WI: Buddhist Rebellion in Ming or Qing China

[IntellectuallyHonestRhino]

What if there was a Buddhist Rebellion, either in Ming or Qing China, which was on the scale of the Taiping Rebellion? What would be the effects on China? What would be the effects on Chinese Buddhism?


Ming scenario: Ming persecution of Buddhism in favor of Confucianism leads to a backlash by lay Buddhists, and when Ming authority starts crumbling, a charismatic Buddhist leader declares revolution.


Qing scenario: Decadent Qing rule in the face of increasing Western domination and exploitation and crumbling authority leads to a charismatic Buddhist preacher (preferably monk) declaring that China must be cleansed by of impurity and that only a China that fulfills its Dharma will be strong enough to repel both internal (very much including moral) and external threats (to many religious fanatics, vices are an extraordinary threat to society).

 

[Dolan]

So basically Ikko-Ikki, Chinese Version? (there is Tibetan Kangryu version, Dalai Lama is descendants of the winner of such tradition)

You actually need for Aristocrats to start actively sending their spare heirs into Monastery that the martial arts traditions of the Monks shaped into proper soldiery instead of Individual Warriors (Japanese Sohei instead of Chinese Shaolin).

Too bad, Aristocrats in China were neutered in both Ming and Qing Dynasties. And Yuan still paid active attention to not let Monks amassing too much power.

Last time similar situation happened is during Sui-Tang, and the Tang Government cracked down on Buddhism As Soon As there are activities of militarized monks.

Might be better chance in Song-Jin

 

[IntellectuallyHonestRhino]

So basically Ikko-Ikki, Chinese Version? (there is Tibetan Kangryu version, Dalai Lama is descendants of the winner of such tradition)

You actually need for Aristocrats to start actively sending their spare heirs into Monastery that the martial arts traditions of the Monks shaped into proper soldiery instead of Individual Warriors (Japanese Sohei instead of Chinese Shaolin).

Too bad, Aristocrats in China were neutered in both Ming and Qing Dynasties. And Yuan still paid active attention to not let Monks amassing too much power.

Last time similar situation happened is during Sui-Tang, and the Tang Government cracked down on Buddhism As Soon As there are activities of militarized monks.

Might be better chance in Song-Jin

Then what would happen if a similar occurrence happened under the Song-Jin era?

 

[Dolan]

Then what would happen if a similar occurrence happened under the Song-Jin era?

Song are notoriously distrusting of their own military and clinging upon civilian bureaucracy supremacy, to the point that they'll execute generals who is too successful.

Ironically, if because of this, due to higher numbers of buddhist monks, they started recruiting the "mandatory celibate" Warrior-Monks for the Professional Core and Commanding Officers of their army, in hope that they wouldn't try to create new dynasty without being seen as impious) that would be what was basically the rise of Sohei in Japan, just made with Chinese ingredients.