HISTORICAL COMMITTEE THE TAIPING REVOLUTION BATUHAN ŞAHİN ÇAĞLAR GENÇ YASEMİN TANYÜ EMİR SERT - MUNDP
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RESEARCH REPORT
HISTORICAL COMMITTEE
THE TAIPING REVOLUTION
BATUHAN ŞAHİN
ÇAĞLAR GENÇ
YASEMİN TANYÜ
EMİR SERT
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development – Research Report
Committee: Historical Committee
Agenda Item: The Taiping Revolution
Student Officers: Batuhan Şahin, Çağlar Genç, Yasemin Tanyü, Emir Sert
Basic Overview of the Issue
Lasting nearly fourteen years, the Taiping Revolution was one of the most influential
events of the 19th century. Led by Hong Xiuquan, the God Worshipping Society was the
ones to ignite this revolution. Fueled by the socioeconomic status of the Qing Dynasty after
the Opium Wars, the God Worshipping Society grew fast, even though the supported ideas
were extreme.
Declaring Hong as the “Taiping King” and arming themselves with gunpowder, the
God Worshipping Society eventually clashed with the army of the Qing Dynasty at the end of
1851. One side manipulated by a delusional leader, the other ruled by one of the greatest
dynasties, this revolution came to be known as one of the deadliest conflicts in history,
costing almost 20 to 70 million lives.
Explanation of Important Terms
God Worshipping Society
The religious movement founded by Hong Xiuquan in 1844 had a major influence during the
Taiping Revolution. As the self-proclaimed younger brother of Jesus Christ, his religious
philosophy relied on combining Christianity with Chinese folk religions and cultural values.
He and his closest allies acted as missionaries to convert more followers to their group.
Leading up to 1850 as their numbers grew, the society became a large threat towards
traditional Chinese values and the control of the Qing Dynasty over their people. The Qing
Dynasty began threatening members of the society and the God Worshippers began rioting
in numbers of over 10 thousand. As the revolution continued, this number eventually rose to
millions of followers.
The Opium Wars
The Opium Wars are critical in analyzing the reasons behind the scale of the revolution. After
the Qing Dynasty’s harsh defeat to Great Britain in the First Opium War, the country
experienced a major economic and social crisis. Taxes and homelessness rose while
production decreased with the high use of opium rendering many citizens addicted. This
opened a door for extreme ideologies such as the ones of Hong Xiuquan to become widely
accepted, a trend that has been seen throughout history.
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 1Committee: Historical Committee Agenda Item: The Taiping Revolution Student Officers: Batuhan Şahin, Çağlar Genç, Yasemin Tanyü, Emir Sert Absolute Imperial Monarchy The Qing Dynasty had a governmental structure of an absolute imperial monarchy, with the Emperor as the head of state, government, and leader of armed forces. This system gave the people no voice in their own country as the biggest advisors to the emperor all resided from within the palace. The disconnect between the emperor and his people, combined with the hardships at the time resulted in many despising their leaders, provoking the revolution. The Mandate of Heaven A structure present in the absolute imperial monarchy of the Qing Dynasty, the Mandate of Heaven legitimized the ruling power of the monarch. It was thought that the Chinese monarch was selected by divine power, represented Heaven and was consequently the Son of Heaven. According to this teaching, if a monarch was to be overthrown, it would be against the will of the gods and the natural order. This protected the crown from rebellions targeting the monarch and stopped many from getting major support. Detailed Background of the Issue The Taiping Revolution was a massive rebellion, one of the most crucial events to have taken place in China. It is also known as one of the deadliest wars. It lasted for 14 years and took nearly 20 million lives. The rebellion began under the leadership of Hong Xiuquan, the self-proclaimed brother of Jesus. He believed that he was sent to reform China in a Christian way. His goal was to overthrow the Qing Dynasty, which had been oppressing China for a long time and to kill all Manchu people (their ethnicity) because in his visions he was instructed to exterminate all “demons”, referring to the Manchu. The rebellion was also the first instance of The Anti-Manchu sentiment, the sentiment against the Manchu rule for their barbaric ways. Additionally, Hong converted