The campaign
Yellow Turban Rebellion
黄巾起义
In 184 the Yellow Turban uprising led by Zhang Jue spread across the Han realm and shook the dynasty’s authority. The court answered with regional armies: Zhu Jun requested Sun Jian for the campaign, Liu Bei joined government forces and gained his first recorded military service, and Dong Zhuo, sent to replace Lu Zhi against Zhang Jue, was defeated and punished for the failure. Years later Cao Cao incorporated surrendered Yellow Turban forces in Yan province and organized them as his Qingzhou corps. The war drew several future leaders into military service.
See the realm in 190 on the historical atlasThe people
Who fought it
Novel vs history
How the novel retells it
Romance of the Three Kingdoms changes parts of this story. These fact-checks show what the records say instead.
Sources
Historical sources
- Chronicle资治通鉴 · 卷六十五·建安十三年
The Yellow Turban uprising weakened the Han state and drew several future leaders into military service.
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书二·先主传
During the Yellow Turban uprising, Liu Bei joined government forces and gained his first recorded military service.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
Zhu Jun requested Sun Jian for the Han campaign against the Yellow Turbans.
- Historical record三国志 · 魏书六·董二袁刘传
In 184 he replaced Lu Zhi against Zhang Jue’s Yellow Turbans, was defeated, and was punished for the failure.
- Historical record三国志 · 魏书一·武帝纪
In Yan province, Cao Cao incorporated surrendered Yellow Turban forces and organized them as the Qingzhou corps.