Questions about the Taiping Rebellion

I'd be surprised if it did. The main reason why Hong Xiuquan used and embraced it was because it gives him legitimacy by allowing him to claim to be the real "Son of Heaven". It's part of the Mandate system engrained in Chinese intellectual thought at the time. It's entire purpose was to make his rebellion more legitimate, and him the rightful "Emperor".

I'm not so sure about this. Hong very explicitly never claimed the title of emperor or the associated philosophical regalia, and even from the beginning of the Taiping Revolution Hong 'ruled' as merely first among equals. Hell, several other Taiping leaders claimed to be'chosen by god' in their own way; iirc one was the voice of god, another of Jesus, one was Jesus' other younger brother, etc.
 
I'm not so sure about this. Hong very explicitly never claimed the title of emperor or the associated philosophical regalia, and even from the beginning of the Taiping Revolution Hong 'ruled' as merely first among equals. Hell, several other Taiping leaders claimed to be'chosen by god' in their own way; iirc one was the voice of god, another of Jesus, one was Jesus' other younger brother, etc.

Whoah.

Could you point me in the direction of a source, sir?
 
  • The Cambridge History of China
  • Jonathan D. Spence's God's Chinese Son
  • Jonathan D. Spence's The Search for Modern China
  • Thomas H. Reilly's The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
  • Vincent Yu-Chung Shih & Yu-chung Shih's The Taiping Ideology
  • Shunshin Chin & Joshua A. Fogel's The Taiping Rebellion
  • John King Fairbank's The Great Chinese Revolution, 1800-1985
  • John King Fairbank's China: A New History
  • Travis Hanes III & Frank Sanello's The Opium Wars
  • John Keay's China: A History
  • Mark A. Allee's Law and Local Society in Late Imperial China

Also you could try looking up some of the Taiping's leadership on Wikipedia, and translating from the Mandarin pages (which have more information than the English ones).
 
  • The Cambridge History of China
  • Jonathan D. Spence's God's Chinese Son
  • Jonathan D. Spence's The Search for Modern China
  • Thomas H. Reilly's The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
  • Vincent Yu-Chung Shih & Yu-chung Shih's The Taiping Ideology
  • Shunshin Chin & Joshua A. Fogel's The Taiping Rebellion
  • John King Fairbank's The Great Chinese Revolution, 1800-1985
  • John King Fairbank's China: A New History
  • Travis Hanes III & Frank Sanello's The Opium Wars
  • John Keay's China: A History
  • Mark A. Allee's Law and Local Society in Late Imperial China

Also you could try looking up some of the Taiping's leadership on Wikipedia, and translating from the Mandarin pages (which have more information than the English ones).

Did you read all of those sources, or just google the topic? I need to know whether to express profound respect or dismissive contempt. :)

Wikipedia's a good idea.
 
If I may join in on the 'Protestant Work Ethic' debunking--in Wu Jingzi's classic novel The Scholars, several of his heroes work several jobs while studying for the examinations and working their way up the totem pole--these are generally the ones that get somewhere in the bureaucracy.

Of course, since it's a satire and Jingzi is making fun of the traditional Confucianist success story, they also become hideously corrupt sellouts, one of whom has a connection with a sort of proto-Triad. I love Chinese novels. :D
 
Of course, since it's a satire and Jingzi is making fun of the traditional Confucianist success story, they also become hideously corrupt sellouts, one of whom has a connection with a sort of proto-Triad. I love Chinese novels. :D


I fail to see how thats particularly special, wasnt corrupt officials one of the biggest problems in chinese government anyway?
 
I fail to see how thats particularly special, wasnt corrupt officials one of the biggest problems in chinese government anyway?
Depends. In the official bureaucracy? Generally, no. In the bureaucracy's lowest tiers: that is, their employed underlings who aren't an official (which are composed of a very large array of people, since the lowest official was a magistrate)? Hell yes.
 
Depends. In the official bureaucracy? Generally, no. In the bureaucracy's lowest tiers: that is, their employed underlings who aren't an official (which are composed of a very large array of people, since the lowest official was a magistrate)? Hell yes.

Okay, I mainly wondered because of an old quote from Mao about how one of the three greatest flaws in old Chinese society was corrupt officialdom so I was wondering if that was true.
 
Okay, I mainly wondered because of an old quote from Mao about how one of the three greatest flaws in old Chinese society was corrupt officialdom so I was wondering if that was true.

Still is. One of the big issues here is a recent change in tack on corruption. Basically the current line is that everyone should be realistic and accept that a certain amount of corruption is inevitable. Which is true, of course, but.... :rolleyes: Decrying the state because corruption exists has started to be referred to as a "radical" position, and criminal investigations have been cut back a lot.
 
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