“ The Taiping religious zeal gave the movement fanatical vigour but reduced the breadth of its a

ppeal”. Discuss.

History Essay Presentation

Group Members: Gloria Chan (2) Joyce Lau (11) Sharon Lei (15)

F. 6A

Part I - How the Taiping religious zeal gave the movement fanatical vigour

What was the Taiping religious zeal ?

Taiping religion = A blend of various religions

Traditional Chinese religions: Daoism + Buddhism

Foreign religion: Christianity

Why and how did the Taiping religious zeal give the movement fanatical vigour ?

1846-1850s:

Circumstances in Guangxi

(A) Natural Hazard

1849: A plague ( 瘟疫 ) broke out

Many people suffered and died

Belief of the Taiping religion

Those who believed in God would not be contaminated

Many people were baptized

(B) Regional Conflicts

1850s: Conflicts between Hakkas and Putis in Guangxi

Puntis outnumbered the Hakkas

Hakkas were defeated and their houses were being destroyed

Belief of the Taiping religion

God would be the shelter for all those in need

(C) Poverty

Peasants got no land

Lived a hard life Suffered low living standard

Belief of the Taiping religion:

Egalitarianism

Communal ownership was advocated

The people at that time needed spiritual consolation

The beliefs of the Taipings: •Utopianism•God would give people what they wanted (e.g. health)

Therefore, many people, especially the ones who suffered, like the poor peasants, the Hakkas or victims of the plague, felt hopeless and their only hope was to join the Taiping Movement so that God would bestow blessi

ngs on them.

In what ways were the initial supporters fanatical ?

Prayed together Formed communions Destroyed the sculptures of the idols Burned the classics

Asked all their family members to get baptized

Did missionary work Organized religious exercise

• The Taiping soldiers believed that if they died in the war against the “evil”, they would be sent to heaven, so the soldiers were fearless and brave

• At the end of the movement, the supporters preferred death to surrender

Part II -How the Taiping religious zeal reduced the breadth of its appeal

Which groups of people didn’t support the Taipings due to its religious zeal ? Why?

1) Confucian-minded literati2) Scholar-officials3) Peasant masses 4) Secret Societies5) Foreigners

1. Confucian-minded literati

They were alienated by the religious zeal of the Taipings:

•People should worship God and should not worship evil spirit Destruction of temples and idols and shrines

•Forbade the influence of Confucianism Forbade people to read “bogey books” “bogey books” referred to works of Confucius and Mencius

According to Hong Xiuquan’s order in1854: “All books by Confucius, Mencius, the various philosophers, and the hundred schools, all the devilish books and heretical theories, must be burned and eliminated and no one permitted to buy, sell, possess, or read them, or punishment shall be levied.”

•Law was passed in 1855, in which punishment was stated more clearly Aimed at eliminating Confucian tendencies in thought and act.

2. Scholar-officials

The Taiping ideas of egalitarianism promoting equality and a new social order would be a threat to the scholar-officials who enjoyed high social status and they would lose privilege. Their social status depended on the preservation of the Chinese heritage. So, to defend their own interest, they didn't supp

ort the Taipings.

3. Peasant masses

All men being brothers and all women sisters /Universal brotherhood and sexual equality

V.S. Confucian ideas of propriety and social hierarchy

Ideological dilemmabetween Christian ideology and

Chinese traditional culture

Examples: Forbade ancestor worshiping Men and women were rigorously separated; separate army units consis

ting of women Married couples were not allowed to live together or have sexual relati

ons Private property ownership was abolished

Impact: Peasants were used to be traditional way of life Various changes to peasant’s way of life brought about social disorder Peasant masses were passive, conservative => opposed the movement Peasants mostly wanted to own land rather than share property among

each other Weakened the solid foundation (peasant’s support) of the Taiping mov

ement

3. Peasant masses

4. Secret Societies Engrossed in traditional religions

Taipings rejected to cooperate with non-Christians. E.g. Refusal to aid the Small Sword Society when it occupied Shanghai in 1853

Consideration of religion over nationalistic revolution disgusted the secret societies and failed to enlist the support from them

Secret societies were not willing to cooperate with the Taipings as some of their religious beliefs clashed e.g.The White Lotus Sect

Further worsened the relationship between the Taipings and the Secret Societies

The ideology upheld by the Taipings was considered as a foreign religion

The growth of antipathy towards foreigners appalled the anti-Manzu Chinese, including those who belonged to the secret societies.

5. Foreign Powers The foreign powers were initially neutral

The Christianity upheld by the Taipings was unorthodox

In religion, it was a mixture of Christianity, Buddhism and Daoism.

Some Christian concepts were twisted and even included some Confucius ideas from “The Evolution of Li” and “The Grand Union”

These elements were combined to become the Taiping faith

Foreigners, especially the Christian missionaries, were dissatisfied with Hong’s own interpretation of Christianity as well as their pretension of universal overlordship

THE END