Zhang Mancheng
Personal Information
Born:	Unknown
Place of Birth:	Nanyang commandery; Jing province[1]
Died:	Sixth lunar month, 184 A.D.[2]
Cause of Death:	Killed in battle by Qin Xie.[1]
Place of Death:	Wan city, Nanyang commandery[2]
Names
Style name:	Unknown
Chinese:	張曼成 (traditional) 张曼成 (simplified)
Pinyin:	Zhāng Mànchéng
Wade-Giles:	Chang Manch‘êng
Battle Information
Served:	Yellow Turbans
Participation(s):	Yellow Turban Rebellion
Achievement(s):	Killed Chu Gong and captured Wan.
List of Kills:	Chu Gong
Ranks and Titles Gang Leader

Zhang Mancheng 張曼成 was a gang leader of Yellow Turbans. He fought in the 184 A.D. Yellow Turban Rebellion and scored an immediate success when he killed the Grand Administrator of Nanyang commandery.

BiographyEdit

Zhang Mancheng was a man from the Nanyang commandery in Jing province^[1]. Presumably a man of lesser wealth because he joined the religious leader Zhang Jue 張角 somewhere between the early 170’s and 184 A.D.

In preparation for his rebellion, Zhang Jue spread his hundreds of thousands of followers over thirty-six Divisions (Fāng 方) and appointed each Division with its own leader. Zhang Mancheng was made a gang leader, which meant he was appointed by a Division leader to command a portion of his troops.^[3] It is not known to which Division leader Zhang Mancheng and his troops belonged.

We do know that Zhang Mancheng fought in Nanyang commandery and that a Division in Nanyang commandery was intended to cooperate with the Yellow Turbans from Runan commandery, Yingchuan commandery (Bo Cai?) and Luoyang (Ma Yuanyi).^[4] It seems likely that Zhang Mancheng’s force belonged to the Division that was intended to cooperate with these commanderies.

Early in the year 184 A.D. a man named Tang Zhou 唐周 betrayed his fellow Yellow Turbans by informing the Han about his masters plan to rebel and all Yellow Turbans in Luoyang and their sympathizers were arrested or killed. Ma Yuanyi was torn asunder and the forces of Runan, Yingchuan and Nanyang had to do without his powerful Division.^[2]

Struggle for WanEdit

On 23 April 184 A.D. Zhang Mancheng dispatched his troops, which were said to consist of several 10.000 men,^[2] called himself "Messenger of the Gods"^[5] and attacked Nanyang’s Grand Administrator Chu Gong 褚貢. He managed to kill him and then besieged Wan city for some time. In the sixth month Qin Xie 秦頡, the former Grand Administrator of Changsha commandery and now appointed as the new Grand Administrator of Nanyang, attacked Zhang Mancheng and killed him.^[2]

Zhang Mancheng’s remnant forces elected Zhao Hong 趙弘 as their new leader.^[6]

NotesEdit

• This article states that Zhang Mancheng joined Zhang Jue between 170 and 184 A.D. This has never been written in any history books or files but it's assumed, because between those years, and only those years, the Zhang brothers were gathering followers.

Zhang Mancheng in Old SourcesEdit

“時南陽黃巾張曼成起兵，稱「神上使」，觿數萬，殺郡守褚貢，屯宛下百餘日。”

—HHS 71/61:2301

“後太守秦頡擊殺曼成，賊更以趙弘為帥，觿浸盛，遂十餘萬，據宛城。”

—HHS 71/61:2301

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} de Crespigny, A Biographical Dictionary, biography of Zhang Mancheng, page 1068
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} de Crespigny, Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling, Zhongping 1
3. ↑ Michaud, The Yellow Turbans, page 76
4. ↑ de Crespigny, Generals of the South, page 88
5. ↑ Fan Ye, Hou Han shu, translated from "時，南陽黃巾張曼成起兵，稱「神上使」，眾數萬，殺郡守褚貢，屯宛下百餘日。"
6. ↑ de Crespigny, A Biographical Dictionary, biography of Zhao Hong, page 1098

SourcesEdit

• de Crespigny, Rafe. A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms. BRILL, 2007
• —. Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling. Canberra: National Library of Australia, 1989.
• —. Generals of the South. Canberra: Faculty of Asian Studies, The Australian National University, 1996.
• Fan Ye. Hou Han shu.
• Leban, Carl. Ts'ao Ts'ao and the Rise of Wei: The Early Years. Columbia University, Ph. D., 1971.
• Michaud, Paul. "The Yellow Turbans." Monumenta Serica, vol. XVII (1958): 47-127.
• Sima Guang. Zizhi Tongjian.