Zhang Xianzhong
Encyclopedia
Zhang Xianzhong or Chang Hsien-chung (September 18, 1606 – January 2, 1647), nicknamed Yellow Tiger, was a Chinese
rebel leader who conquered Sichuan Province
in the middle of the 17th century. Upon capturing it, he declared himself emperor of the Daxi Dynasty (大西王朝).
According to Chinese chronicles, many scholars rejected that claim, so he had them massacred. After killing the scholars, he went after the women, merchants, and all the officials. Then he had his soldiers kill each other and the officers' wives' feet cut off and put on top of a mound.
s and feet, so he had his own personal guards retrieve the ears and feet of the people killed in the outlying districts in order to count how many people they killed there. After the massacre was over, he supposedly had a stele with the following inscription erected in an important part of Chengdu
:
|天生萬物以養人
|Heaven brings forth innumerable things to help man.
|-
|人無一善以報天
|Man has nothing with which to recompense Heaven.
|-
|殺殺殺殺殺殺殺
|Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
|}>
Actual excavated stele have an inscription with no character for 'kill'; the last line is entirely different.
fill Sichuan (湖廣填四川) lasted more than a century during the Qing Dynasty, which triggered another massive resettlement: Jiangxi fill Huguang (江西填湖廣).
Few said he did not kill so many people. Some other militia also massacred. Lu Xun
said he did that as he knew he is going to lose.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
rebel leader who conquered Sichuan Province
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
in the middle of the 17th century. Upon capturing it, he declared himself emperor of the Daxi Dynasty (大西王朝).
According to Chinese chronicles, many scholars rejected that claim, so he had them massacred. After killing the scholars, he went after the women, merchants, and all the officials. Then he had his soldiers kill each other and the officers' wives' feet cut off and put on top of a mound.
Characteristics
Zhang Xianzhong was obsessed with earEar
The ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....
s and feet, so he had his own personal guards retrieve the ears and feet of the people killed in the outlying districts in order to count how many people they killed there. After the massacre was over, he supposedly had a stele with the following inscription erected in an important part of Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
:
|Heaven brings forth innumerable things to help man.
|-
|人無一善以報天
|Man has nothing with which to recompense Heaven.
|-
|殺殺殺殺殺殺殺
|Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.
|}>
Actual excavated stele have an inscription with no character for 'kill'; the last line is entirely different.
The devastation of Sichuan
Zhang Xianzhong's rule devastated Sichuan. The population of Sichuan dropped from 3,102,073 at 1578 to 18,090 at 1685, and the number of residents in Chengdu decreased from 400,000 to 20 . A massive resettlement called HuguangHuguang
Huguang was a province of China during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. It was partitioned in the late Qing Dynasty, becoming the provinces of Hubei and Hunan....
fill Sichuan (湖廣填四川) lasted more than a century during the Qing Dynasty, which triggered another massive resettlement: Jiangxi fill Huguang (江西填湖廣).
Few said he did not kill so many people. Some other militia also massacred. Lu Xun
Lu Xun
Lu Xun or Lu Hsün , was the pen name of Zhou Shuren , one of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century. Considered by many to be the leading figure of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in baihua as well as classical Chinese...
said he did that as he knew he is going to lose.