I'm not very aware of ethnic tensions and problems in Taiping territories after they got going and captured actual territory. Are there any actual indications that ethnic problems carried over from the earlier stage of the movement?
That was more a reference to what you're referring to here:
I get that but what I'm asking is if this actually had any impact once the Taiping were actually ruling territory. I know that they had-for example- lots of ethnic conflict with "native" ppl in Guangxi before then and that this may have been a key factor in the religions spread.
EDIT: snipped the post since it was deleted.
The Hakka-Punti Wars seemed relevant enough, seeing as the vast majority of the Taiping leadership was Hakka. I'm not aware of there being many non-Hakka leaders in the Heavenly Kingdom, though I may be mistaken in this. I won't argue that the Heavenly Kingdom's in the same situation as the Manchu in terms of ethnic issues, just I wouldn't assume that it'd be all resolved so quickly, based on the conflicts between the Hakka and the Punti.
The regional decentralization of the victorious Qing was the result of the Qings specific situation. I don't really see how it can be generalized to the Taiping. The Qing decentralized because they were forced to allow regional military leaders to raise provincial militia's and accumulate power in local regions. The Taiping on the other hand had all of their military power centered on Nanjing. Individual military leaders could split off temporarily for specific campaigns but they all ultimately drew their power from the center, not peripheral regions. This doesn't mean their couldn't be factional conflict-indeed, the suppression of the East Kings coup attempt was brutal and terrible for morale. The distinction here is that this was an attempt to replace the imperial center. Furthermore, by the time Hong Rengan came to power, factional conflict had basically ended, Even the powerful leaders who disliked Rengan like Li Xiucheng worked with him until the end. I don't see how the Taiping will have much trouble dealing with regional opponents when their center holds all the power.
I wasn't referring to the Taiping decentralising in the same manner as the Qing so much as them having to inherit the situation that the Qing would've created for them. Regional military leaders would likely still be empowered by the Qing in a losing war and the Heavenly Kingdom would either have to crush them or take their fealty and deal with them on a later date. There'd at least be regions with powerful warlord-esque figures that would need to be dealt with, something perhaps like the Revolt of the Three Feudatories.
I don't agree that Korea would break off at all. However appalled at the new religion of the Taiping they might be, it would be an enormous departure from traditional relations with very little payoff. Why spend enormous effort fighting against entrenched interests who are invested in the current system when you can just continue doing things as you have always done? Paying tribute to a Christian empire is nothing compared to inventing an entirely new geopolitical orientation out of nowhere. If Korea can continue paying tribute to the Manchu, they can continue paying tribute to the Qing. The Qing were never "redeemed" in Korean eyes. They were always considered horrible barbarians. Korea accommodated themselves to the Manchu because they were invaded-twice.
I'd agree if not for the timing. The Taiping Civil War was concurrent with the rise of the Donghak Movement, a new religion founded by a man disgruntled with the imperial examination system who had visions while ill and mixed various religious traditions, both domestic and foreign, while preaching equality and reform (if that reminds you of anything, Hong's success likely helped spur Choe Je-U on in the early stages). Due to governmental corruption, famine, and widespread poverty, the Movement exploded in popularity before the Joseon monarchy, which had for some time erroneously equated the Donghak Movement as a form of Christianity, went ahead and executed the founder of the religion.
The Joseon monarchy already associated the Donghak with the Taiping and obviously saw the Donghak as a threat, since they tried to crush it in the 1860s by killing Choe. Between the Qing, who were barbarians that at least followed the old order, and the Taiping, whose success was seemingly creating a copycat movement in the Korean peninsula, the Yi monarchy was a bit more partial to the former, from what I can find.
Mind, this is the era of the Andong Kim family's domination of the country (they had no intention of reforms that would weaken their control). With Heungseon Daewongun, the man whose agenda went 'no treaties, no trade, no Catholics, no West, and no Japan,' that was founded on the trust in Qing China as the world's paramount power. With the collapse of Qing authority and the rise of an upstart Christian theocracy, that butterflies all Joseon politics in the 1860s as the monarchy would be scrambling to keep the Donghak from repeating what had happened in China in Korea and to readjust to a world where it's obvious that China no longer holds its own destiny (which became apparent to Joseon Korea in the 1890s following the Sino-Japanese War).
Back to your point, Joseon Korea creating a new geopolitical orientation out of nowhere was bound to happen the moment China had lost any semblance of authority and ability to protect Korea (OTL proves as much). The Qing collapsing spectacularly to a what could be seen as a reformist revolution would be just as effective in that as the Japanese crushing them in a war 30 years later.
I agree that the Taiping wouldn't have it as easy as Japan but you're neglecting the effect of the entire reactionary system of Qing rule being removed and replaced with native Han rule. The Qing Empire was exceedingly structurally unsuited for reform by its very nature. How can you empower the populace and fight against traditional elites when your entire system is based on minority ethnic rule and relying on traditional elites? The Taiping will have a far easier time reforming themselves.
Again, not saying that they won't be better off, just that it won't be Japan-level easy. Easier than the Qing? A low bar to set but yeah, sure. Never said anything otherwise.
