Punti–Hakka Clan Wars or Hakka–Punti Clan Wars refer to the conflict between the Hakka and Punti in Guangdong, China between 1855 and 1867.
The wars are particularly fierce in around the Pearl River Delta, especially in Taishan of the Sze Yup counties.
The wars result in roughly a million dead with many more fleeing for their lives.Hakka literally means guest family, and Punti literally means original land.
The Punti are also referred to by the dialect they speak, Cantonese.
The origins of this bloody conflict lie in the resentment of the Punti towards the Hakka, whose dramatic population growth threatens the Punti.
The Hakka are marginalized and resentful in turn, and are forced to inhabit the hills and waterways rather than the fertile plains.
