Donghak Peasant Revolution
First revolt
First revolt
------------

[thumb\|The jangtae was initially intended for raising chickens but used to avoid bullets by hiding behind them by filling the inside of the jangtae with rice straw or rolling it down from a high place to block the soldiers coming up to suppress the peasant army.](/wiki/File:Jangtae.jpg "Jangtae.jpg")
Jeon and Kim went south to Mujang, where they met [Son Hwa\-jung](/wiki/Son_Hwajung "Son Hwajung"). The rebels organized adequately in Mujang, and on 20 March, the 4,000 rebels of Mujang turned towards Mount Baek, Gobu. While camped in Mount Baek, the army grew to tens of thousands. Choe Deokyeong's 300 peasants joined them from the north. Here, the aphorism came: "When sitting, a white mountain; when standing, a bamboo mountain." (rebels mostly wore white and used bamboo spears. The term may have appeared earlier, however, as Mount Juk, meaning 'bamboo mountain,' could only be seen when standing, as it was covered by smaller Mount Baek, 'white mountain.') On 22 March, the rebels destroyed the reservoir and burned down governmental offices and storage.

The rebels camped for four days in Gobu, and new rebels joined them daily. After making Jeon Bong\-jun the leader and Kim Gae\-nam and Son Hwa\-Jung as generals, the rebels occupied Taein (1 April) and Buan (4 April). The leaders also ordered the rebels to follow the four guidelines:
1. Do not kill the innocent, and refrain from eating farm animals.
2. Open the Hucheon through loyalty and piety and appease the people.
3. Defeat every single barbarian of Japan and purify the holy land.
4. Drive the army into Seoul and kill every member of the Min family.
The rebels also "did not seek alcohol and women and did not smoke tobacco." They did not forcefully take food but paid for them in money.

### Battle of Hwangtojae

The government sent Yi Gyeonghyo to quell the rebellion and made an emergency army of 700 soldiers and 600 merchants. The 10,000 rebels lured governmental forces into Hwangto Pass. In the dawn of April the 7th, the governmental soldiers charged into the rebel camp but found it empty. Soldiers were in chaos. Suddenly, the rebels, moving under the cover of fog, emerged from the mountains and attacked the governmental forces, killing a thousand soldiers. Most of the rebels were unharmed in the thus concluded [Battle of Hwangtojae](/wiki/Battle_of_Hwangtojae "Battle of Hwangtojae").

### Battle of Hwangryong River

By 17 April, however, Jeon turned south to [Yeonggwang](/wiki/Yeonggwang "Yeonggwang"), where Hong Gyehun's governmental troops were waiting. Jeon attempted to lure the troops to [Jangseong](/wiki/Jangseong "Jangseong"), and General Yi Hakseung chased after them. Yi Hakseung attacked while the rebels were camped on the Hwangryong River, eating lunch. The rebel leader Yi Bangeon envisioned a new strategy. The rebels fled to the mountains, then ran downhill, rolling thousands of *Jangtae*, or chicken cages. The Jangtae blocked most bullets, thus rendering the government's superior weapons useless. Moreover, Jeon placed the rebel army so that they would divide Yi Hakseung's troops into three separate divisions. Yi Hakseung ordered the troops to use their cannons. Still, they did not work because the pro\-rebel villagers had put water inside the cannons (following the incident, rumours spread throughout the government forces that a ghost had destroyed the cannons). More than 300 governmental forces but only two rebels died in the [Battle of Hwangryong River](/wiki/Battle_of_Hwangryong_River "Battle of Hwangryong River").

### Siege of Jeonju Fortress

After the Hwangryong, a royal messenger brought bribes to quell the rebellion to Jeon. Jeon killed the messenger but took the needed money. Jeon then turned north and occupied [Jeonju](/wiki/Jeonju "Jeonju"), the largest city in Jeolla province. not choosing to take [Naju](/wiki/Naju "Naju") to the south. Hong Gyehun quickly returned north, beginning the [Siege of Jeonju Fortress](/wiki/Siege_of_Jeonju_Fortress "Siege of Jeonju Fortress").

Meanwhile, on 29 April, the administrator of Jeonju, Kim Mun\-hyeon, appeared in [Gongju](/wiki/Gongju "Gongju") and told the government of the fall of Jeonju. Unable to control the rebellion, the government of Joseon formally requested military assistance from Japan and China. On 3 May, 1,500 [Qing Dynasty](/wiki/Qing_Dynasty "Qing Dynasty") forces appeared in Incheon. The same day, 6,000 [Japanese](/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Army "Imperial Japanese Army") forces landed in Incheon. The Japanese inquired why the Qing had not notified the Japanese government by the [Convention of Tientsin](/wiki/Convention_of_Tientsin "Convention of Tientsin"), and soon caused the [First Sino\-Japanese War](/wiki/First_Sino-Japanese_War "First Sino-Japanese War").

#### Treaty of Jeonju

On 7 May, Kim Hak\-jin, the new administrator of Jeonju, ordered Hong to make peace with the rebels. The rebels, suffering from lack of food, accepted. This came to be called the Treaty of Jeonju (全州和約)[:ko:전주화약](/wiki/%EC%A0%84%EC%A3%BC%ED%99%94%EC%95%BD "전주화약") or Jeonju Truce. Hong accepted twelve rebel requests:
1. Accept the [Donghak](/wiki/Donghak "Donghak") religion.
2. Punish corrupt officials.
3. Punish those who became illegally rich.
4. Punish corrupt [Yangban](/wiki/Yangban "Yangban") and [Seonbi](/wiki/Seonbi "Seonbi").
5. Free all [slaves](/wiki/Nobi "Nobi").
6. Free the [Cheonmin](/wiki/Cheonmin "Cheonmin") class, and cease the branding of butchers.
7. Legalize the remarriage of widows.
8. Lower taxes.
9. Pick politicians based on qualities, not families.
10. Punish those who cooperate with the [Empire of Japan](/wiki/Empire_of_Japan "Empire of Japan").
11. Illegalize debts.
12. Give their land to all peasants.
Following the truce, the rebels climbed out of the fortress using ladders, and Hong entered the empty fortress.

Both sides celebrated their 'victory'. Hong held a feast with his soldiers inside [Jeonju Fortress](/wiki/Jeonju_Fortress "Jeonju Fortress"), while the rebels sang the *Geomgyeol*, a [Donghak](/wiki/Donghak "Donghak") religious hymn which begins: 


Who were Jeon and Kim?