Zhang Bao was a Yellow Turban rebel

Yellow Turban Rebellion

The Yellow Turban Rebellion, also translated as Yellow Scarves Rebellion, was a peasant revolt that broke out in 184 AD in China during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty...

 leader during the late Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...

 period of Chinese history

History of China

Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...

. He was a younger brother of Zhang Jiao

Zhang Jiao

Zhang Jue was the leader of the Yellow Turban rebels during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was said to be a follower of Taoism and a sorcerer. His name is sometimes read as Zhang Jiao, since the Chinese character of Zhang's given name can be read as either "Jiao" or "Jue"...

 and older brother of Zhang Liang

Zhang Liang (Yellow Turban)

Zhang Liang was a Yellow Turban rebel leader during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a younger brother of Zhang Jiao and Zhang Bao, the other two key leaders of the rebellion. He was said to be an able general. It is said that Zhang Liang is the grandson of Zhang Daoling...

, the other two key leaders of the rebellion. He was the proclaimed General of Land according to Zhang Jiao's doctrine.

After the death of Zhang Jiao in the winter of 184, the task of leading the rebels went to Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang, whose leadership was less effective. Zhang Liang was defeated and killed by the imperial general Huangfu Song

Huangfu Song

Huangfu Song , style name Yizhen , was a military general of the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He is best known for helping to suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion and Liang Province Rebellion. He was one of three imperial commanders when the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, along...

 at Guanzhong

Guanzhong

Guanzhong , or Guanzhong Plain, is a historical region of China corresponding to the lower valley of the Wei River. It is called Guanzhong or 'within the passes' to distinguish it from 'Guandong' or 'east of the pass', that is, the North China Plain. The North China Plain is bordered on the west by...

. Shortly after, Huangfu attacked Zhang Bao at Xiaquyang (present-day Jinzhou

Jinzhou, Hebei

Jinzhou is a county-level city of Hebei province, under the administration of Shijiazhuang prefecture-level city. Until 1991, it was known as Jin County ....

), and beheaded him.

In fiction

In Luo Guanzhong

Luo Guanzhong

Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...

's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...

, Zhang Bao fought with imperial forces led by Zhu Jun, Liu Bei

Liu Bei

Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...

, Guan Yu

Guan Yu

Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...

 and Zhang Fei. He was depicted as a sorcerer and was able to summon a thunderstorm, which created an apparition of an army of dark warriors.

Ultimately shortly after Zhang Liang was captured and executed, Zhang Bao began making more reckless decisions and was hard pressed by government forces in Yang Province. His men began to fear for their lives and he was eventually assassinated by one of his own men, Yan Zheng during an attack on the castle of Yangcheng. With this the Yellow Turbans degenerated into a force of bandits militarily. By 205 they ceased most of their rebellious activities and the remaining followers mostly joined the Celestial Master Sect.

It is said that Zhang Bao and his brothers were the grandsons of Zhang Daoling

Zhang Daoling

Zhang Ling , style name Fuhan , was an Eastern Han Dynasty Taoist hermit who founded the Way of the Celestial Masters sect of Taoism, which is also known as the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice....

.