Background
Fang La played upon southern popular resentment of the Song court's excesses. He even claimed that the southeasterns 'blood and fat' were turned by the Song court into rich 'annual gifts' to placate the two northern ethnic regimes, the Khitan Liao and the Xi Xia.
In winter 1120 the local Manichaean sects risked exposure and persecution by the authorities. Fang La formally launched his uprising on 11 November, initially with only a few thousand co-religionist. After annihilating a government force, Fang La's new regime quickly expanded. On 21 December, the rebels took their first county seat, then their first prefectural seat, then the next prefecture. On 19 January 1121, Fang La's forces took Hangzhou.
Meanwhile, Fang La's rebellion destroyed Buddhist monasteries and images, burned down Confucian schools and killed many Confucian literati. Such acts alienated local Chinese gentry and many others.
In early 1121, a large Song army arrived in southern China and started a two-pronged offensive against Fang La's Manichaean regime, whose lack of both military expirience and broad-based social support was immediately exposed. In a few short months, Fang La was reduced to his hidden home base - a remote and secluded mountain valley. The location of this secret hideout was betrayed by the son of a local landlord killed by Fang La. On 12 May, the valley was breached by government troops. After killing more than 70000 diehard religionists, the government soldiers captured Fang La, his family and his close associates. These Manichaean leaders were publicly executed at the Song capital on 7 October.