Chinese people to the Taiping syncretic version of Christianity, instead of the traditional religion. The Taiping Religion was Hong's own interpretation of Christianity which was a combination of both Christianity and Chinese folk religion, also known as Taiping Christianity. Christianity appealed to most lower-class Chinese people because at the time, Confucian culture was in power and mostly spoke to the higher class. At first, when Hong started to convert people, it wasn’t received well. The first to convert were the Hakka community, a minority that was always economically marginalized and discriminated against. In 1844, one of Hong's followers, Feng Yunshan, formed a religious group named God's Worship Society also known as Bài Shàngdì Huì. MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 2
Committee: Historical Committee Agenda Item: The Taiping Revolution Student Officers: Batuhan Şahin, Çağlar Genç, Yasemin Tanyü, Emir Sert Later in 1847, Hong became the leader of this organization. The Taiping exploited the insecurities of the Chinese people caused by the government's condition and the social and economic problems. This group was composed of mostly peasants and the working class. From just several thousand people, it increased to over a million people - an army that is fanatically devoted to their leader Hong. Before the Rebellion After China lost the First Opium War (1839-1842) to the United Kingdom, which was largely caused by domestic instability, the working class, farmers to be specific were overtaxed and the rents started to increase. Also because of the trade imbalance caused by the illicit import of opium, economic problems started taking over the country. The Treaty of Nanking was signed, and it opened a new trade market for Europeans and Americans, which led to the switch of the Economic activity from the South of China to the North. Many jobs were lost in the south causing an economic depression. At the same time, China’s population nearly doubled, which also made the government weak. The government was led by the Manchus, a minority group that established and ruled the Qing Dynasty and were descendants of the Jurchen people. They became progressively corrupted. In the southern side of China, anti- Manchu sentiments were strong as well as the Hakka community, a minority group that has traditionally been discriminated against by the ethnic majority. The quality of life was very low in China, and the country was in the hands of Western imperial encroachment and Christian missionaries were also all over the country. The people needed saving and needed a new leader. Then Hong came along with his plan to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and to reform the country. He started gaining a lot of followers in a short period of time. His followers were composed of peasants and the working class. They thought they could find a new life and a better life with Hong and his religion. Hong Xiuquan’s life Hong was the youngest son of a Hakka family. He was born in Guangzhou. His family was poor, but they sacrificed a lot for him to have a good education and for him to complete the civil service examinations, this exam selected candidates for the state bureaucracy. After failing his exams for the 3rd time, he felt sick emotionally, and he eventually collapsed. He started having visions. In his visions, he saw an old man (later identified as Jehovah) who gave him a sword and a seal to eradicate the bad spirits. In 1843, he took the exam for the MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 3
Committee: Historical Committee
Agenda Item: The Taiping Revolution
Student Officers: Batuhan Şahin, Çağlar Genç, Yasemin Tanyü, Emir Sert
4th time, however, he failed again. That year, he re-read the pamphlet he got from the
missionary (Stevens); Hong announced that he now understood his visions and that he was
the younger brother of Jesus and was sent to China to get rid of the corrupt Qing government
and the Confucian teachings referring to them as the devils. Soon after that, he was the
leader of the God’s Worship Society. In his teachings, he talked about equality and everyone
having the same living standards, as well as following a strict separation between sexes, the
abolition of foot binding, land socialization, and suppression of private trade. The Buddhist
libraries were destroyed in the Yangtze Delta area and the Temples of Daoism,
Confucianism, and other beliefs were defaced.
The Beginning of the Rebellion
By 1849, the Society had grown into four parts of China.
