Hey guys, I'm PhoenicianLegacy and I's an honour to join this forum and establish my first thread!
Bye the way, I'd like to discuss something Today, not all to well known in the west (unless you play Dynasty Warriors), but crucial to that of East Asian history. It is my idea if during the late Han Dynasty of China, the Yellow a Turban Rebellion had successfully overthrown the Han.
Here we go :
From the years 184-205 AD, a massive peasant revolt motivated by Taoism, known as the Yellow Turban Rebellion, ravaged the country of China, an event which marked the beginning of the end for the Han Dynasty 's 400 year reign. The rebellion itself was established by three brothers from oldest to youngest : Zhang Jue, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang. In our timeline, the rebels were successfully put down by a volunteer army lead by generals who would eventually establish The Wei, Wu and Shu Kingdoms following the Han's turbulent collapse. Very soon, the three kingdoms turned against each other for supremacy in China, during the aptly named Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280).
In this alternate timeline however In 184 AD, rather than the last surviving Zhang brother, Bao being beheaded by Imperial General Huangfu Song as in our timeline, a vice versa occurs. Decapitator Huangfu becomes the decapitated and his death at rebel hands greatly demoralizes the Han's army. Thus, fear is installed into all within Imperial court upon underestimating such a menace to their power.
As time passes, due to their formidable reputation, millions throughout China let themselves become Yellow Turban recruits when their hearts and minds were captivated by the rebellion's goal. Even millitary men of all ranks decide to defect from the ruling dynsty's loyalty and join the winning team, giving the movement the advantage it needs to vigorously push forward. Later, other famed would-be Three Kingdoms persona such as Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Cao Cao and countless others met an untimely fate in futile efforts to shield the Han.
After several years of gruelling struggle, Bao and his fellow rebels managed to finally dispose of the remaining Han loyalists including the Ten eunuchs and emerge triumphant. Thus, the course of Chinese history, along with the rest of East Asia is changed forever. Immediately afterwards, The Yellow Turban leader seizes the Chinese throne for himself and establishes his own dynasty, The Zhang Dynasty lasting a total of 274 years (189-463 AD).
Since Zhang Bao and rest of the Yellow Turbans were once peasants themselves, they were able to more easily relate to the lower class's ordeals. Therefore as long as the new dynasty lived, numerous revolutionary economic and social reforms acts were performed which led to their immense popularity, support and success. Almost none of the reforms proved insufficient, helping China's progress in ways beyond words. Among the reforms instituted was the addressing of inequalities among Chinese people everywhere, that had grown over the centuries previously.
Movements that took place included the establishment many of schools of learning in all acedemic fields. Even more Institutions included massive work campaigns such as cleaning out the grand canals among others. In the long term, The Zheng Dynasty with the strengthened new economy continued to improve business on the silk road, which lead to even more trade with China's neighbors such as The Kushans, Persia and even as far as Rome. In addition, complex banking systems were invented which in the long term, paved way for an early rise of printed money. This alone was helpful beyond words in China's growth of sophistication. All These profound changes were small-yet crucial first signs for the country swaying away from a traditional Feudal social structure.
Due to the Yellow Turbans being devotedly Taoist, they believed that Taoism was the force that helped them win their struggle and liberate the people, so the Yellow Turbans believed than a Chinese being anything other than Taoist will be disrespectful. The faith of Taoism was enforced everywhere throughout China and all other faiths including Bhuddism, Confucianism and various folk religions were made illegal. Even though the one faith-only policy while extremely brutal, it did manage to create a strong centralization throught China as a whole. Millions accepted Taoism because they saw it as a way to divining the precarious future, receiving good fortune and as a patriotic statement towards the Emperor. Others who refused were at best, exiled.
This act proved to be a major setback on the Bhuddist faith in general. It never becomes as much of a major cultural aspect and driving force in the rest East Asia, including Korea and Japan, with Taoism taking its place. Today, Bhuddism itself is smaller in its influence, being mostly confined to India and Southeast Asia.
