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66-783: In 1851, the Taiping Rebellion's leader Hong Xiuquan conferred the title of 'King' on five of his most loyal followers and placed them under the jurisdiction of the East King Yang Xiuqing . After the deaths of the South King Feng Yunshan and the West King Xiao Chaogui , most of the power of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom fell into the hands of Yang Xiuqing. In the early years of the Taiping Rebellion,

132-621: A 1856 purge that spiraled into the further purge of more Taiping leaders. The kingdom gradually lost ground and in June 1864, in the face of Qing advance, Hong died following a period of illness and was succeeded by his son, Hong Tianguifu . Nanjing fell a month later. Hong Xiuquan, born "Hong Huoxiu", was the third and youngest son of a Hakka family living in the village of Fuyuan Springs (also referred to as Fuyuanshui village ), Hua county (now part of Huadu District ) in Guangzhou . His father

198-630: A Taiping military commander. In April 1848, while Feng Yunshan and Hong Xiuquan were in a neighboring province, Yang assumed a leadership role in the God-Worshipping Society. Yang claimed to have been stricken deaf and mute only to have regained his hearing and speech at a meeting of the God Worshippers. He began to claim that he could enter trances in which he would be possessed by the Holy Spirit , allowing God

264-475: A dispute over property with Yang's relative, which angered Yang. Yang Xiuqing called Wei Changhui to decide the punishment for Wei's relative together, and Wei replied that his relative should be torn into five parts. Once, the Yi King Shi Dakai 's father-in-law Huang Yukun offended Yang Xiuqing and was ordered to be flogged 300 times, and his nobility title removed and demoted. In the same incident,

330-498: A massed attack. Arrogance over victory, however, led to his downfall. Yang clashed with Hong over the rebellion's policies and views toward Confucianism and iconoclasm ; Yang believed that Confucian morality was essentially positive, and that its basic tenets were compatible with the rebellion's interpretation of Christianity. He believed that images of dragons were not sacrilegious . Hong, however, rejected this notion and believed that Confucianism ought to be eradicated (considering

396-788: A rebel army and routed the Qing forces at Jintian , marking the beginning of the Taiping Rebellion. He then declared himself the Heavenly King of the Heavenly Kingdom of Peace. Taiping rebels captured the city of Nanjing in March 1853 and declared it the Heavenly Capital of the kingdom, after which Hong withdrew to his new palace and began ruling through proclamations. He became increasingly suspicious of Yang Xiuqing , his fellow Taiping leader, and engineered Yang's murder in

462-467: A sword and golden seal with which to slay the demons infesting Heaven. Furthermore, he did so with the help of his celestial older-brother and a heavenly army. The father figure later informed Hong that his given name violated taboos and had to be changed, suggesting as one option the "Hong Xiuquan" moniker ultimately adopted by Hong. In later embellishments, Hong would declare that he also saw Confucius being punished by Hong's celestial father for leading

528-486: A symbolic gesture to purge China of Confucianism, he and the cousin asked for two giant swords, three chi (1 meter (3.3 ft)) long and nine jin (about 4.5 kg), called the "demon-slaying swords" ( 斬妖劍 ), to be forged. Hong began by burning all Confucian and Buddhist statues and books in his house, and began preaching to his community about his visions. Some of his earliest converts were relatives of his who had also failed their examinations and belonged to

594-651: A title commensurate with Hong Xiuquan's, Yang dispatched Wei Changhui, Shi Dakai, and Qin Rigang to separate provinces. Hong, viewing Yang's request as treasonous, alerted the three generals to return at once. Wei returned to Nanjing with three thousand troops on September 1, 1856, and found that Qin Rigang had already arrived. In consultation with Hong Xiuquan and his allies, the two generals decided not to wait for Shi Dakai's arrival. Instead, they and their troops immediately stormed Yang's palace and slew him before he could escape. They then slaughtered his family and followers within

660-456: A title reserved for the emperor (Hong had assumed it in 1852). Wei returned to Nanjing with three thousand troops on September 1, 1856, and found that Qin Rigang had already arrived. In consultation with Hong Xiuquan and his allies, the two generals decided not to wait for Shi Dakai's arrival. Instead, they and their troops immediately stormed Yang's palace and slew him before he could escape. They then slaughtered his family and followers within