The rebellion started in July 1850 and on 11 January 1851
Jintian Uprising marked the beginning of the Taiping
Rebellion. Hong proclaimed his new dynasty, Heavenly
Kingdom of Great Peace, and took the title of the Heavenly
King. The Taiping continued to go through the North and
the Yangtze River. As they passed through the countryside
the villagers started joining them. Their numbers started
increasing rapidly, divided into separate groups of men and
women. The Taiping saw men and women as equal, but
they were not allowed any contact with one another.
Figure 1: The map of their route
The Rebellion
They captured the city of Nanjing on March
10, 1853, and Hong renamed the city as the
Heavenly Capital. They, then, tried to capture the
Qing capital Beijing in order to decrease the stress
on Nanjing but failed. So, they went into the upper
Yangtze valley where they had many victories.
Taiping held Nanjing for 11 years. The Western
powers, largely dissatisfied with the Nanjing Treaty,
reluctantly supported the Qing government during
Figure 2: The map of China by province
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 4Committee: Historical Committee
Agenda Item: The Taiping Revolution
Student Officers: Batuhan Şahin, Çağlar Genç, Yasemin Tanyü, Emir Sert
the Taiping. In 1854, Britain tried to renegotiate the Nanjing Treaty, including clauses allowing
British commercial access to Chinese rivers and the creation of a permanent British embassy
in Beijing. Unfortunately, Hong’s friend Feng died while going to Nanjing and Hong gave Feng’s
power to his minister of state Yang Xiuqing. Yang tried to usurp Hong’s power, and to legitimize
his authority, he sometimes talked with a voice supposedly like the Lord’s own. Yang claimed
that the Lord wanted Hong to be whipped for kicking one of his concubines. But as a result, on
September 2nd, 1856, Yang was murdered by Wei Changhui, another Taiping general in
Hong’s order. This is known as the Tianjin Incident. Wei Changhui became haughty after this
and planned to imprison Hong, but his plan did not work, and Hong had him killed as well. Shi
Dakai, on the other hand, was given the control of five of the Taiping armies, but fearing his
life, Dakai fled from Tianjin and went west. Hong had other plans; he wanted to widen their
support and forge an alliance with European powers, however, he failed. The Europeans
decided to stay neutral, but the military advisors assisted the Qing’s army. Hong, after this,
ignored his followers and his responsibilities and entrusted the state to his elder brother’s
hands. He spent his time in his harem or doing religious speculations. In Hunan, a province in
China, an irregular army named Hunan Army under the leadership of Zeng Guofan became
the main army fighting for the Qing Dynasty against the Taiping. The army was also known as
the Xiang Army; it was a mixture of the local militia and the standing army. The army was
professionally trained but paid for from regional coffers and funds raised by its commanders,
which were mostly members of the Chinese nobility. In October 1856, the Second Opium War
broke out with the west continuing until 1861. At these times the Chinese army was occupied
elsewhere so they couldn’t deal with the Taipings. Also, in December 1856, the Qing army
retook Wun Chang, in May 1858 Jiujiang, and by September the rest of the Jiangxi province.
Slowly Taiping started losing their grounds. In 1859, the cousin of Hong joined the
Taiping and was given power. He had an ambitious plan to expand their boundaries and land.
Taiping defeated the Qing forces and eliminated them from the Nanjing region where they
could invade southern Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces in May 1860. The Taipings took
Hangzhou on March 19th, Changzhou on May 26th, and Suzhou on June 2nd. While these
events were taking place, Zeng forces (the Hunan Army) were moved to the Yangtze River.
The Last Years of The Revolution
Then in 1860, the Taiping tried taking Shanghai in the hopes of regaining their
strength. They were stopped by the Western-trained army that was commanded by Frederick
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 5Committee: Historical Committee
Agenda Item: The Taiping Revolution
Student Officers: Batuhan Şahin, Çağlar Genç, Yasemin Tanyü, Emir Sert
Townsend Ward and after, Charles George Gordon. This army would then become known as
the Ever-Victorious Army. Around the time of the death of the Emperor and the rise of the
new one, Zeng’s army had control over Anqing. Sometime before the end of 1861, the
Taiping had their last expedition. In January 1862, Taiping’s army surrounded Shanghai.