Due to all these dramatic changes, The Three Kingdoms Period of China never occurs. Rather then The famed events of the said period of our timeline, The Zhang Dynasty faced many fierce and highly documented struggles with entrenched feudal landlords objecting land reforms and violent revolts from those who refused to convert to Taoism.
Without the Three Kingdoms period to put a setback on China's and influence and territory were expanded even further under the Zhang. All of Korea save for the Northeast Goguryeo Kingdom was conquered along with several Southeast Asians such as the Burmese, Thai and Khmer. In addition to east and south, China also absorbed lands west nearby that of the White Huns and the Wusun, Xionghu and Xiangbei to the north. Other neighbors of China such as the state of Wa(modern-day Kyushu, Japan), Funan, the Pyu City states and others became loyal protectorates and vassals of China for numerous centuries that followed. Eventually, China even absorbed former territory of its neighbor, the Kushan in the wake of its collapse in 375 AD.
In many ways, the Zhang Dynasty and its legacy mirrors the acts and achievements of our own timeline's Tang Dynasty. However, the Zhang was even more successful than the Tang in many ways because of its nature of being extremely pro-commoner in when it came to achieving wealth, fame and power, along with representing the mandate of Heaven.
After the Zhang Dynasty's fall, an inevitable Three-Kingdoms-type period, of which was only postponed by the Yellow Turban's success took place. These were Heavenly Mandate Wars that lasted 42 years (AD 463-506) and even though it was not as severe for China as the Three Kingdoms era, it was still among the bloodiest within all Chinese history. Among the chief factors that unleashed this gruesome conflict was pent up from economic mismanagement from corrupt ministers abusing the conditions of the economic reforms as The Zhang's influence decayed as well as ethnic tensions.
Following the Zhang Dynasty's demise and the Mandate Wars, most if not all post-Han Chinese Dynasties never occurred. Although China lost many of its territory during the Zhang's demise, the impact that it had in territories it controlled remained. Taoism continued to be the dominant religion throughout the east and even became fierce competition for the growth and development of Islam as it spread. In 506 AD, The Zhang's immediate successor, The Feng Dynasty emerged on the scene and lasted until 841. While not quite as radically progressive as its predecessor, The Feng did manage to retain enough effective and fair policies left behind from the previous dynasty.
Eventually in the 14th Century, rather than writing "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" historical novel, author Luo Guanzhong writes "Legend of the Yellow Turbans". The novel tells the tales of The Yellow Turbans' accomplishments in highly romanticized fashion such as overthrowing the Han, the establishment of the Zheng Dynasty and their countless other heroic struggles.
In our, timeline the many nations, people and cultures of the Central Asia are almost entirely geared towards Arab/Islamic influence. in this timeline however, due to their relationship with the Zhang and Feng dynasties of China, they range from being tightly gripped within the Chinese/East Asian sphere of influence along with Korea and Japan or even with that of Islam. As a result, Islam itself does not spread in full force much further east than present-day Iran's borders with Pakistan and Afganistan.
Also because of the more Sinospheric Central Asia, the country of Afganistan was no exception of sharing a very different course with its neighbors than our timeline. The land being largely Taoist instead of purely Muslim meant that the Taliban as we know them never existing. Therefore, It was much more difficult for Osama Bin Laden with his Al Qaeda terrorist group to seek shelter, refuge as well as claim the region as a suitable base for operations. Instead, they set their eyes on various Islamic African nations such as Somalia and Sudan to do so.
In the present day of this alternate history, Taoism is a much larger faith in the global field. It remains a giant among world religions, right next to Christendom and Islam.
In the end, China's eventual exit from feudalism finally occurred over a century sooner than in our timeline, around the same time Europe did in The Industrial Revolution. This eliminates China's hardships such as being bullied by Western colonial powers in the 19th century, along with the Communists taking control in the mid-20th century.
Feel free to comment and make suggestions!