Chen Sheng-Wu Guang Uprising was the
first large-scale peasant uprising in Chinese history, which led to the downfall
of the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC).
In 210BC, Qin Emperor Shihuang died on his
inspection travel. The eunuch Zhao Gao wrote a
faked letter to Fu Su in the name of the deceased emperor, ordering Fu Su
to commit suicide, and his younger brother Hu Hai, the deceased emperor's
favorite, was installed as Second Emperor. He was a cool-hearted and cruel ruler. In order to
keep secret of Qin Emperor Shihuang's mausoleum, he plugged up the exit and
killed all the workers in it. In his first year, rebellions of the old nobility
and peasantry broke out.
In 209BC, Hu Hai, the Second Emperor,
ordered 900 people in the Huaihe River Rigion to Yuyang (today's Minyun in
Beijing) to keep guard. It was July when it rained a lot. When people arrived in
Dazexiang (southwest in today's Suxian County in Anhui Province), it began to
rain cats and dogs; and they were bound to be late. According to the laws at
that time, those who failed to observe deadlines would be sentenced to death.
People had no other choice but to rise up in revolt.
Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were both from Henan Province. They led the
peasants to attack and occupy finally the Chen County (today's Hengyang in Henan
Province), and they established their own regime of Zhangchu. Then their army
sent westward by Chen Sheng to fight against Qin army was defeated by Zhang Han.
Later, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were murdered by their subordination. And the
rest of the army was surrendered to Liu Bang and Xiang Yu. In 206BC, the
Qin Dynasty came to an infamous end and the glorious dynasty fell victim to the fear and mistrust bred by its
own despotic excesses.