So after lurking on this site for years I've decided to make my first thread. Please be gentle with me.
The Taiping revolt was one of the most bloody wars in human history killing in excess of 20 million people and devastating large areas of China.
But what would have happened if Hong Xiuquan never launches the Taiping rebellion? I assume that the fragemention of the Chinese military is averted or at least slowed down but would an absence of the revolt help or hinder China’s first steps in modernizing?
What about the other (Nian, Dungan etc.) revolts happening at the same time? Would any of these be butterflied or dealt with a lot more rapidly without the distraction of the Taiping revolt?
What other cultural and political effects would there be?
The Taiping revolt was one of the most bloody wars in human history killing in excess of 20 million people and devastating large areas of China.
But what would have happened if Hong Xiuquan never launches the Taiping rebellion? I assume that the fragemention of the Chinese military is averted or at least slowed down but would an absence of the revolt help or hinder China’s first steps in modernizing?
What about the other (Nian, Dungan etc.) revolts happening at the same time? Would any of these be butterflied or dealt with a lot more rapidly without the distraction of the Taiping revolt?
What other cultural and political effects would there be?