By 1862, Zeng's army successfully surrounded Nanjing. The city fell in July 1864. Hong
refused to flee the city and is believed to have committed suicide in June. It is not certain if
he has committed suicide or if he was assassinated.
Before his death, he had given his powers to his 15-year-old son Hong Tianguifu.
Later Tianguifu, the Taiping Princess, and a few others were executed. The remainders
continued fighting in Northern Zhejiang, but after Tianguifu’s death, the resistance started to
fall apart. The rebellion ended in 1864, but some still fought for the cause. Lastly, Wang
Haiyang was defeated on January 29, 1866.
Major Parties Involved
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was ruling the Chinese Mainland since 1611. It was founded by the clan
Manchu Aisin Gioro. Dynasty was very successful until the First Opium War. After 1842, the
Qing Dynasty suffered heavily from the First Opium War. The
Qing Dynasty was forced to sign treaties with the United
Kingdom, the United States, and France (Treaty of Nanjing,
Treaty of Wanghia, and Treaty of Whampoa). Treaties involved
heavy consequences for the Qing Dynasty. The Treaty of
Nanjing ended the first Opium War and granted the United
Kingdom rights over Hong Kong and expanded their trade ports
to five. Those nations were also granted rights that gave them
trade privileges and became most-favored-nations. Thus, these
hurt the Chinese economy heavily in which the Qing Dynasty had Figure 3: Image of Hong
Xiuquan
to increase the taxes for the farmers and citizens. Natural
disasters and a significant population increase damaged the social life in which the social
quality among the citizens decreased rapidly. These events significantly decreased the
reputation of the Qing Dynasty, which created the necessary environment for a rebellion.
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 6Committee: Historical Committee Agenda Item: The Taiping Revolution Student Officers: Batuhan Şahin, Çağlar Genç, Yasemin Tanyü, Emir Sert Heavenly Kingdom of Great Place Following the actions of the Qing Dynasty in 1844, Hong Xiuquan established himself as the son of God and the younger brother of Jesus. People started gathering around him and started to rebel against the Qing Dynasty. Hong joined the God Worshippers’ Society in 1847 and started working with his friend Feng Yunshan. They were firstly named the Bai Shangdi Hui (God Worshippers’ Society). On January 11, 1851, they proclaimed themselves as the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace and Hong Xiuquan established himself as the new king named Tianwang. Tianjing became the official capital of the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace. The number of people who joined the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace as a soldier exceeded 1 million and continued to increase its popularity. They tried to attack the capital of the Qing Dynasty, Beijing in 1853 but failed. Nonetheless, they captured some strategically important places. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland The United Kingdom had an important role in the development of the rebellion. After the end of the First Opium War, they had an overwhelming victory over the Qing Dynasty. They forced the Qing Dynasty into an economic crisis due to the trade agreements forced between the United States, France, and the Qing Dynasty. According to the treaty between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty, British people had the same rights in China as Chinese citizens. They started ruling Hong Kong after the agreement. The United Kingdom continued its active role in the region for a long time and fought against the Qing Dynasty in the Second Opium War. The United States of America The United States of America had a significant role in the Taiping Revolution. In 1860, the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace attempted an attack against the Qing Dynasty, and an American commander named Frederick Townsend Ward had a critical role while stopping the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace from capturing Shanghai. American traders were part of the deals made in the black market. They provided modern weapons to the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace’s army called Taiping Tianguo. MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 7
Committee: Historical Committee
Agenda Item: The Taiping Revolution
Student Officers: Batuhan Şahin, Çağlar Genç, Yasemin Tanyü, Emir Sert
Frederick Townsend Ward
Frederick Townsend Ward is an American adventurer and an army commander who helped
the Qing dynasty during the tension in Shanghai. He commanded an army called “Ever-
Victorious Army”. He was then founded guilty by the British army and arrested. Although he
was arrested, he managed to escape and created a new army force. However, he was later
wounded in a battle and had to leave the army. “Ever-Victorious Army” played a critical role
in the Taiping Revolution since Shanghai was one of the most important cities at that time.
