The entire history of secret societies in China exemplifies the saying, ‘One man’s terrorist (or brigand, or bandit) is another man’s freedom fighter’.
Many of these societies raised and maintained the devotion if their members through esoteric rituals; some were associated with monasteries, and learned powerful meditation techniques which made them disciplined, dedicated and almost invincible warriors. Their initiation rites and rituals drew heavily on Taoist and Buddhist beliefs; both religions were often driven underground by the Confucian rulers, giving them a popular appeal, power and mystery which the societies drew on. It is also thought that the Gnostic religion of Manichæism influenced some of the societies. Some Masonic scholars have found correspondencies between the initiation rites of Chinese secret societies, particularly the Triads, and the rituals in Freemasonry, particularly the 3rd Degree (Master Mason’s) initiation and some of the ‘Higher’ Degrees, with their emphasis on resurrection symbolism.
The societies also often had the advantage of being led by failed candidates for the Civil Service, educated men with a grudge against the government. In outlying districts and in small villages (and as in medieval Europe, much of China was small villages), where government power didn’t really reach, the effective local government was often the societies, ruling from behind the scenes through a combination of benevolence, fear and superstition.
– A Brief History of Secret Societies: An Unbiased History of Our Desire for Secret Knowledge (1997), pp. 255-6