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The Taiping Rebellion, the 19th-century civil war the West forgot

War & conflict

The Taiping Rebellion, the 19th-century civil war the West forgot

11 min

A failed civil-service candidate who believed he was Jesus's brother led a rebellion that killed tens of millions and nearly toppled imperial China — one of the deadliest wars in history, barely remembered in the West.

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Show notes

Hong Xiuquan launched a rebellion after interpreting a fever dream through Christian pamphlets.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom enforced a death penalty for sexual relations between married couples.

Western powers fought the Taiping rebels to protect the lucrative opium and Yangtze River trade.

The conflict killed up to thirty million people, making it deadlier than World War One.

Regional armies used modern steamships and artillery to defeat the rebellion and save the throne.

Taiping followers committed mass suicide when their capital fell to imperial forces in eighteen sixty-four.

In this episode

  1. 1Intro1 min
  2. 2The Fever Dream of Hong Xiuquan2 min
  3. 3The Rise of the Heavenly Kingdom3 min
  4. 4Total War and Global Intervention3 min
  5. 5The Staggering Human Cost2 min
  6. 6Outro1 min

Sources

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The Taiping Rebellion, the 19th-century civil war the West forgot — Fylom