France
Even though France did not seem like a major party at the start of the revolution, they
backed the Qing dynasty via military support. French soldiers alongside the British soldiers
fought against the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Pace and helped the Qing dynasty by
providing supplies.
Chronology of Important Events
1839 - 1842 The First Opium War
1848 Hong Xiuquan forms the God Worshipping Society
December 1850 The Jintian Uprising: The God Worshipping Society gains many recruits
and starts to form an army
1851 Start of the conflicts, first with the city of Yong’an, which the God
Worshipping Society (now named The Heavenly Kingdom of Great
Peace) occupies
March 19th, 1853 Nanjing falls to the hands of the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace,
then Nanjing is named the capital of the Taiping
1856 The internal disorder begins inside the Heavenly Kingdom of Great
Peace
1860 Taiping make a move on Shanghai
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 8Committee: Historical Committee
Agenda Item: The Taiping Revolution
Student Officers: Batuhan Şahin, Çağlar Genç, Yasemin Tanyü, Emir Sert
1864 Nanjing gets surrounded by Qing troops, and Hong dies. Eventually, the
revolution ends.
Past Attempts to Resolve the Issue
There has not been a significant attempt to solve the issue by both the Qing Dynasty and the
Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace. The Heavenly Kingdom of Great Place attacked several
important cities such as Beijing and Shanghai in 1853 and 1856. However, the United
Kingdom signed the Treaty of Nanjing to end the First Opium War, but it led to the Taiping
Revolution and the Second Opium War. As mentioned before, the Treaty of Wanghia and
Treaty of Whampoa were signed with the United States and France. Nearly all solution
attempts were failed due to the involvement of Western nations, ideology differences, and
political disputes. Endless tension caused millions of people to lose their lives and that is why
the Taiping Revolution became one of the deadliest revolutions in history.
Solution Alternatives
To fully evaluate possible solutions, both sides’ needs will have to be addressed. For
the Qing committee, it is crucial for them to eradicate the revolutionaries. A simple victory will
not be enough, as the Dynasty’s full power and authority over its subjects should not be
challenged by anyone or any group. If the Dynasty’s values are to be protected and the
imperial monarchy stays the same, the committee must work to achieve total control over the
country. Otherwise, major changes will have to be made to the government structure, its
values, and the economy.
The revolutionaries, on the other hand, are extremely outmatched in soldiers and
equipment. However, the committee has the power and the hearts of the Chinese populace.
If they were to use the current crises the Dynasty is facing to rally more people behind their
cause, it would be a huge blow against the imperialists as they would amass a stronger
military force. The committee should work on advancing the quality of their soldiers and
equipment, as well as working on increasing the population of their army.
For both parties, looking for outside help in the form of allies will be useful as they will
bring more troops and support for the side they are endorsing. In the course of the war,
creative ideas and tactics will be useful in overpowering their enemies as no one expects the
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 9Committee: Historical Committee
Agenda Item: The Taiping Revolution
Student Officers: Batuhan Şahin, Çağlar Genç, Yasemin Tanyü, Emir Sert
unexpected. Ancient war strategies, special forces, and economic measures are some
examples of endless possibilities that the cabinets have at their disposal to ensure victory.
However, both parties will have to remember that they are fighting for the same country and
should not aim to do permanent effects on the many natural resources of China.
Bibliography
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• History.com Editors. (2018, February 22). Taiping Rebellion. Retrieved December
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aftermath. Accessed: 28 December 2020.
• Newman Tours. “The Taiping Rebellion: Who Was Hong Xiuquan?” Newman
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Accessed: 28 December 2020.
• “Seeds of Unrest: The Taiping Movement.” Facing History and Ourselves,
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movement. Accessed: 28 December 2020.
• “Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864): Asia for Educators: Columbia University.” Taiping
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2020.
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