused Shi Liudeng to begin his rebellion two days earlier than planned. He assailed Songtao and the two garrisons of Zhengda 正大營 and Panshi 盤石營. At the same time, Wu Bayue 吳八月 rose in Pinglong 平隴 near Qianzhou, Shi Sanbao in Huangguazhai 黃瓜寨 near Yongsui, Wu Bansheng in Sumazhai 蘇麻寨 near Fenghuang, and Wu Tingju 吳廷舉 in Sanchaping 三岔坪 near Qianzhou.

Regional vice commander (fujiang 副將) Isana 伊薩納 and the subprefectural magistrate (tongzhi 同知) Peng Fengyao 彭鳳堯 from Yongsui dispatched 600 troops, and regional commander (zongbing 總兵) Minggantu 明安圖 from Zhenhuang 鎮篁鎮 commanded 800 troops to attack Yabaozhai, but the imperial troops were surrounded by the rebels, Isana and Minggantu died in battle, and the revolters took the town of Qianzhou and killed the subprefectural magistrate Song Ruchun 宋如椿. The regional commander Julongga's 珠隆阿 troops were likewise surrounded in Zhengda.

The emperor thereupon decided to dispatch more than 10,000 Manchu Banner troops from seven provinces, under the command of governor-general Fukʽanggan (Ch. Fukang'an 福康安, 1748-1798). He personally led the troops from Yunnan and Guizhou, advancing from the south. The governor-general of Sichuan, Helin 和琳 (1753-1796), attacked from the west, and Funing 福寧 (1739-1814), governor-general of Hunan and Hubei, charged the insurgents from the north.

Shi Liudeng adopted a guerrilla-style warfare and kept the Qing troops busy in the region of Fenghuang, along the River Dawuyang 大烏羊 and near Liaojiachong 廖家衝. In a battle at the Goupa Cliff 狗爬巖 near Qianzhou he was able to annihilate Funing's army of 6,000 men. He immediately made use of his victory to conquer the towns of Pushi 浦市, Zhenhuang, Yongshun 永順, Baojing 保靖 and Huxi 滬溪. In late summer Wu Bayue was proclaimed king of the rebels.

Fukʽanggan thereupon adopted a new strategy. He divided up his army to attack the rebel base from different sides, and began distributing salt and rice among the population, in order to prevent them from supporting the revolt. Wu Longdeng soon surrendered to the Qing, and the "king" Wu Bayue was captured. Shi Liudeng, Shi Sanbao, and the late king's sons Wu Tingli 吳廷禮 and Wu Tingyi 吳廷義 continued their resistance, but their strongholds Tianxingzhai 天星寨, Jieshigang 結石崗 and Yanziyan 燕子巖 soon fell to the imperial army. Shi Sanbao committed suicide after he was betrayed by a comrade.

The Qing army thereafter concentrated their forces on the liberation of Qianzhou. In summer 1796 Fukʽanggan died in the field, and Helin took over the highest command. The last assail on the rebel's nest was in early winter 1796, when the imperial army attacked Pinglongzhai 平隴寨. When Shi Liudeng died, in early 1797, Wu Tingliang 吳庭梁 seized Wu Tingli and Wu Tingyi and delivered them to the Qing. Most of the rebels surrendered, and the rest withdrew to the mountains.