The Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864) was a civil war fought in China between the Qing dynasty and an anti-Manchu movement led by Hong Xiuquan. It was the most devastating uprising in Chinese history, resulting in more than 20 million deaths.
At its center was Hong Xiuquan, a Hakka peasant from Guangdong who experienced a religious vision in 1837. After failing the imperial examination three times, Hong received help from a Protestant missionary and then decided to form his own religion, which he called the “God Worshipping Society.” This movement was heavily influenced by various elements of Christianity, combined with Chinese traditional beliefs. This new religion spread rapidly across South China and gained an estimated 8 million followers by 1851.
In late 1850, the movement spread across the Yangtze River to take control of Nanjing, establishing the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace or Taiping Tian Guo. From here, Hong and the God Worshipping Society declared themselves the new rulers of China. During their eight-year reign they implemented many drastic social reforms including the enforced equal distribution of land and a ban on slavery and foot-binding.
Despite these reforms, the rebellion was ultimately unsuccessful and ended in 1864 when the Qing defeated the Taiping forces. The Qing were aided by foreign merchants and western powers who viewed the Taiping as a dangerous threat to the status quo.
Throughout the course of the rebellion, over 20 million people perished due to war, famine and disease. Although the Taiping Rebellion was ultimately unsuccessful, it left a lasting impact on Chinese society and culture, paving the way for the idea of a democratic society.