Taiping Rebellion
Topic: Paths to Modernisation: Japan, China, Korea · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Taiping Rebellion was a huge civil war in China from 1850 to 1864, under the Qing dynasty. Its leader, Hong Xiuquan, said he was the younger brother of Jesus. He set up a "Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace" and promised to share land fairly and to sweep away the Manchu rulers. It was one of the deadliest wars of the 19th century, and millions died. It showed how weak the Qing had become after the Opium Wars, at a time of hunger and anger in the countryside.
Example
In 1853 the Taiping rebels captured Nanjing and made it their capital. Regional Chinese armies, helped by Western-led forces, finally retook the city in 1864 and crushed the rebellion.
Don't confuse with
- Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901): an uprising against foreigners and Christians in north China. The Taipings fought against the Qing and drew on a Christian-style faith.
Related concepts
- Qing dynasty
- Triangular trade
- Opium Wars
- Treaty of Nanking 1842
- Semi-colony
- Self-Strengthening Movement
- Hundred Days' Reform 1898
- Kang Youwei
- Liang Qichao
- Boxer Rebellion