The Taiping Rebellion in China (1850-1864) is one of the most significant events in the history of the country. What was the reason for the beginning of the peasant war and how did this event affect the further development of the state? Read more about it below.
China on the eve of the uprising
At the beginning of the 19th century, China entered a period of deep crisis that engulfed all spheres of the life of the state. Its political manifestations were the growth of anti-Manchu sentiments (since the end of the 18th century, the Qing empire, headed by the Manchu dynasty, was in power) and the rise of the insurgency. The crisis was the main reason for the "closure" of the country for trade with English and Indian merchants. China's self-isolation led to the First Opium War with England. As a result of the aggressive actions of European states, the policy of "closure" was over. China began to turn into a semi-colony.
The defeat in the First Opium War and the further active invasion of the country's economy by foreign capital undermined the prestige of the ruling dynasty. And it was at this time that a new opposition ideology was born in China, the father of which is Hong Xiuquan.
Taiping ideology
HongXiuquan is the main ideologist of the Taiping movement. He was born in 1813 near Guangzhou. His father was an impoverished Chinese official. The future leader of the Taiping rebellion repeatedly tried to pass a special exam for filling a public position. However, all his attempts were unsuccessful. It was while studying in Guangzhou that he became acquainted with Christian ideas, which were actively penetrating the country through the activities of European missions. Hong Xiuquan began to study a religion unfamiliar to him. Already in 1843, he created a Christian organization called the Heavenly Father Society.
Let's consider the main ideas of Hong Xiuquan's teachings.
- It was based on the idea of the Holy Trinity. At the same time, Hong Xiuquan included himself in its composition as the younger brother of Jesus Christ. In this regard, he interpreted all his actions as “the destiny of God.”
- Hong Xiuquan was also impressed by the Christian idea of the "kingdom of God". It corresponded to the ancient Chinese notions of a "just society". In this regard, the Taipings brought to the fore the idea of equality and brotherhood.
- A characteristic feature of the Taiping ideology was its anti-Manchurian orientation. In his sermons, he talked about the fact that the Qing dynasty should be overthrown. In addition, the Taipings called for the physical destruction of the Manchus.
- Hong Xiuquan's followers opposed Confucianism and other alternative religions, but borrowed some ideas from them (for example, the idea of "filial piety").
- The main goal of the organization is the creation of Taiping Tianguo (Heavenly state of great prosperity).
The beginning of the uprising and periodization
In the summer of 1850, the Jintian Uprising began. The Taipings considered the situation in the country favorable for open action against the state power, which was headed by the Qing dynasty. 10,000 rebels have concentrated in the area of the village of Jintian in the south of Guangxi province.
On January 11, 1850, the beginning of the uprising was officially announced.
At the first stage of the struggle, the Taipings set their main goal to liberate China. The Qing (a dynasty that has ruled here for over 100 years) has been declared hostile and must be overthrown.
In general, researchers agree that the Taiping uprising in China went through 4 main stages in its development:
1 stage covers 1850-1853. This is the time of brilliant successes of the Taiping army. In September 1851, she captured the city of Yong'an. It was here that the foundations of the Taiping state were laid.
2 stage - 1853-1856 The beginning of a new period of struggle marks the capture of the city of Nanjing by the rebels. At this stage, the Taipings directed their main forces to expand their state.
3 The Peasants' War in China lasted from 1856 to 1860. It coincided with the Second Opium War.
4 stage covers 1860-1864. It was marked by the open military intervention of Western European powers in China and the suicide of Hong Xiuquan.
The first stage of the war
In 1851Taipings moved to the north of Guangxi. Here they occupied the city of Yong'an, where they established their government.
Yang Xiuqing became the head of the new state. He received the highest position called "Eastern Prince" (he also received the title "God's Herald") and concentrated in his hands the administration and leadership of the army. In addition, 3 more princes were at the head of the Taiping state (Western - Xiao Chaogui, Northern - Wei Changhui and Southern - Feng Yunshan) and their assistant Shi Dakai.
