Reasons for the Failure of the Tai Ping Rebellion 1851-1864

1. Social Opposition

1.1. Ideology

1.1.1. Ban of gambling, foot-binding, personal possessions, drinking, etc. hypocrisy among leadership

1.1.2. Contradiction of traditional Confucianist principles

1.1.2.1. Alienated literati

1.2. Destruction, raiding, disruption

1.2.1. Alienated peasants

1.3. Hong was Hakka

1.4. Lack of stability and long term plans

2. Military Error

2.1. Failure to utilize momentum from Nanjing takeover to consolidate Tianjin and Beijing 1853

2.1.1. Came within 20 miles of Tiajin

2.1.2. Split into two forces to fight Tianjin and middle Yangtze valley, lost both

2.2. Poor diplomacy with foreign powers

2.2.1. Alienated by religious ideology

2.2.2. Foreign powers went from neutral to opposition

2.2.2.1. Protect rights won from unequal treaties

2.3. Defeats against Zeng Guofan and Hunan Army

2.3.1. Frederick T. Ward's "Ever Victorious Army" 1862

2.3.2. French and British at Shanghai, 1860

2.3.3. Nanjing Defeat 1864

3. Loss of Leadership

3.1. Fratricidal Conflict 1856

3.1.1. East and North Kings Yang and Wei killed, internal conflict

3.2. South and West Kings Feng and Xiao killed in battle in 1852

4. Facts

4.1. Led by Hong Xiuquan

4.1.1. After failing his exams and getting a fever, he had a dream that he was the son of God and brother of Jesus so decided to take over China

4.1.1.1. Future career y/y

4.2. Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace

4.3. Four Kings

4.3.1. North - Wei (way north)

4.3.2. South - Feng (far south)

4.3.3. East - Yang (yeast)

4.3.4. West - Xiao (x marks the spot)

5. Historiography

5.1. "the taiping defeat owed more to the dissensions within the rebel ranks and to the opposition of the regional armies than it did to foreign intervention" - Hsu

5.2. "From its inception the Taiping Rebellion suffered from internal problems" Roberts