These accounts show the typical style of official histories, providing political legitimation through the use of the historical record for the ruling dynasty. The early official histories that provide a narration of the rebellion are the San Guo Zhi, written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century CE, and the Hou Han Shu, written by Fan Ye in the 5th century CE. This study reveals the changing perceptions of the rebellion throughout various periods of imperial Chinese history, analyzing the causes and repercussions of this change. The Yellow Turban Rebellion was the catalyst that led to the end of the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) and began the period known as the Three Kingdoms (220-280 CE). This thesis uses historical analysis to examine the memory of the Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 CE in the works of elite Chinese from the Late Han dynasty to the Ming dynasty. Was the development of the Three Kingdoms narrative shaped by Guan Yu’s religious status? Was it the other way around, and did Guan Yu only manage to rise to his divine status due to the increased popularity the narrative was enjoying? Or did both come to pass due to a complicated interrelationship, rather than simply one’s influence on the other? Why was it Guan Yu who ascended to this divine status, which was so much higher than that of the other famous characters? How did Guan Yu’s elevated status affect other characters in the story? What factors caused both Guan Yu worship and the Three Kingdoms story to surge as they did? In this thesis, I dedicate myself to answering such a question. This raises a number of interesting questions. Interestingly enough, this deification of Guan Yu took place more or less alongside a resurgence of popular interest in the Three Kingdoms story. By the time the Three Kingdoms story took form in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it is clear that the author wasn’t merely describing a historical figure, but rather a proper god. But roughly a thousand years after Guan Yu’s death, his image was reinvigorated as he came to be a religious figure. Alongside his sworn brothers Liu Bei 劉備 and Zhang Fei 張飛, he strove to reunite the empire under the flag of the flailing Han dynasty. These are but a few of the many titles attributed to Three Kingdoms legend Guan Yu 關羽. “The brave and reverent front general (狀穆前將軍)”, “Demon-subduing emperor across the three realms (三界伏魔大帝)”, and the fabled “Lord of beautiful beards (美髯公)”.
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