In December 1852, the Taiping army moved down the Yangtze River to the east of the country. In January 1853, they managed to occupy a strategically important region - the Wuhan Tricity, which included such cities as Wuchang, Hanyang and Hankou. The military successes of the Taiping army contributed to the growing popularity of Hong Xiuquan's ideas among the local population, so the rebel ranks were constantly replenished. By 1853, the number of rebels exceeded 500 thousand people.
After capturing the Wuhan Tricity, the rebel army moved into Anhui Province and occupied its most important cities.
In March 1853, the Taipings stormed one of the largest cities in China, Nanjing, which then became the capital of their state. This event marked the end of the first and the beginning of the second stage of the peasant war.
Organization of the Taiping State
The Peasant War in China began in 1850, and a year later the Taiping state was established in the south of the country. Consider the basic principles of its organization in more detail.
- Since 1853the capital of the state was the city of Nanjing.
- Taiping Tianguo was a monarchy in its structure.
- By character - a theocratic state (the rebels insisted on a complete merger of the church and institutions of power).
- The bulk of the population were peasants. Their demands were generally met by the government.
- Hong Xiuquan was considered the nominal head of state, however, in fact, all power was in the hands of the "Eastern Prince" and "God's Herald" Yang Xiuqing.
In 1853, the most important document was published called "The Land System of the Heavenly Dynasty". In fact, it became the Constitution of the newly formed Taiping state. This law approved not only the foundations of agrarian policy, but also the basic principles of the country's administrative structure.
The "Land system of the Heavenly Dynasty" provided for the organization of paramilitary patriarchal communities. Thus, every 25 peasant families constituted a separate community. From each family, one person was required to serve in the military.
Since the summer of 1850, a system of so-called "sacred storerooms" has been established among the Taipings. From them, the rebels and their families received food, money and clothing. "Sacred storerooms" were replenished at the expense of war booty. At the same time, private property was banned in the Taiping state.
The new Constitution of the Taiping state, in fact, embodied the dreams of the peasants about equality and the destruction of large landed estates of the landlords. However, this document was written in a "bookish" language unknown to most of the population. That is why the Constitution did not become the basis for the real policy of the leaders of the Taiping rebellion.
Second stage of the war
The Taiping uprising since 1853 is gaining new momentum. The beginning of a new phase of the war marked the capture by the rebels of the largest Chinese city of Nanjing. During this period, the Taipings were actively fighting to expand the borders of their newly formed state.
In May 1853, it was decided to start the Northern Expedition. His main goal was to capture Beijing, the capital of China. Two armies were sent to the Northern campaign. In June, the unsuccessful capture of Huaiqia took place. Then the troops moved to Shanxi province, and then to Zhili.
In October, the Taiping army approached Tianjin (the last outpost on the way to Beijing). However, by this time the troops were greatly weakened. In addition, a harsh winter has come. The Taipings suffered not only from the cold, but also from a lack of provisions. The Taiping army lost many fighters. All this led to the defeat of the rebels in the Northern campaign. In February 1854, the detachments left Tianjin Province.
In fact, the Western campaign of the Taiping army began simultaneously with the North. The rebel troops were led by Shi Dakai. The purpose of this campaign was to expand the borders of the Taiping state to the west of Nanjing and capture new territories along the middle course of the Yangtze River. In June, the rebels managed to return the previously lost city of Anqing, and then other important points. In the winter of 1855, Shi Dakai's army recaptured the cities of the Wuhan Tricity.
In general, the Western campaign was verysuccessful for the Taipings. The borders of their state have expanded significantly to the west of the capital Nanjing.
Taiping state crisis
Despite a number of successful military campaigns, in 1855 a crisis began in the newly formed state, which covered all spheres of society. The Taiping uprising covered wide areas and met with great support from the population. However, its leaders failed to realize most of their plans, and the Constitution of the state became, in its essence, utopian.
At this time, the number of princes increased significantly. In 1856, there were no longer 4, but more than 200. In addition, the Taiping leaders began to move away from ordinary peasants. By the middle of the war, no one was talking about universal equality and fraternity.
The crisis has engulfed the very system of power. In fact, the Taipings destroyed the old state system and failed to organize the correct system in return. At this time, disagreements between the rulers also escalated. The apogee of this was a coup d'état. On the night of September 2, 1860, Yang Xiuqing and his family were killed. The country was swept by a wave of terror. Destroyed not only supporters of Yang Xiuqing, but also other vans (Shi Dakai). The coup d'état on September 2, 1860 was a turning point in the history of the peasant war and marked the beginning of its third stage.
