Taiping Rebellion

Taiping Rebellion (1850–64). A major Chinese uprising which threatened to overthrow the Ch'ing dynasty. The Taiping's ‘Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace’ (T'ai-p'ing t'ien-kuo) was a theocracy established and ruled by Hung Hsiu-ch'uan (1814–64). Influenced by Confucian utopianism and Protestant Christianity, Hung came to understand himself through dramatic visionary experiences to be the brother of Christ Jesus and God's second holy son. The religio-political movement stressed the equality of the sexes, Christian education, and social welfare. As Hung Hsiu-ch'uan promised his followers reward in heaven for martyrdom on earth, zealous Taiping forces fought Ch'ing government troops with remarkable success. At the zenith of its wealth and power, however, the Taiping kingdom was shaken by internecine strife, and the religious community slowly began to disintegrate. Realizing the end was near, Hung Hsiu-ch'uan committed suicide in 1864. The Taiping Rebellion lasted for fourteen years and inspired many later anti-Ch'ing revolutionaries such as Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek.

The basic ‘programme’ of the rebellion is contained in T'ien-t'iao shu (Eng. tr., North China Herald, 14 May 1853), including a reapplied Ten Commandments.