Rebellion of 1510

The Rebellion of 1510 was a significant uprising in northern China that lasted from 1510 to 1512. It was one of the largest rebellions in the Ming dynasty during the reign of the Zhengde Emperor, along with the Prince of Anhua rebellion and the Prince of Ning rebellion.

The rebellion originated in the counties south of Beijing, where the government, led by Liu Jin, attempted to increase military household levies. This led to an increase in desertion and crime in the already impoverished and restless region. By 1510, bandits, led by Yang Hu (楊虎, or Tiger Yang) and the brothers Liu Chong (劉寵, or Liu the Sixth 劉六) and Liu Chen (劉宸, or Liu the Seventh 劉七), had formed groups of several thousand. They not only plundered the countryside but also attacked county, subprefect, and prefectural cities in North Zhili and Shandong Province. In response, the emperor sent troops from the Beijing garrison and called in experienced veterans from the Mongol-Chinese border in 1511. The bandits were pushed south and expanded their raids to Henan Province, as well as parts of Shaanxi, South Zhili, and Huguang Provinces. They declared their intention to overthrow the ruling dynasty. In the summer of 1512, the rebels were finally defeated. Some retreated south across the Yangtze River to Jiangxi, while others went east to Shandong, and the rest went southwest to Wuchang on the Yangtze River. From there, they moved downstream, constantly plundering, until they reached the mouth of the Yangtze River. There, they were devastated by a typhoon in late August and ultimately defeated by government troops in early September 1512.