Yellow Turban Rebellion

The Yellow Turban Rebellion was a peasant uprising against the Han Dynasty in China from 184-205 CE, led by Taoist healer Zhang Jue and his brothers Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang. The rebels wore yellow headwear and claimed the Han Dynasty had lost the Mandate of Heaven due to corruption and natural disasters. Authorities suppressed the initial rebellion within a year, but scattered forces continued fighting for two decades. The uprising exposed Han government weakness, accelerated its decline, and contributed to the rise of regional warlords who later divided the empire into the Three Kingdoms period.