726-651: A wealthy schoolmate elsewhere for a year of study and became a village schoolteacher upon his return. In 1836, at the age of 22, Hong returned to Guangzhou to retake the imperial examinations. While in Guangzhou, Hong heard Edwin Stevens , a foreign missionary, and his interpreter preaching about Christianity. From them, Hong received a set of pamphlets entitled "Good Words for Exhorting the Age", which were written by Liang Fa , Stevens's assistant, and contained excerpts from

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792-430: A yellow-silk shroud without a coffin according to Taiping custom, near the former Ming Imperial Palace . He was succeeded by his teenage son, Hong Tianguifu . On 30 July 1864, Qing forces exhumed, beheaded, and cremated Hong Xiuquan's body. Zeng Guofan had ordered this done to verify Hong Xiuquan's death. The ashes were blasted out of a cannon to ensure that his remains had no resting place, as an eternal punishment for

858-629: The Qing dynasty . He established the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom over large portions of southern China, with himself as its " Heavenly King ". Born into a Hakka family in Guangzhou , Hong claimed to have experienced mystical visions after failing the imperial examinations . He came to believe that his celestial father he saw in the visions was God the Father , his celestial elder brother was Jesus Christ , and he had been directed to rid

924-608: The "God Worshipers" themselves. Both claimed to enter trances which allowed them to speak as a member of the Trinity ; God the Father in the case of Yang and Jesus Christ in the case of Xiao. When Hong and Feng returned in the summer of 1849, they investigated Yang and Xiao's claims and declared them to be genuine. Hong ministered to the faithful in outdoor meetings strongly resembling the Baptist tent revivals he had witnessed with Issachar Roberts. Most of Hong Xiuquan's knowledge of

990-439: The "Hong Xiuquan's Former Residence Memorial Museum" ( 洪秀全故居紀念館 ), in his birthplace, where there is a longan tree planted by him. The museum's plate is written by the famous literary figure Guo Moruo (1892–1978). The residence and Book Chamber Building were renovated in 1961. There has been an active academic debate on the degree to which Hong is similar or dissimilar to Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi . Scholars that promote

1056-488: The 'Holy Father' and summoned the Heavenly King Hong Xiuquan to his residence. There he asked the title of 'Ten Thousand Years' (Wansui) be conferred onto him in light of his contributions to the rebellion. Previously such a title was exclusively applied to Hong. Hong would outwardly agree, although he would later plan to have Yang executed which would ignite the incident itself. Shortly before seeking

1122-459: The Bible along with homilies and other material prepared by Liang. Supposedly, Hong only briefly looked over these pamphlets and did not pay much attention to them at the time. Unsurprisingly, he again failed the imperial examinations, which had a pass rate of less than one percent. In 1837, Hong attempted and failed the imperial examinations for a third time, leading to a nervous breakdown . He

1188-498: The Father to speak through him. It does not appear that Yang truly believed that this was occurring, but that he instead acted as such in service of his own ambitions, as while speaking as God Feng necessarily possessed greater authority than even Hong Xiuquan. Upon Hong and Feng's return in the summer of 1849, they investigated Yang's claims and recognized them as genuine. From May to November 1850, Yang once again claimed to be deaf and mute. Once he recovered, Yang alleged that God

1254-533: The Hakka minority, Feng Yunshan and Hong Rengan . He collaborated with them to destroy holy statues in small villages, to the ire of local citizens and officials. Hong and his converts' acts were considered sacrilegious and they were persecuted by Confucians who forced them to leave their positions as village tutors. In April 1844, Hong, Feng Yunshan, and two other relatives of Hong left Hua county to travel and preach. They first journeyed to Guangzhou and preached in

1320-448: The Heavenly King, became less interested in politics and more interested in his harem, he named Yang as prime minister of the Heavenly Kingdom. Many of the basic laws and regulations were issued during this period of Yang's control. In August 1856, Yang defeated the government troops besieging Nanking. He first led them to divide their forces by forcing them to send relief forces to other cities, then sent all his own troops against them in

1386-607: The Kingdom to be in greater peril. After the Tianjing Incident and Shi Dakai's departure, the position of Military Advisor ( 軍師 ) was not succeeded by anyone and existed only in name. Hong Xiuquan Hong Xiuquan (1 January 1814 – 1 June 1864), born Hong Huoxiu and with the courtesy name Renkun , was a Chinese revolutionary and religious leader who led the Taiping Rebellion against

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1452-677: The One True God", his first substantial work. In November 1844, after having preached in Guangxi for five months, Hong returned home without Feng and resumed his previous job as a village teacher, while continuing to write religious tracts. In 1847, Hong Xiuquan was invited by a member of the Chinese Union to study with the American Southern Baptist missionary Reverend Issachar Jacox Roberts . Hong accepted

