Zhang Jiao

Zhang Jiao, also known as Zhang Jue, was the mystical leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. A self-proclaimed Great Teacher, he founded the sect of the Way of Supreme Peace, blending Taoist healing practices with religious fervor. Zhang Jiao claimed divine visions and performed faith healings, attracting countless followers from among the suffering peasantry. His movement promised equality, justice, and a new heavenly mandate. The Yellow Turban forces rallied under the cry, “The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven will rise.” His charisma turned him into both a prophet and a revolutionary.

Though ultimately defeated by Han imperial forces, Zhang Jiao’s uprising marked a turning point in Chinese history. His teachings exposed the cracks in the Han Dynasty’s foundation. His death did not end the rebellion but inspired continued resistance across the empire. Zhang Jiao became a symbol of peasant unrest and spiritual defiance. To some, he was a visionary who sought a new order. To others, he was a dangerous rebel who brought chaos. His legacy remains both feared and remembered as the spark that ignited the fall of the Han.