SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Li Yan

  • The Peasant Uprisings that Toppled the Ming [Ming]

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    Juan

    This article covers the peasant uprisings that ended the Ming Dynasty. Plagued by famine and heavy taxes, rebels led by Gao Yingxiang, Li Zicheng, and Zhang Xianzhong rose up. Li Zicheng adopted popular policies, grew his army, and founded the Shun regime, marching toward Beijing to topple the Ming.

  • The Humiliation of Jingkang: The Fall of the Northern Song [Song & Yuan]

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    Juan

    This article narrates the Jingkang Humiliation, the fall of the Northern Song. After a risky alliance with the Jin, the Song court’s weakness and misrule led to a Jin invasion. Emperor Qinzong’s wavering and dismissal of loyal defenders sealed Kaifeng’s fate. In 1127, both emperors were captured, ending the Northern Song.