1518-982: The Qing armies. The turn of tide caused the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's territories to become gradually reduced and it fell towards the losing end. After the deaths of the East King Yang Xiuqing and the North King Wei Changhui , the Yi King Shi Dakai was put in command of the Taiping Army and wielded control over the entire military. Hong Xiuquan was irate over Shi Dakai's popularity and feared that he might attempt to seize power again as Yang and Wei did, hence he appointed his brothers as Kings in order to weaken Shi Dakai's influence and prevent Shi from consolidating too much power. As Hong Xiuquan worked to undermine him, Shi Dakai realized that Hong's suspicions would not be dispelled, and that if he stayed he would either face murder or risk another civil war, Shi Dakai left Tianjing in 1857 with his army, which caused

1584-480: The Taiping élite had Yang and his family murdered in a purge that subsequently spun out of control, resulting in the further purge of its main perpetrator Wei Changhui. Following a failed attempt by the Taiping rebels to take Shanghai in 1860, Qing government forces, aided by Western officers, slowly gained ground. In the spring of 1864, Tianjing was besieged and dangerously low on food supplies. Hong's solution

1650-497: The Yan Prince Qin Rigang and another high-ranking official Chen Chengrong were also flogged on Yang Xiuqing's orders. Even the Heavenly King was not spared from being flogged, as Yang often pretended that the 'Holy Father' had possessed him and used the name of the 'Holy Father' to punish Hong Xiuquan. Yang Xiuqing monopolised the power of the kingdom and became increasingly influential, making him feared and hated by

1716-494: The age of five. He was able to recite the Four Books after five or six years. He then took the local entry-level civil service examinations and placed first. A few years later, he traveled to the provincial capital of Guangzhou to take the provincial examinations. He was unsuccessful and, his parents being unable to afford to continue his education, he was forced to return to agricultural work. The next year, he accompanied

1782-460: The authorities, and responded by fleeing to join Hong's movement. The rising tension between the sect and the authorities was probably the most important factor in Hong's eventual decision to rebel. By 1850, Hong had between 10,000 and 30,000 followers. The authorities were alarmed at the growing size of the sect, and ordered them to disperse. A local force was sent to attack them when they refused, but

1848-425: The belief system to be the work of the devil), and that dragons represent the devil. Yang plotted to take the throne. Shortly before seeking a title equivalent to Hong Xiuquan's, Yang dispatched Wei Changhui, Shi Dakai, and Qin Rigang to separate provinces. Hong, viewing Yang's request as treasonous, alerted the three generals to return at once. Meanwhile, Yang demanded to be called Wansui (Ten Thousand Years),

1914-459: The capital of the Heavenly Kingdom in 1853. Yang took control of the city. He disciplined the troops after an initial period of violence and slaughter by declaring that he would execute any officer who entered a private home. City residents were ordered to return to work. Men and women were required to live separately, and were prohibited from walking together or even speaking to each other (there continued to be male and female military units). As Hong,

1980-481: The capital of their movement. After establishing his capital at Nanjing, Hong implemented an ambitious reform and modernization program. He created an elaborate civil bureaucracy, reformed the calendar used in his kingdom, outlawed opium use, and introduced a number of reforms designed to make women more socially equal to men. Hong ruled by making frequent proclamations from his Heavenly Palace, demanding strict compliance with various moral and religious rules. Most trade

2046-527: The city of Guilin , to which they laid siege . However, the fortifications of Guilin proved too strong, and Hong and his followers eventually gave up and set out northwards, towards Hunan . Here, they encountered an elite militia created by a local member of the gentry specifically to put down peasant rebellions. The two forces fought at Soyi Ford on 10 June 1852; the rebels were forced into retreat, and 20% of their troops were killed. However, in March 1853, Hong's forces managed to take Nanjing and turned it into

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2112-415: The courtesy name "Renkun." His sister, Hong Xuanjiao , became the commander of the female battalion during the Taiping Rebellion . Hong showed an interest in scholarship at an early age, so his family made financial sacrifices to provide a formal education for him, in the hope that he could one day complete all of the civil service examinations . Hong began studying at a primary school in his village at

2178-421: The deceased Yang Xiuqing amnesty and acquitted Yang of his crimes of harbouring the intention of usurping the throne. Yang Xiuqing's death was later marked as 'The East King ascends to Heaven'. After the Tianjing Incident, the leaders of the rebellion gradually lost popular support from the people, and the rebellion started to decline. The military's morale was greatly shaken and they started losing battles against

