A Brief History of the Taiping Revolutionary Movement

Chintien Uprising, painting, Li Tsun—tsin

From China Pictorial Magazine in 1951, a brief look at the Taiping Revolutionary Movement of 1850/51-1864:

The Taiping Revolutionary Movement led by Hong Xiuquan broke out in Chintien village of Tzu-ching Mountain in Kwangsi Province. During a period of 14 years, the revolutionary forces extended their influence over 17 provinces, established their own government and carried out various revolutionary policies. Faced by the combined forces of the Manchu Government and the foreign imperialists however they were eventually defeated in July 1864.

At the precise time of the Taiping revolutionary movement, foreign capitalist powers entered China. In its foreign policy the Taiping revolutionary regime maintained principles of equality and independence, and was prepared to regard the capitalist aggressors who professed the same religious faith as the Taiping regime as friends. It failed to see that the aggressors used religion as an instrument in their aggression. and that foreign nations who professed to believe in Christian teachings would assist their enemies to defeat them. The treacherous Manchu Government on the other hand did not hesitate to sign a humiliating treaty with the foreigners in order to gain their assistance against the Taiping revolutionary regime.

In 1861, the United States appointed Anson Burlingame as Minister to China. immediately after his arrival, he adopted an attitude of hostility towards the Taiping "Heavenly Kingdom" and set about bolstering up the tottering Manchu regime with various forms of military assistance.

The American consul in Shanghai in collusion with the big landlords and Manchu bureaucrats organized a modern field battery under the leadership of the notorious rascal Ward. It was agreed that the Manchu government should reward Ward with 30000 ounces of Silver for every city he captured. In fact, what Ward plundered when he captured a place was immeasurably greater than this. It is understandable that Abend, author of Ward’s biography, should compare Ward to MacArthur, another American bandit 90 years later.

The heroic Taiping fighters, armed with bamboo spears and swords, battled stubbornly against Ward's artillery and riffle fire. When Ward was finally killed by the Taiping troops, he left behind a heritage of 60 thousand pounds and a debt from the Manchu Government which was eventually redeemed in the Boxer indemnity to the American government.

Although the Taiping Government was finally defeated the Chinese peasants and oppressed people never ceased to struggle against their domestic and foreign enemies to free themselves from the bondage of feudalism and imperialism.

Today the People's Republic of China has been established. Nevertheless the descendants of Anson Burlingame and the rascal Ward and of their Chinese lackeys -- the American imperialists and Chiang Kai-shek gang -- do not take the victory of the Chinese people lying down. But the Chinese people today are strong and united, and fully capable of crushing any invasion by the imperialists.