List of peasant revolts
This is a chronological list of revolts organized by peasants.
Background
The history of peasant wars spans over two thousand years. A variety of factors fueled the emergence of the peasant revolt phenomenon, including:- Tax resistance
- Social inequality
- Religious war
- National liberation
- Resistance against serfdom
- Land reform
- External factors such as plague and famine
The majority of peasant rebellions ended prematurely and were unsuccessful. Peasants suffered from limited funding and lacked the training and organisational capabilities of professional armies.
Chronological list
The list gives the name, the date, the peasant allies and enemies, and the result of these conflicts following this legend:| Date | Conflict | State | Peasants | Result | Image | Ref. |
| 209–206 BC | Anti-Qin revolts | Qin dynasty | Peasants under several rebel leaders, including Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, Xiang Yu, and Liu Bang | Qin dissolution | ||
| 205–186 BC | Great revolt of the Egyptians | Ptolemaic Kingdom | Native Egyptian peasants and soldiers under secessionist Pharaohs Hugronaphor and Ankhmakis | Suppression of the rebellion | ||
| 17–25 | Lülin | Xin dynasty | Lülin rebels | Collapse of Xin dynasty; ascendancy of rebel leader Liu Xiu after infighting among Lülin forces | ||
| 17–27 | Red Eyebrows | Xin dynasty | Red Eyebrows rebels | Goal of the rebellion partially achieved, but eventual defeat of the movement by Liu Xiu | ||
| 172–173 | Bucolic War | Roman Empire | Egyptian peasants under Isidorus | Suppression of the rebellion | ||
| 184–205 | Yellow Turban Rebellion | Han dynasty | Yellow Turban rebels | Suppression of the rebellion, though Han dynasty is severely weakened | ||
| 185–205 | Heishan bandit movement | Han dynasty | Bandit confederacy of the Taihang Mountains Gongsun Zan's forces | Suppression of the rebellion, though Han dynasty is severely weakened | ||
| 200s–400s | Bagaudae | Roman Empire | Bagaudae Suebi | Gain control of some territory; end with the general collapse of the Roman Empire | ||
| 300s–late 400s | Circumcellions | Roman Empire Catholic Church Vandal Kingdom African landlords | Berber and Roman peasants Donatist authorities Rebellious Roman military under Gildo | End of Roman Catholic rule in Africa, but suppression of the rebellion by Vandals and Arian authorities | ||
| 611–619 | Anti-Sui rebellions | Sui dynasty | Peasants under several rebel leaders Defected military forces under several rebel generals, officials and nobles | Collapse of Sui dynasty; ascendancy of rebel leader Li Yuan after infighting among rebel forces | ||
| 841–843 | Stellinga Uprising | Saxon nobility Frankish military under Louis the German | Stellinga | Suppression of the rebellion | ||
| 859–860 | Rebellion of Ch'iu Fu | Tang dynasty | Chinese peasants and bandits under Ch'iu Fu | Suppression of the rebellion, though Tang dynasty is severely weakened | ||
| 874–878 | Rebellion of Wang Xianzhi | Tang dynasty | Chinese peasants and bandits under Wang Xianzhi and Shang Junzhang | Suppression of the rebellion, though Tang dynasty is severely weakened | ||
| 875–884 | Rebellion of Huang Chao | Tang dynasty | Chinese peasants and bandits under Huang Chao | Suppression of the rebellion, though Tang dynasty is severely weakened | ||
| 928–932 | Basil the Copper Hand Rebellions |  Clear |