this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2025
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[–] sudo@programming.dev 143 points 1 month ago (2 children)

If you want a sample of how crazy Chinese history can get look at the Tai Ping rebellion:

  • Student fails Civil Servant Exam for the third time and has a mental breakdown
  • starts claiming he's Jesus' little brother who trained him to fight demons in his dreams
  • more dead than WWI
[–] Godort@lemmy.ca 126 points 1 month ago (3 children)

There was also that time a prison guard lost a prisoner during a transfer, and because the punishment for such a crime was death, he released all his prisoners, became their leader, and overthrew the monarchy.

[–] Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works 44 points 1 month ago (1 children)

There's a few examples throughout history where having an insane punishment for a crime has caused serious problems.

[–] riwo@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 1 month ago

this is such a typical issue in hierarchical structures and i love it because its so what they deserve

[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 42 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Please tell me there's a movie about that.

[–] Godort@lemmy.ca 40 points 1 month ago

There have probably been a few, but they're almost certainly all Chinese.

The guy's name was Liu Bang if you want to read up about it

[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Wasn't there at least one other time where "failure means death" turned into "guess we might as well just try to take over"?

Time I'm thinking about was when an emperor had summoned some warlords to be there by x date or die and one group realized they weren't going to make it by the date, so since they had their armies with them anyways, they just pivoted from answering summons to invading/conquering. Not sure that one worked out though.

[–] fibojoly@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 month ago

Yes! I clearly remember reading about that one, but it was Japan. Something about being summoned and if you ain't on time, well, clearly you are a traitor and it means death. They get late so they decide to just go with the flow. I looked it up but no luck :/

[–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today 17 points 1 month ago (2 children)

You doubt Jesus Hong Christ?

That's it, Wing King Shi Dakai Lord of Five Thousand Years is going to escort you out of the Heavenly Kingdom.

Now you won't ever get to eat grass with the Heavenly King.

[–] tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip 13 points 1 month ago

Pfft, imagine believing Jesus was in Nanjing. He clearly traveled through Siberia to rural Japan where he changed his name to Torai Tora Daitenku, all thanks to his Japanese brother Isukiri who went to Jerusalem to replace Jesus on the cross.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirisuto_no_Haka

[–] sudo@programming.dev 3 points 1 month ago

No no no! The true second coming of Christ was Sun Myung Moon!

[–] Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works 44 points 1 month ago (1 children)

There's a period of time where the population of China legitimately moved in a sawtooth pattern, as they had a massive war every few generations and wiped out a chunk of their population.

[–] Flax_vert@feddit.uk 3 points 1 month ago

I wonder if we're on another sawtooth

[–] slothrop@lemmy.ca 21 points 1 month ago (1 children)

...some hooligans and gadabouts were gaoled for overturning dustbins on Hampstead Heath...

[–] pruwybn@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

The hooligans are loose! What if they become ruffians?

[–] rumschlumpel@feddit.org 15 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

The Ancient Chinese were certainly good at recordkeeping*, having a unified kingdom and being a lot of people.

*numbers to be taken with a grain of salt, but European countries often just didn't make or preserve records at all.

[–] schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] Redfox8@mander.xyz 5 points 1 month ago

Oh it so is! Regards, Alistaire Jeremy Tarquin Smithe Smithe-Walmintrop.

[–] capuccino@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago
[–] hakunawazo@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I have a slight suspicion that a few names might be made up.

[–] Battle_Masker@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Nah they're real. I should know, I operate my business outta ooksteinberg

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 month ago

europe rules