IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : History Of China and Japan (1840-1949) - Taiping Uprising

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

History Of China and Japan (1840-1949)

Taiping Uprising

Structure

13.0 Objectives
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Background
13.3 Hung Hsiu-Chuan and the God Worshippers Society
13.4 The Heyday of Taiping Rebellion
13.5 The Taiping Organisation and Programme
13.5.1 Tho Lond System
13.5.2 The Position of woman
13.5.3 Handicrafts and Trade
13.6 The Downfall of the Taipings
13.6.1 Toeng Kuafan and the Ch ing effort to crush the Taipings
13.6.2 Attitudc of Western Powm
13.6.3 laternid Problems of the Taipinp
13.6.4 The Defeat of Taipings.

13.7 The Nature and Impact of Taiping Rebellion
13.7.1 Rebellion or Social Revdutlon
13.7.1 The Aftermath
13.8 Let Us Sum Up
13.9 Key Words
13.10 Answers to Check Your Progress

13.0 OBJECTIVES

After reading this Unit, you will be able to :

understand the origin of the Taiping Rebeltian as well as its social base,
assess the programme and activities of the Taipings,
learn about the steps'taken by the ChTng Government to defeat them,
know about the attitude of the Western powers towards them,
understand the reasons for the ultimate failure of the Rebellion, and
assess the impact of the Taiping Rebellion and its overall significance.

13.1 INTRODUCTION

The Taiping Rebellion, which erupted over most of South and Central China in the
middle of the 19th century was not only the greatest rebellion in China prior to the f 20th century, but was also one of the greatest peasant rebellions in world history. It
lasted for 13 years (from 1851 to 1864), encompassed many provinces and a
population of a couple of hundred million, and also very nearly brought about the I demise of the 200 year old Chfng dynasty. So great was its impact at the time, that to
the Ch'ing dynasty the defeats, humiliation and threats it faced at the hands of the
Western powers in the same period seemed a minor problem in comparison.
Ultimately, when the Rebellion was crushed, it had taken a toll of more than 20
million lives, and several of the richest and most populated provinces of China lay
devasted and deserted. The Taiping Rebellion was important for another reason as
well. &curring at a most eventful period of Chinese history, it stood at the juncture
of two epochs. In its origins, its ideology, its programme, as well as its inherent
weaknesses, it contained elements of the old social, political and cultural order as well
as of the new China that was in the making. In one sense, it represented the last of the
series of great peasant rebellions that had characterized traditional Chinese history,
while in another sense, it was a harbinger of the nationalistic, ideologically motivated
1 revolutionary movements of the 20th century.
! For all these reasons, an understanding of the Taiping Rebellion is essential to ? understand the dynamics of modern Chinese history.