Foreword: The White Lotus Sect is a legendary religious organization in the history of the great powers of the East, and its rise and development are inextricably linked with the social and economic turmoil at that time. During the Ming Dynasty, the White Lotus Sect used to be a force that rebelled against the rule of the imperial court, but with Zhu Yuanzhang's severe crackdown, the power of the White Lotus Sect gradually declined, and some members even took refuge in the Mongols, and finally became involved in the struggle between the Ming Dynasty and the Mongols, and suffered a heavy blow.
1. The rise of the White Lotus Sect
The White Lotus Sect originated in the Southern Song Dynasty, a large country in the East, when the society was in turmoil, and the people were very dissatisfied with the rule of the imperial court, and they threw themselves into various resistance movements. The White Lotus Sect arose in such a social background, it was not originally a religious organization, but a folk belief, mainly some peasants and people from the lower classes, who organized themselves in the area of the White Lotus Mountain to carry out some secret religious activities, in order to pray for good weather and peace for the country and the people.
With the passage of time, the White Lotus Sect gradually developed and grew, and began to have a certain organizational structure and leading figures, who often actively participated in some peasant uprisings under the banner of saving the world and saving the people, and became "nail households" in the eyes of the imperial court, which brought great threats to the rule of the imperial court.
Second, Zhu Yuanzhang's blow
After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang soon realized that the White Lotus Sect posed a threat to his rule, so he began to carry out a severe crackdown on the White Lotus Sect, and even characterized it as a cult and carried out a comprehensive eradication. Under such a repressive policy, the members of the White Lotus Sect live in dire straits, and for their own survival, they can only choose to go underground and carry out some secret religious activities to maintain their faith and livelihood.
3. The fall of the White Lotus Sect
Under Zhu Yuanzhang's crackdown policy, the power of the White Lotus Sect gradually weakened, and some sect members began to wander around, looking for strength that they could rely on. Among them, some people took refuge in the Mongols at that time, hoping to use the power of the Mongols to resist the rule of the Ming Dynasty.
Among them, there is a leader of the White Lotus Sect, named Zhao Quan, who was originally the leader of the White Lotus Sect, and later with the fall of the White Lotus Sect, he took refuge in the Mongols, hoping to use the power of the Mongols to resist the rule of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhao Quan's defection sounded the alarm for the Ming Dynasty court at that time, they realized that the Mongols had begun to covet the territory of the Ming Dynasty, and the members of the White Lotus Sect were likely to become the internal response of the Mongols, so they began to pursue Zhao Quan and his followers with all their might.
Fourth, Zhao Quan's fate
Zhao Quan eventually fled to Mongolia, where he came to seek refuge with the Mongol leader on the pretext that he was the leader of the White Lotus Sect, hoping to gain the respect and protection of the Mongols. And the Mongolian leader at that time was the famous Alta.
I replied to Zhao Quan's arrival very welcomely, not only did he not hand Zhao Quan over to the Ming court, but he valued him very much, and let him hold some important positions, and even let him lead an army to attack the territory of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhao Quan was respected by the Mongols and began to act recklessly in the Mongols' sphere of influence, instigating the Mongols to constantly attack the territory of the Ming Dynasty, and also helped the Mongols improve agricultural technology and weaponry, becoming the Mongols' right-hand man.
Just when Zhao Quan thought that he could enjoy his old age in Mongolia in peace, he was betrayed by Alta, who had already seen through Zhao Quan's ambitions, and he did not want to have too much conflict with the Ming Dynasty court because of Zhao Quan's instigation, so at the right time, Zhao Quan and his followers were all handed over to the Ming court.
Zhao Quan was finally captured by the Ming Dynasty court, and his fate was very miserable, not only was he executed, but even his followers were wiped out by the Ming Dynasty, and the power of the White Lotus Sect was completely destroyed.
Epilogue:
The rise and fall of the White Lotus Sect left a strong mark on the history of the great powers of the East, and its existence was not only a challenge to the rule of the imperial court, but also reflected a kind of helplessness and confusion in people's hearts during the period of social turmoil at that time.
And what happened to Zhao Quan and others also gives us some inspiration, although their fate is very miserable, but it is the result of their own choice, they put their fate in the hands of others in the game of power, and finally suffered ruthless betrayal and blows.
When we face temptations and predicaments, we must keep our eyes open, see the situation correctly, not be confused by the immediate interests, but also know how to grasp our own destiny, and not easily put our destiny into the hands of others, otherwise, it is very likely that we will bury our own lives.
The rise and fall of the White Lotus Sect also gives us some inspiration, the relationship between religious forces and forces is often very delicate and complex, we must take a correct view of religion, we cannot blindly follow, still less can we be swayed by some extreme religious thoughts, only by keeping a clear mind and treating religion correctly, can we better safeguard our legitimate rights and interests, and can we also make society develop more harmoniously and steadily.