2244-497: The elder brother that he had seen was Jesus Christ , and he had been directed to rid the world of demon worship. This interpretation led him to conclude that he was the literal son of God and younger brother to Jesus. In contrast to some of the later leaders of his movement, Hong appears to have genuinely believed in his ascent to Heaven and divine mission. After coming to this conclusion Hong began destroying idols and enthusiastically preaching his interpretation of Christianity. As

2310-605: The establishment of the "Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping". Note that in the seventh line, the name of the then yet-to-come kingdom is mentioned. 《斬邪留正詩》 Poem on Executing the Evil and Preserving the Righteous 手握乾坤殺伐權， In my hand I wield the Universe and the power to attack and kill, 斬邪留正解民懸。 I slay the evil, preserve the righteous, and relieve the people's suffering. 眼通西北江山外， My eyes see through beyond

2376-420: The founding of the "Heavenly Kingdom of Transcendent Peace" on 11 January 1851. Despite this evidence of planning, Hong and his followers faced immediate challenges. The local Green Standard Army outnumbered them ten to one, and had recruited the help of the river pirates to keep the rebellion contained to Jintian. After a month of preparation the rebels managed to break through the blockade and fight their way to

2442-460: The halls from which they were watching the beatings. The next morning, they were all systemically slaughtered. Killings of Yang's followers continued for three additional months. Shi Dakai finally reached Nanjing in October and blamed Wei Changhui for the excessive bloodshed. Wei in turn suggested that Shi was a traitor Having been warned that he could be assassinated next, Shi fled Nanjing, leaving

2508-465: The imperial examinations for the fourth and final time. It was only then, prompted by a visit by his cousin, that Hong took time to carefully examine the Christian pamphlets he had received. After reading these pamphlets, Hong came to believe that they had given him the key to interpreting his visions: his celestial father was God the Father (whom he identified with Shangdi from Chinese tradition),

2574-622: The imperial system. The deity of the Old Testament punished evil nations and rewarded those who followed his commandments, even music, food, and marriage laws. Hong made some minor changes in the text, such as correcting misprints and improving the prose style, but adapted the meaning elsewhere to fit his own theology and moral teachings. For instance, in Genesis 27:25 the Israelites did not drink wine, and in Genesis 38:16–26 he omitted

2640-519: The imperial troops were routed and a deputy magistrate killed. A full-scale attack was launched by government forces in the first month of 1851, in what came to be known as the Jintian Uprising , named after the town of Jintian (which became Guiping , Guangxi ) where the sect was based. Hong's followers emerged victorious and beheaded the Manchu commander of the government army. Hong declared

2706-474: The intrigues of loyalists in the kingdom. Shrewd, ruthless, and ambitious, Yang ultimately proved himself to be a brilliant strategist and organizer, as well as the administrative mastermind of the Taiping Movement. By the 1850s, Yang had become the most powerful leader of the Taiping Rebellion. With this presumed divine guidance, Taiping troops captured the city of Nanjing (Nanking), which became

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2772-561: The invitation and traveled to Guangzhou with his cousin, Hong Rengan. Once there, Hong studied Karl Gützlaff's translations of the Old and New Testaments, converted to Protestantism and requested to be baptized by Roberts. Roberts refused to do so, possibly due to Hong being tricked by the other converts into requesting monetary aid from Roberts. Hong left Guangzhou on 12 July 1847 to search for Feng Yunshan. Although robbed of all of his possessions, including his demon-slaying sword, by bandits in

2838-475: The opinion that a strong similarity exists between Li and Hong note that both rallied a large number of people behind a religious or spiritual cause in order to challenge the status quo . Scholars disputing a close relationship note that Li's political intentions are debatable. The following poem, titled Poem on Executing the Evil and Preserving the Righteous ( 斬邪留正詩 ), written in 1837 by Hong Xiuquan, illustrates his religious thinking and goal that later led to

2904-417: The others, but none dared to oppose him. On 20 June 1856, the Taiping Army defeated the Qing army led by Xiang Rong and lifted the three-year-long siege on Tianjing. Xiang Rong died on 9 August and news of his death reached Tianjing. The East King Yang Xiuqing saw that the Kingdom was functioning well and began to make his plans to seize power. Shortly afterwards, Yang Xiuqing pretended to be possessed by

