Zhang Liang 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 Zhang Bao

Zhang Bao (Yellow Turban)

Zhang Bao was a Yellow Turban rebel leader during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a younger brother of Zhang Jiao and older brother of Zhang Liang, the other two key leaders of the rebellion...

, 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

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....

. 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...

, it is said that he went to the altar, and caused a rock attack against imperial forces.

Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao split the army of Zhang Jiao after his death. He fought seven successive battles against imperial forces but was repelled each time and fled back to Quyang. On the seventh retreat he was captured by 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...

 and killed. Zhang Bao would soon suffer a similar fate at the hands of his own men and the Yellow Turbans would quickly degenerate into nothing more than scattered bandit forces led by leaders such as He Yi

He Yi

He Yi was a Yellow Turban rebel leader who occupied Runan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. As the Yellow Turban Rebellion declined, he and other Yellow Turban remnants like Liu Pi, He Man, and Huang Shao allied with Yuan Shu and Sun Jian in the early 190s, and managed to...

 and Zhang Yan. By 205 the movement ceased most of its military activities.

See also

• List of people of the Three Kingdoms