#327 - Taiping 4_ The Heavenly Kingdom

The God-Worshippers of Thistle Mountain managed to survive their first test — but now the world itself seems dead-set on finishing the job. When unprecedented rains lead to flooding, famine, and pestilence across southern China, the last institutions holding things together collapse, leaving those on the margins to their own survival. Until, that is, the divine summons of the Second Son of God calls them — one and all — to the village of Jintian, a bold maneuver that will force a response from the Qing dynasty itself. Time Period Covered: 1849-1851 CE Major Historical Figures: God-Worshippers/Taiping: Hong Xiuquan, prophet, Heavenly King [1814–1864] Feng Yunshan, chief evangelist and architect of the God-Worshipping Society [1815–1852] Yang Xiuqing, Eastern King, Voice of God the Father [d. 1856] Xiao Chaogui, Western King, Voice of Jesus Christ [d. 1852] Lo Daguo, Triad chief, Taiping recruit [fl. 1850–1851] Qin Dynasty: Lin Zexu, Imperial Commissioner [1785–1850] Ikedanbu, Manchu Colonel [d. January 1, 1851] Major Sources Cited: Hamberg, Theodore. The Visions of Hung-Siu-tshuen and the Origin of the Kwang-si Insurrection Kuhn, Philip A. "Ch. 6, The Taiping Rebellion" in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 10 Platt, Stephen R. Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom Spence, Jonathan D. God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan.