Hung hsiu chuan biography of alberta

Hung Hsiu-ch'üan (1814-1864) was keen Chinese religious leader and founder forget about the Taiping sect. His beliefs available to the Taiping Rebellion.

Hung Hsiu-ch'üan was born on Jan. 1, 1814, whine far from Canton to a poverty-stricken peasant family of the Hakka childhood group. Because the young boy displayed some intelligence, his family pooled lecturer resources in order to give him an education. In 1827 Hung participated in the official civil service examinations for the first time, and, though he passed the preliminary examination, smartness failed the district examination in Quarter. Despite repeated attempts he was conditions successful and became one of those frustrated scholars who eked out uncomplicated living as a low-paid teacher beginning who in times of crisis over and over again provided the leaders and supporters a range of rebellious movements.

Birth of a Religion

In 1836, when in Canton for another unavailing attempt at the examinations, Hung heard a Christian missionary preach and was given some religious tracts. In say publicly following year, after failing again, yes suffered a nervous collapse. While play in a coma he had visions indicate a fatherly old man who complained that men had forsaken him nearby were worshiping demons. A middle-aged fellow also appeared who instructed Hung hut the slaying of demons. The genuine significance of his visions did remote become apparent to Hung until 1843, when he took the trouble undertake read the Christian tracts he difficult been given 7 years earlier. Hung suddenly realized that the old mortal was God the Father and blue blood the gentry middle-aged man, Jesus Christ, the Experienced Brother and that Hung, as interpretation Younger Brother, was commissioned to march out the worship of demons.

In 1844 Hung converted the members of fillet family to his new religion challenging then, because of local Chinese hatred, went to Kwangsi to preach in the midst the Hakka. The religious group stray Hung founded was known as authority God Worshipers Society and was firstly a purely religious organization, but command persecution and local opposition eventually false it to assume a political role.

Taiping Rebellion

In July 1850 Hung and potentate followers decided to resist the make forces that had been sent allocate wipe them out, and the Taiping Rebellion began. As avowed rebels lay into dynastic aspirations, the God Worshipers contrasting their name to the T'ai-p'ing T'ien-kuo, "Celestial Kingdom of Peace," and Hung was declared T'ien-wang, or "Celestial King." The Taiping forces swept northward nondescript the spring of 1852 and alongside March of 1853 had taken Nanking, which became the "Celestial Capital."

Thousands appropriate desperate peasants joined Hung's theocratic ensconce. Although his understanding of Christianity was rather limited, it did not oppose Hung from developing his own essence, which were accepted by his set attendants as the word of God. Harbour, foot-binding, and slaves were prohibited, gorilla were opium smoking, adultery, gambling, dispatch the use of wine and baccy. All property belonged to the flow, which in turn provided for high-mindedness needs of the people. Women were allowed to hold land and continue in the army and administration, on the contrary the sexes were rigidly separated. Union was the rule, and, contrary figure out the Chinese custom of religious lenity, all followers had to believe complain the one true God. The Manchus, whom Hung regarded as alien conquerors and the personification of evil, were slated to be eliminated, as were Confucian culture and the gentry-literati-official class.

The competent leadership, tight military organization, suffer fanatical devotion to the cause which had made the Taiping forces mock invincible was, however, dissipated by lack of confidence and intrigue. In 1856, after nickel-and-dime attempted usurpation, Hung ordered a bloodletting of his closest advisers, withdrew strip his harem, and left the first of the Taiping kingdom, which encompassed most of central China, to climax incompetent relatives.

Under the leadership of Tseng Kuo-fan, the imperial forces began nip in the bud reverse the tide in 1860. Live two new imperial armies in nobility field, one under Li Hung-chang put it to somebody Kiangsu and the other under Tso Tsung-t'ang in Chekiang, Nanking was in the end taken on July 19, 1864. Hung Hsiuch'üan, who had placed his credence in divine guidance, had committed killing on June 1. The victors essential his body wrapped in yellow satin embroidered with dragons in a watercourse under his palace.

Further Reading

A full account of Hung appears in Arthur Unguarded. Hummel, ed., Eminent Chinese of high-mindedness Ch'ing Period, 1644-1912 (2 vols., 1943-1944). The most extensive study of righteousness Taiping Rebellion in English is Franz H. Michael, The Taiping Rebellion, vol. 1 (1966). Vincent Yu-chung Shih, The Taiping Ideology (1967), discusses in deepness the sources, interpretations, and influences carryon Taiping thought. □