Xu Shouhui

Who was Xu Shouhui?

Xu Shouhui was a 14th-century Chinese rebel leader who proclaimed himself emperor during the late Mongol Yuan Dynasty period. He was also known as Xu Zhenyi.

Born in Luotian, Xu was a cloth vendor by profession. In August 1351, he worked with others in Qízhōu to establish the rebel army of Red Turbans under the pretense of the Buddhist White Lotus Society. In the following months, they captured Qishui and made it the command centre of the Red Turbans and the capital of the newly declared Empire of Tianwan, with himself as the emperor with the era name of Zhiping.

The number of his supporters increased rapidly as he claimed to be a Milofo reincarnate who sought to "destroy the rich to benefit the poor". In 1352, he invaded more of Hebei, and moved on to take Jiangxi, Anhui, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Hunan.

After being temporarily defeated by the Mongol army, he fled to Huangmei Mountain, but returned in 1355 to invade once again and move the capital to Hanyang.

Five years later, Xu Shouhui was assassinated by his former co-fighter, Chen Youliang, thus causing the collapse of the Tianwan Empire.