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An influential brotherhood during this period was the Tiandihui, or "Heaven and Earth Society." This group emerged as a prominent force among the many mutual-aid societies sprouting in southern China. Their origins trace back to the 1750s, when a monk named Zheng Kai began consolidating followers and forming a community with shared beliefs and goals. Through its mythic tales of origin, the Tiandihui fashioned itself as a protector of Han culture against the Manchu rule.