Zhang Jiao - Choukaku

A religious leader who preached the Tao of Taiping and started the Yellow Turban Rebellion during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Later Han Dynasty (reigned 168-189) in China. He was from Julu (Hebei Province). After coming across the teachings of the Taiping Qinglingshu (the original of today's Taiping Jing), which he claimed to have been given to him by the god Ganji, he called himself a great wise man (great physician) who followed the Tao of Huang Lao (the Tao of Good), and gained many followers by claiming to be able to cure illnesses with water-charming spells. Over the course of more than ten years, he gathered hundreds of thousands of people from eight provinces, including the Great Plain of North China, organized them into large and small "fangs," and organized them into armies under the command of a general. With the support of peasants suffering from bad government and disasters, as well as some eunuchs and government officials, he planned an uprising in the year Jiazi (184) (Kowa 7), proclaiming the coming of a new age. When the incident was discovered, he forced his followers to wear yellow hoods (Yellow Turbans), called himself General of Heavenly Gong, and led his two younger brothers, General of the Earth and General of the People, but died of an illness in the battlefield that same year. Although he was not revered in later Taoist sects, he was secretly revered by members of the religious rebellion, and there is evidence that he was referred to as Tianwong Zhang Jian, who replaced Liu Tianwong, or as Zhang Tiandi.

[Hisashi Miyagawa, June 19, 2018]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、後漢霊帝(ごかんれいてい)（在位168～189）の世、太平道を唱え、黄巾(こうきん)の乱を起こした宗教家。鉅鹿(きょろく)（河北省）の人。干吉(かんきつ)神人から授けられたと称する太平清領(せいりょう)書（いまの太平経の原本）の説に接し、黄老道（善道）を奉ずる大賢良師（大医）と自称し、符水呪文(ふすいじゅもん)により治病できるといい多数の信者を得た。十余年間、華北大平野など8州で数十万の衆を集め大小の「方」に編成、渠帥(きょすい)の下で軍隊化した。悪政・災害に苦しむ農民や一部宦官(かんがん)・官吏の支持で、184年（光和7）甲子(かっし)の年、新しい世がくると宣伝し決起を謀った。事件発覚し、信徒に黄色の頭巾(ずきん)を着けさせ（黄巾）、自ら天公将軍と称し、地公・人公将軍と称する二弟と指揮したが、同年陣中で病死した。彼は後世の道教教団においては尊ばれないが、宗教反乱の結社員にはひそかに崇敬され、劉天翁(りゅうてんおう)にかわった天翁張堅とか張天帝と称せられた形跡がみられる。

［宮川尚志　2018年6月19日］

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