Red Eyebrow Rebellion

A peasant rebellion at the end of the Wang Mang (Xin) regime in China. It is said that the Wang Mang regime was destroyed by rebellions between peasants and powerful clans that broke out in various places, but the most representative peasant rebellion was the Red Eyebrow Rebellion that occurred in the Shandong region.

The Red Eyebrow Rebellion began in 17 AD when a woman named Lü Mu from Haiqu County, Langya County (eastern Shandong Province) organized a group to avenge the death of her son, who had been killed by the county magistrate. The group consisted of the sons of poor peasants who could not make a living due to poverty (bad boys) and refugees who had no land to cultivate (exiles). Even after Lü Mu's personal goal was achieved, the group maintained its power and transformed into a rebel group against Wang Mang's government. Within a year, the group grew to tens of thousands of people, eventually leading Fan Chong, a native of Langya, and in 22 AD, defeated over 100,000 elite troops sent by Wang Mang to suppress the rebellion. At this time, Fan Chong and his men had their eyebrows dyed red to distinguish them from Wang Mang's soldiers. This is how the name Red Eyebrow came about. In 23, the rebellious forces of the Liu clan in Nanyang County (Henan Province) from the south grew strong, and when Liu Xuan, who had his capital in Luoyang, proclaimed himself Emperor Gengshi, the Red Eyes temporarily submitted to him. Emperor Gengshi entered Chang'an in 24 and defeated Wang Mang, but the Red Eyes were disappointed and decided to form their own dynasty. They appointed 15-year-old Liu Bonzi as the Emperor, changed the era name to Jianshi, and began to advance on Chang'an together with other peasant rebel groups. In the following year, 25, they entered Chang'an and Emperor Gengshi surrendered, but the Red Eyes lacked the structure of a dynastic dynasty and could not stop at predatory behavior. They gradually lost the support of the great families and powerful families of Guanzhong, and were no longer able to maintain their government based in Guanzhong. In 27 AD, the Red Eyebrows were retreating to Shandong, and when they were attacked by Liu Xiu (Emperor Guangwu) on the way, their entire army of over 100,000 men surrendered.

[Akira Kasugai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国の王莽(おうもう)政権（新）末期の農民反乱。王莽政権を滅ぼしたのは、各地に勃発(ぼっぱつ)した農民と豪族の反乱といわれるが、農民反乱の代表が山東地方に発生したこの赤眉の乱である。

　赤眉の乱は17年に、琅邪(ろうや)郡の海曲県（山東省東部）の呂母(りょぼ)という女性が、県の長官に殺された自分の息子の復讐(ふくしゅう)のために徒党を組んで起こした事件に端を発する。貧窮のため生業をもてなかった貧農の二、三男（悪少年）、耕すべき土地をもてずに流民となった者たち（亡命者）の集団が、呂母の私的目的を果たしたあともその勢力を保ち、王莽政権に対する反抗集団へと変質していった。1年ほどのうちに数万人に成長した集団は、やがて琅邪の人、樊崇(はんすう)を指導者とし、22年には王莽が鎮圧のため派遣した精鋭部隊10余万に勝った。このとき樊崇らは自らの軍兵の眉(まゆ)を赤く染めさせ、これによって王莽軍の兵と区別させた。赤眉の名はこれによる。23年に南方面から南陽郡（河南省）の劉(りゅう)氏一族の反乱勢力が強大となり、洛陽(らくよう)に都して劉玄が更始帝と称すると、赤眉集団は一時これに服属した。更始帝は24年には長安に入って王莽を倒したが、これに失望した赤眉集団は、自らの王朝形成を目的とする集団への意志を固め、15歳の劉盆子を天子に推戴(すいたい)し年号も建世と改め、他の農民反乱集団と共同して長安への進撃を開始した。翌25年に長安入城、更始帝は降服したが、赤眉集団は王朝としての機構を欠いていたため、その行動の略奪性にとどめようがなく、しだいに関中の大姓、豪族の支持を失い、関中を基盤とする政権を保てなくなった。そして27年山東へ退去することになった赤眉集団は、その途中を撃った劉秀（光武帝）に対し、全軍10余万人が降服した。

［春日井明］

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