Person

Zhang Xianzhong

1606–1647 · 17th century

Zhang Xianzhong was a peasant rebel leader of the late Ming dynasty. After years of campaigning across northern and central China, he took Chengdu in 1644 and proclaimed the Great Xi state in Sichuan. His rule is notorious for mass killings that devastated the province's population, and he was killed by Qing forces in 1647.

Zhang Xianzhong
Image: （清）松排山人（編）；《古本小說集成》編委會 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Ming EmpireDecline

Mentioned in 1 state history

Great Xi

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Zhang Xianzhong. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zhang-xianzhong
MLA
“Zhang Xianzhong.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zhang-xianzhong. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Zhang Xianzhong.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zhang-xianzhong.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Zhang Xianzhong’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zhang-xianzhong (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