Why did Miao groups rebel during the Qing dynasty?

During the Qing dynasty, Miao groups in Guizhou rebelled primarily in response to the central government's policy of replacing traditional local chiefs with officials appointed by the state. This administrative shift was part of a broader effort by the Qing government to integrate non-Han Indigenous groups into Chinese culture and strengthen central control over the southwest.12

These tensions were further exacerbated by the colonization policies of the Ming and Qing dynasties, which encouraged large-scale immigration of Chinese settlers from provinces such as Hunan, Jiangxi, and Sichuan into Guizhou. The resulting displacement and social friction led to frequent uprisings, with the most significant revolt occurring in 1855 under the leadership of the Miao figure Zhang Xiumei, who eventually aligned with Taiping revolutionaries. These conflicts were characterized by extreme violence and devastating loss of life on all sides.13