2970-399: The outlying areas before heading northwest to White Tiger Village. There, Hong and Feng Yunshan parted ways before traveling some 400 kilometers (250 mi) to the southwest to the village of Sigu, Guiping county , Guangxi , where distant relatives of Hong's resided, including two early converts who had returned home. It is in or near Sigu that Hong begins to draft "Exhortations to Worship

3036-491: The palace, despite having agreed with Hong that only Yang was to die. At this point, six thousand of Yang's followers remained in Nanjing. Hong and his generals agreed to set a trap for those men. Hong pretended to arrest Wei and Qin Rigang for their actions and invited Yang's followers to watch as the two were beaten. Once the majority of Yang's followers were inside, the beatings ceased and Yang's followers were imprisoned inside

3102-411: The people astray. His acquaintances would later claim that after awakening from his dreams Hong became more careful, friendly, and open, while his pace became imposing and firm and his height and size increased. Hong stopped studying for the imperial examinations and sought work as a teacher. For the next several years Hong taught at several schools around the area of his hometown. In 1843, Hong failed

3168-584: The real power of the military was in the hands of the Military Advisor ( 軍師 ), the military East King Yang Xiuqing, who gained more power following the deaths of the South and West Kings. Hong Xiuquan declared in 1848 that the spirit of the 'Holy Father' ( 天父 ) would possess Yang Xiuqing and give him orders through Yang. This had allowed Yang to become even more influential and placed him in a position higher than Hong, as Yang often gave orders to Hong, who

3234-450: The same day he arrived. That night, Wei and Qin Rigang stormed Shi's mansion and slaughtered his family and retinue. Shi then consolidated an army of 100,000 and demanded the heads of Wei and Qin. Wei directed Qin to block Shi's advance and began plotting to imprison Hong Xiuquan. Hong Xiuquan was able to preempt those plans, however, and had his bodyguards kill Wei. Qin was lured back and killed shortly thereafter. Later, Hong Xiuquan granted

3300-462: The scriptures came from the books known as "Good Words to Admonish the Age" written by the Chinese preacher Liang Fa , as well as a localized Bible translated into Chinese. Many Western missionaries grew jealous of Hong and his local ministry. These competing missionaries were fond of spreading defamatory rumors such as his "lack of baptism." (Hong and his cousin were in fact both baptized according to

3366-422: The sexual relations between the father and his son's widow. Hong preached a mixture of communal utopianism, evangelism and oriental syncretism. While proclaiming sexual equality, the sect segregated men from women and encouraged all its followers to pay their assets into a communal treasury. When Hong returned to Guangxi, he found that Feng Yunshan had accumulated a following of around 2,000 converts. Guangxi

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3432-528: The title of Heavenly King for himself, he made Yang, in spite of having no military knowledge or experience, commander-in-chief of the army. Yang was further named "East King" as one of the five kings. In 1851, Yang announced a vision in which it was revealed that there were traitors in the highest levels of the movement, and two years later that words of the Eastern King, that is, Yang himself, were divine. He devised an extensive network of spies to root out

3498-435: The town of Meizixun , he eventually reached Thistle Mountain on 27 August 1847. There, he reunited with Feng and discovered the "Society of God-Worshippers" that Feng had founded. In January 1848, Feng Yunshan was arrested and banished to Guangdong , and Hong Xiuquan left for Guangdong shortly thereafter to once again reunite with Feng. In Feng and Hong's absence, Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui jointly emerged to lead

3564-531: The town of Yongan (distinct from places named Yong'an ), which fell to them on 25 September 1851. Hong and his troops remained in Yongan for three months, sustained by local landowners who were hostile to the Manchu-ruled Qing dynasty. The imperial army regrouped and launched another attack on the rebels in Yongan. Having run out of gunpowder, Hong's followers fought their way out by sword, and made for

3630-457: The uprising. Views and opinions on Hong differ greatly. The Communists under Mao Zedong generally admired Hong and his rebellion as a legitimate peasant uprising that anticipated their own. Sun Yat-sen came from the same area as Hong and was said to have identified with Hong since his childhood days. To honor his legacy, the People's Republic of China established a small museum in 1959,

3696-428: The way prescribed in the pamphlet "Good words to admonish the age"). In 1847, Hong began his translation and adaptation of the Bible, what came to be known as "Authorized Taiping Version of the Bible", or " The Taiping Bible ", which he based on Gutzlaff's translation. He presented his followers with the Bible as a vision of the authentic religion that had existed in ancient China before it was wiped out by Confucius and

