The Collapse of Ming and Rise of Qing in Jiangxi

When Qing forces under Jin Shengheng and Wang Deren entered Jiangxi province in 1645, they encountered unexpected resistance from local Ming loyalists. This marked the beginning of a complex seven-year struggle that would test both Qing consolidation efforts and Ming restoration hopes. The Jiangxi uprising occurred during the turbulent Ming-Qing transition period (1644-1684), when pockets of resistance continued across southern China despite the Qing capture of Beijing.

Jiangxi’s strategic location between Huguang, Fujian, and Guangdong made it crucial for both sides. The province had been a Ming stronghold, producing numerous scholar-officials who remained loyal to the fallen dynasty. As Qing forces advanced southward, Jiangxi became a battleground where local gentry, former Ming officials, and commoners organized resistance movements with varying degrees of coordination.

Key Figures and Early Resistance Efforts

The resistance movement featured several remarkable leaders. Zhu Youjian, the Prince of Yongning, joined forces with Yan Luo’s volunteer army to recapture Jianchang and Fuzhou prefectures. In Linchuan (Fuzhou), local gentry members Jie Chongxi and Fu Dingquan raised militia forces in response. However, Wang Deren’s Qing forces crushed these early efforts, defeating the Prince of Yongning and retaking Fuzhou.

One of the most colorful figures was Wang Chong, known as “Wang Laiba” (Wang the Eighth). From 1645, he led guerrilla forces through Ji’an, Ganzhou, Linchuan, and Fuzhou regions. His hit-and-run tactics kept Qing forces off balance across hundreds of li. After a feigned surrender in 1646 where he got Qing soldiers drunk and slaughtered them, Wang recaptured Xingan and Xiajiang counties before his eventual defeat and death in 1647.

The 1648 Turning Point and Coordinated Resistance

The resistance gained new life in 1648 when former Qing generals Jin Shengheng and Wang Deren switched sides. This inspired new leaders like Zhang Zisheng, Pan Yongxi, Hong Guoyu, and Yang Qilong to take up arms. Jie Chongxi, now appointed Ming governor, attempted to coordinate these forces with Yan Luo’s four camps, the Jiulong battalion, and Fujianese leaders Ning Wenlong and Chen Derong.

The high point came in spring 1648 when Jie Chongxi led 50,000-60,000 troops against Shaowu in Fujian. Contemporary Qing reports describe their camps stretching dozens of li, creating panic among officials. However, poor discipline led to collapse when Qing reinforcements arrived, resulting in massacre of local supporters. Poet Qian Bingdeng’s “Lament for Shaowu” captured the tragedy: “The righteous army was fierce, their leaders renowned…but when they fled, those who had welcomed them met the sword.”

The Final Years of Resistance

After the Shaowu disaster and the Qing siege of Nanchang, Jie Chongxi traveled to Guangdong to beg the Yongli Emperor for reinforcements. Though appointed Minister of War and Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent, he faced obstruction from rival Ming general Li Chengdong. By 1650, the remaining forces under Jie Chongxi, Zhang Zisheng, Cao Dagao and Hong Guoyu operated in the Jiangxi-Fujian border region, reportedly fielding 100,000 troops across 100 li of camps.

Qing authorities branded them the “Four Great Bandits” and launched a three-province pacification campaign. The resistance fighters, though numerous, lacked military experience and organization. Hong Guoyu was captured in October 1650 after defeat at Laoshan Ridge. The others retreated to Jiangxizhen where they established fortified farming settlements, showing remarkable determination for prolonged resistance.

The Bitter End and Qing Retribution

The final collapse came in 1651. Jie Chongxi was captured at Huangbai village in May, while Cao Dagao fell at Beidu in Jiangxi. The Yan Luo forces were defeated at Dayu County’s Yun Mountain, with their leader Luo Rong executed in Ganzhou. Zhang Zisheng held out until May 1652 before his final defeat at Dajue Rock near Fujian’s Guangze County.

Qing suppression brought devastation. Chronicler Zhang Dai described traveling through Jiangxi in 1653: “In entire prefectures, I saw only a few thatched houses among brambles and thorns – it moved me to tears.” He noted dozens of villages still resisting and many commoners retaining Ming hairstyles, while surviving gentry hid in mountains refusing to serve the new regime. Even a decade after the conquest, Jiangxi’s people maintained loyalty to the fallen Ming.

Legacy of Jiangxi’s Resistance

The Jiangxi uprising represents one of the most prolonged regional resistances during the Ming-Qing transition. Though ultimately unsuccessful, it demonstrated remarkable grassroots organization and persistence. The movement’s combination of former Ming officials, local gentry, and commoners created a broad-based opposition that took the Qing years to suppress.

Contemporary accounts like those of Zhang Dai and Wen Ruilin preserve the memory of these “cultural warriors” who maintained Ming loyalties against overwhelming odds. Their stories reflect the complex dynamics of dynastic transition – where ideological commitment, local identity, and personal loyalties often outweighed pragmatic accommodation with the new regime.

The Jiangxi resistance also highlights the Qing consolidation challenges in southern China, where anti-Manchu sentiment remained strong for decades. The province’s devastation during suppression campaigns contributed to its economic decline in the early Qing period. Yet the memory of these resistance efforts lived on in local folklore and unofficial histories, becoming part of Jiangxi’s regional identity during the Qing dynasty.