Christian Civil War in China: Taiping's Bloody Battles (Part Two)

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00:00 - Intro
00:50 - Journey north
02:09 - Battle of Beijing
03:56 - Two top generals
05:25 - Death of Yang
06:37 - Shi Dakai
07:53 - Hong in the palace
09:08 - Nian uprising
09:21 - Britain gets involved
10:57 - Conclusion


Hong Xiuquan of the Taiping Rebellion, a scholar who believed he was the brother of Jesus Christ after a fever dream, started a cult-like movement at Thistle Mountain. His forces grew as they moved along the Xiang and Yangtze Rivers, eventually capturing Nanjing from the Manchu Qing Dynasty. In Nanjing, Hong established a strict regime with segregated dorms, a public treasury, mandatory Bible study, and the destruction of Buddhist and Taoist temples. The word "Beijing" was forbidden, replaced by "demon's den," reflecting their view of the Qing as devils.

Despite initial successes, the Taiping faced challenges when they split their forces to march north and west. The western campaign succeeded in retaking Wuchang, but the northern campaign to overthrow the Qing Emperor failed as the Qing adapted their tactics, ultimately flooding the Taiping camp and executing survivors. Internal strife further weakened the Taiping, with Hong’s top general Yang Xiuqing attempting a coup, only to be killed by Hong’s loyal generals Qin and Wei. This led to a brutal purge of Yang’s supporters, but the infighting continued as another general, Shi Dakai, left after his family was killed by Qin and Wei, who were later executed by Hong’s guard.

Hong, now isolated in a lavish palace with thousands of servants, focused on rewriting the Bible rather than leading, even as the Taiping weakened. The Qing, despite their own struggles with the Nian Rebellion and foreign conflicts, eventually capitalized on the Taiping’s disarray. A failed Taiping attempt to take Shanghai alienated Western powers, who allied with the Qing. Hong died—possibly from illness, poison, or suicide—as the Qing besieged Nanjing, ultimately destroying the Taiping by tunneling under and blowing up its walls. The rebellion, the bloodiest civil war in history, claimed over 20 million lives and left the Qing Dynasty severely weakened, collapsing within decades.

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Cinematography:
The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (2000)
The Warlords (2007)

Music Credits :
The Mini Vandals - Addis Ababa

Edited by @iwestez