3762-851: The west, the north, the rivers, and the mountains, 聲振東南日月邊。 My voice shakes the east, the south, the Sun, and the Moon. 璽劍光榮存帝賜， The glorious sword of authority was given by the Lord, 詩章憑據誦爺前， Poems and books are evidences that praise Yahweh in front of Him. 太平一統光世界， Taiping [Perfect Peace] unifies the World of Light, 威風快樂萬千年。 The domineering air will be joyous for myriads of millennia. Yang Xiuqing Yang Xiuqing ( simplified Chinese : 杨秀清 ; traditional Chinese : 楊秀清 ; pinyin : Yáng Xiùqīng ; Wade–Giles : Yang Hsiu-Ch'ing ) (died September 2/3, 1856),

3828-586: The world of demon worship. He rejected Confucianism and began propagating a fusion of Christianity, Daoism and millenarianism , which Hong presented as a restoration of the ancient Chinese faith in Shangdi . His associate Feng Yunshan then founded the God Worshipping Society to spread Hong's teachings. By 1850, Hong's sect had over 10,000 followers and increasingly came into conflict with Qing authorities. In January 1851, Hong organized

3894-507: Was Hong Jingyang, a farmer and elected headman and his mother was surnamed Wang. No less than nine different dates are given for Hong Xiuquan's birth: Jian Youwen established based on documentary evidence that Hong was born on 1 January 1814. This date is accepted by most scholars, including noted Chinese historian Luo Ergang . Some sources claim his family was "well to do". He and his family moved to Guanlubu Village shortly after his birth. Upon marrying his wife Lai Xiying, Hong received

3960-534: Was a dangerous area at this time with many bandit groups based in the mountains and pirates on the rivers. Perhaps due to these more pressing concerns, the authorities were largely tolerant of Hong and his followers. However, the instability of the region meant that Hong's followers were inevitably drawn into conflict with other groups, not least because of their predominantly Hakka ethnicity. There are records of numerous incidents when local villages and clans, as well as groups of pirates and bandits, came into conflict with

4026-434: Was an organizer and commander-in-chief of the Taiping Rebellion . Yang Xiuqing's family were farmers from Xincun near Jintian , Guangxi , but he lost his parents at a young age. According to imperial reports, Yang was a charcoal burner with some education who later organized a convoy system used to protect merchandise that was being transported through the area from bandits. His brother Yang Fuqing also later became

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4092-459: Was angered that Hong Xiuquan was not being allowed to establish the kingdom of God on Earth and sought to punish mankind with disease. According to this tale, only by suffering his illness was Yang able to redeem others. In 1850, perhaps in service of his political ambitions, he began to claim that he could miraculously heal true believers. He was an early participant in the rebellion and rose quickly to prominence; in 1851, when Hong Xiuquan took

4158-494: Was delirious for days to the point that his family feared for his life. While convalescing , Hong dreamed of visiting Heaven, where he discovered that he possessed a celestial family distinct from his earthly family, which included a heavenly father, mother, elder brother, sister-in-law, wife, and son. His heavenly father, wearing a black dragon robe and high-brimmed hat with a long golden beard, lamented that men were worshiping demons rather than he himself, and presented Hong with

4224-503: Was supposed to be his superior, in the name of the ' Holy Father '. When this happened, Hong had no choice but to follow the orders of the 'Holy Father', which were actually Yang's orders. After the Taiping Army captured Nanjing and established its capital city there, renaming it to Tianjing, Yang Xiuqing's relationships with the other Kings gradually worsened. The North King Wei Changhui was flogged on Yang Xiuqing's orders once, as his subordinate had offended Yang. Later, Wei's relative had

4290-478: Was suppressed, and some communal land ownership was introduced. Polygamy was forbidden and men and women were separated, although Hong and other leaders maintained groups of concubines. Yang Xiuqing , also known as the "Eastern King", was a fellow Taiping leader who had directed successful military campaigns, and who often claimed to speak with the voice of God. Hong became increasingly suspicious of Yang's ambitions and his network of spies. In 1856, he and others in

4356-455: Was to order his subjects to eat manna , which had been translated into Chinese as sweetened dew and a medicinal herb. Hong himself gathered weeds from the grounds of his palace, which he then ate. Hong fell ill in April 1864, possibly due to his ingestion of the weeds, and died on 1 June 1864. Although Hong likely died of his illness, suicide by poison has also been suggested. He was buried in

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