In the south-west, since the 15th century, the provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Sichuan were ruled through semi-independent local chieftains, called tusi, upon whom the emperor bestowed titles, demanding only taxes and peace in their territories.

[3] The Chinese state "followed" the immigrants, establishing its structures, first military, then civil, and displacing semi-independent tusi with regular administration over time.

Mass Chinese immigration put a strain on scarce resources, but officials preyed on rather than administered the population.

The previous rebellion of 1736 had been met with harsh measures, with the effect of the second half of the 18th century being relatively calm, i.e. the numerous local incidents were not enough to challenge governmental authority.

The Qing dynasty sent banner troops, Green Standard battalions and mobilized local militias and self-defence units.

[2] Relocating Green Standard troops from Hubei to Hunan in 1795, to deal with the Miao, facilitated the White Lotus Rebellion, because of the diminished control in the northern province.