Second Opium War
The beginning of the third stage of the Taiping struggle against the Manchurian dynasty was marked by the Second Opium War. The Taiping uprising at that time lost its power, and the newly formed statewas forced to exist in the conditions of military aggression of Western states.
The reason for the outbreak of hostilities was the arrest of the British ship "Arrow" in China.
In 1857, the combined Anglo-French troops captured Guangzhou. A year later, they occupied Tianjin, a strategically important point that was located on the outskirts of Beijing.
In 1858, the Tianjin Peace Treaty was signed. The Qing Empire was forced to capitulate. However, just before the ratification of the peace treaty, the emperor of China announced the continuation of the war.
In August 1860, the Anglo-French troops again occupied Tianjin. The decisive battle took place on September 21 at the Baliqiao Bridge (in the Tongzhou region). The Chinese army was defeated. In October 1860, the combined Anglo-French troops approached Beijing. The Chinese government was forced to start negotiations.
On October 25, 1860, the Beijing Convention was signed. Its main results boiled down to the following provisions:
- England and France received the exclusive right to establish their embassies in Beijing.
- 5 new ports opened for foreign trade in China.
- Foreigners (merchants and diplomats) received the right to move freely around the country.
- Tianjin was declared an open city.
The fourth stage and the end of the uprising
The Taiping Rebellion in 1860-1864 was no longer so powerful. In addition, the newly formed state was forced to move from active hostilitiesto the defense. The fourth period of the peasant war in China is characterized by the transition of the United States, England and France to open military intervention in the country.
In the early 60s, despite the weakening of the army, the Taipings managed to win a number of major victories. Troops led by Li Xiucheng headed to the coastal provinces. Here they managed to conquer large ports - the city of Huangzhou and other centers of Zhejiang and Jiangsu. In addition, the Taipings made two trips to Shanghai. However, they failed to capture the city.
In 1861, counter-revolutionary forces launched an offensive.
At the same time, England, France and the US moved to open intervention against the Taipings. In 1863, the northern coast of the Yangtze River came under the control of the Qing Dynasty. The Taipings were then forced to leave all the coastal provinces.
In 1864, Manchurian units, with the support of Western European troops, surrounded Nanjing. As a result, more than 100 thousand Taipings were destroyed. A severe famine began in the city.
Hong Xiuquan realized the hopelessness of the situation and committed suicide. After his death, the leadership of the defense of Nanjing passed into the hands of Li Xiucheng. In July 1864, imperial troops blew up the walls of the city and broke into the capital of Taiping Tianguo. Li Xiucheng managed to leave Nanjing with a small detachment. However, he was later captured and executed.
Thus, in 1864, the Taiping War came to an end. Their main forces were destroyed, and the leaders of the uprising were executed. The last centers of resistance were suppressed by the imperial troops in 1868.
Results and consequences of the peasant war
The Taiping uprising was a major shock to the Qing Empire. It undermined the foundations of the feudal system and the country's economy. Cities and major ports were destroyed, the uprising led to the mass extermination of the population of China.
Taiping Tianguo was a great social experiment involving the broad peasant masses.
The Peasant War also had a significant impact on the position of the Qing Dynasty. Its position in the country was shaken, and the support of the population was lost. To suppress mass demonstrations, the ruling elite was forced to seek help from large landowners. This led to the strengthening of the position of the landlords. As a result, ethnic Hans (Chinese) increasingly began to take part in the government of the country, and the number of Manchus in the state apparatus decreased. In the 60s. in China there is a strengthening of regional groupings. This also leads to a weakening of the position of the central government.
In addition, the middle of the 19th century in Chinese history was marked by a number of other major uprisings.
The Miao war in the Guizhou region lasted more than 18 years. In 1862, a major uprising of the Dungan people began, which engulfed the provinces of Shanxi and Gansu. In 1855, an anti-government war broke out in the Yunnan region. The Hui people, who professed Islam, took part in it. All these uprisings had a significant impact on the further development of China and its relations with Western European states.
