[50] Wei's plans were ultimately thwarted and he and Qin were executed by Hong. Meanwhile, the Qing government also engaged in massacres, most notably against the civilian population of the Taiping capital, Nanjing. But the Qing also took a somewhat desperate, but rather important, move to save themselves. Taiping ranks swelled, and they increased from a ragged band of several thousand to more than one million totally disciplined and fanatically zealous soldiers, organized into separate mens and womens divisions. Where the armies under the control of dynasty itself were unable to defeat the Taiping, these gentry-led Yong Ying armies were able to succeed.[83]. The idea that land and property should be made collective. Eventually, Hong returned to Earth, receiving the title Heavenly King, Lord of the Kingly Way.. [90] After capturing Nanjing, Taiping forces killed about 40,000 Manchu civilians. [52] Some of his followers escaped or were released and continued the fight against the Qing. Sources U.S. Marines. [82], A particularly famous imperial force was Zeng Guofan's Xiang Army. He saw a vision, it was a very particular vision, that in fact, he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, and that he, Hong Xiuquan, this young, poor man from southern China, had been brought onto earth to destroy the demons. Classical account of the Taipings as a bona fide revolutionary force by the scholar who was to dominate Taiping scholarship in the PRC after 1949 and was able to draw on a deep familiarity with sources to make his points. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (Taiping tianguo, 18511864) presented a religious, ethnic and military challenge to the ruling ethnically Manchu Qing dynasty. [115] This expedition was the largest party of Westerners to visit Taiping territories, with the inclusion of many British military personnel, entrepreneurs, missionaries, other unofficial observers and two French representatives. You would take the formal exams-- very tough exams, very lengthy exams. The Taiping leadership consisted of opium smugglers and Triad members who had lost their source of income through this shift and who mainly recruited Triads and landless vagrants. Primary sources related to China. [80], As early as 1853, foreigners from various countries joined the rebels in combat and administrative roles, and were in a position to observe the Taiping in battle. In 1850, alleging that Jesus had urged Hong to fight for Heaven, Hong began to arm his followers. [23][24][25][26] While convalescing, Hong dreamed of visiting Heaven, where he discovered that he possessed a celestial family distinct from his earthly family. And his repeated attempts clearly seemed to have tipped him over the edge. The Taiping army's main strategy of conquest was to take major cities, consolidate their hold on the cities, then march out into the surrounding countryside to recruit local farmers and battle government forces. Following years of aggression with tax collectors, the region finally exploded in a confrontation that resulted in President read more. 20th century, but was also one of the greatest peasant rebellions in world history. In 1847, Hong went to Thistle Mountain to join local God Worshippers and conspire against religious traditions in the area. ; Affairs at Ningpo Admiral Hope Finds Fault with the Rebels Proceedings of the Insurrectionists Distress at Shanghai How Foreigners are to be Protected", "New Chinese Military History, 18391951: What's the Story? Ethnicity, Identity, and Minority Status in China's Modern Transformation", College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, "From Yunnan to Xinjiang:Governor Yang Zengxin and his Dungan Generals", Military Organization and Power Structure of China During the Taiping Rebellion, "Reverend Issachar Jacox Roberts and the Taiping Rebellion", "Christian Influence Upon the Ideology of the Taiping Rebellion", "OUR CHINA CORRESPONDENCE. One tactic was to ring a Qing emplacement in fire and kill the fleeing Qing troops as they emerged individually.[78]. The rebellion led to the loss of 17 million lives in the Lower Yangzi, or half of the native population (Cao, 1998). The rebels were courageous under fire, erected defensive works quickly, and used mobile pontoon bridges. The rebellion was a massive Civil War in Southern China from 1850 to 1864. [36], Soon after Hong began preaching across Guangxi in 1844, his follower Feng Yunshan founded the God Worshipping Society, a movement which followed Hong's fusion of Christianity, Daoism, Confucianism and indigenous millenarianism, which Hong presented as a restoration of the ancient Chinese faith in Shangdi. The Great Taiping Rebellion: A Story of General Gordon in China - Primary Source Edition Over the centuries, Zhuang communities had been adopting Han Chinese culture. Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. Zeng Guofan had initially failed so badly that he attempted suicide, but he then adopted the teachings of the 16th century Ming-dynasty general Qi Jiguang. The Taiping Rebellion, also known as the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Revolution, was a massive rebellion and civil war that was waged in China between the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and the Han, Hakka-led Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.Essentially, the Taiping Rebellion was one of the biggest revolts launched against the Qing Dynasty in China.This revolution involved immense fights guided by . [citation needed] They typically wore a uniform of red jackets with blue trousers, and grew their hair long so in China they were nicknamed "long hair". The devastating death toll between 1850 to 1864 certainly makes the uprising one of the bloodiest events in . The Taiping were especially opposed to idolatry, destroying idols wherever found with great prejudice. The Taiping Rebellion was a civil war fought in China between the Taiping rebels and the Qing Dynasty, beginning in 1851 and lasting until 1864. . CHINA. Estimates vary, but the Taiping Rebellion is believed to have claimed between 20 million and 70 million lives, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. Hong Xiuquan declared that God would defend Nanjing, but in June 1864, with Qing forces approaching, he died of food poisoning as a consequence of eating wild vegetables when the city ran low on food supplies. [33][34][32] In 1847 Hong went to Guangzhou, where he studied the Bible with Issachar Jacox Roberts, an American Baptist missionary. Edited and Translated by Martin Kieffer. Hong Kong: Jian shi mengjin shuwu, 18961960. Deng, Kent G. (2011) "China's Political Economy in Modern Times: Changes and Economic Consequences, 18002000". It was, quite possibly, the single bloodiest civil war ever in history. An attempt to take Shanghai in August 1860 was repulsed by an army of Qing troops supported by European officers under the command of Frederick Townsend Ward. Loud noises and bright lights were used to scare the beast away, and the read more, The Han Dynasty ruled China from 206 B.C. The Taiping are presented as the first modernizers. The Xiang Army recapturing Jinling, a suburb of the Taiping capital, July 19, 1864 Taiping soldiers, male and female, outside Shanghai The Taiping "Rebellion" (1851-64), or "Revolution," was a religious-based domestic uprising with ethnicHan versus Manchuovertones. Led by Hong Xiuquan, the self-proclaimed brother of Jesus Christ, the goals of the Taipings were religious, nationalist, and . Unexpectedly, the Taiping army was victorious in these first battles, but fighting continued over the following months as Hong proclaimed 1851 as the first year of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.. Hong declared that his followers should not commit adultery or be licentious and should reject the cast of amorous glances, the harboring of lustful thoughts about others, the smoking of opium and the singing of libidinous songs or be punished with beheadings. In early January 1851, following a small-scale battle in late December 1850, a 10,000-strong rebel army organized by Feng Yunshan and Wei Changhui routed Qing forces stationed in Jintian (present-day Guiping, Guangxi). Meanwhile, Yang Xiuqing, the Taiping minister of state, attempted to usurp much of the Tianwangs power, and, as a result, Yang and thousands of his followers were slain. A coalition of Qing troops and Chinese soldiers under European officers defended the city, then set out to crush the rebellion in the southern provinces. It was so severe that parents and children of the opposite sex could not interact, and even married couples were discouraged from having sex. [17] The Qing military had recently suffered a disastrous defeat in the First Opium War, while the Chinese economy was severely impacted by a trade imbalance caused by the large-scale and illicit importation of opium. [98] This resulted in a massive civilian flight and death toll with some 600 towns destroyed[99] and other bloody policies resulting. Some of the primary plans of the Taiping Revolution were the establishment of collective ownership of property, gender equality and an eternal reward based on Christian doctrine. Matthew White. His promise of free land would soon bring in thousands more followers. [65], Du Wenxiu, who led the Panthay Rebellion in Yunnan, was in contact with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Summary translation of the authors extensive earlier version (cited as Jian 18961960) charting a chronological trajectory from the wars origins to its demise. Westminster Press. It contains maps, drawings and photographs, and personal accounts of life and work in China throughout the period. And quickly, the Taipings managed to take over some of China's most prime real estate, including the major city of Nanjing, the former capital of China, which they made their capital. A friend of Hongs, Feng Yunshan, utilized Hongs ideas to organize a new religious group, the God Worshippers Society (Bai Shangdi Hui), which he formed among the impoverished peasants of Guangxi province. As for the actual practice of Christianity in the city, McCartee said "I saw no signs of anything resembling Christianity in or near Nanking". Miyazaki, Ichisada. [76], The rebels used brilliant unorthodox strategies that nearly toppled the dynasty but inspired it to adopt what one historian calls "the most significant military experimentation since the seventeenth century."[77]. 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