NATURE OF THE TAIPING MOVEMENT

The debate on the nature of the Taiping movement sees different interpretations given by
two schools of thought, represented by Western scholars at one end and the Chinese
Communist historians on the other.

ISSUES:
v Revolution or Rebellion?
v Peasant Movement/Anti-Feudal
v Anti-Establishment
v Religious Movement
v Anti-Imperialist
v Precursor to Communist Revolution

I. REVOLUTION OR REBELLION
Western scholars such as BARRINGTON MOORE JR., VINCENT SHIH, GEORGE
TAYLOR and J.K. FAIRBANK look upon it as a ‘typical traditional rebellion’; felt that a
movement must be successful in order to be called a ‘revolution
o BARRINGTON MOORE JR.: the movement did not alter the basic structure of
society; prevailing socio-political norms of the Manchu order with a basis in
Confucian values perisisted
o VINCENT SHIH: felt that certain ideals borrowed from Western Christianity gave
the movement a genuine chance to bring about a revolution but the intermixing of
these ideals with those of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism severely diluted the
revolutionary character of the movement. He also felt that violence along with a
desire to institute change amongst the top leaders of the movement are required for
the movement to be revolutionary.
o The basis for the aforementioned scholars’ arguments is the study of the Land
System of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which revealed many basic
contradictions amongst its terms. Although it stated that it wanted to do away with
landlordism and feudalism, in many cases the Taiping leaders themselves became
landlords, and in others they sided with the landords against the peasants, thereby
taking a stand that the Manchus were known to take.
CRITIQUE
TAN CHUNG: Felt that there was no evidence to suggest that the inclusion of native
cultural aspirations diluted the revolutionary character of the Taiping movement. Also
remarked that the imposition of western concepts of revolution is not correct.

COMMUNIST HISTORIANS, comprising of scholars such as HOU WAILU, WU

SHIMO, TAN CHUNG and JEAN CHESNEAUX, believed that the Taiping Movement
was certainly a revolutionary movement, and can be considered a precursor to the
Communist Revolution
o MAO TSE-TUNG: considered the movement as one of eight great movements in
China’s 100 year history before the Communist Revolution
o These scholars lay emphasis on the theoretical aspects of the movement, looking at
the policies of the Taiping leaders, including the land system, the trade policy and
even the concepts of equality of the sexes
o Certain negative consequences seen in a positive light, such as decentralization.

II. IMPACT OF THE MOVEMENT

o Movement sought to transform feudal society by building an ideal society of equals
o Was able to achieve a number of aims as well
• WOMEN
o Enjoyed the same economic and political opportunities as men

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 o Military organization included women
o Also occupied bureaucratic posts
• PROHIBITION OF OPIUM
• CULTURAL IMPACT
o Remained highly popular in Chinese tradition
o SUN YAT SEN greatly stirred as a child by the stories of his uncle who had
belonged to the Taiping
o Movement initiated a century of revolts and rebellions
o Political, social, economic and cultural reforms it attempted were models for
later attempts of the Chinese Imperial administration and the Communists

III. BASIS IN IDEOLOGY

FRANZ MICHAEL: unlike earlier rebellions, this one had a clear ideology on which it was
based

BOTH PROLETARIAN AND PEASANT INSURRECTION

Scholars like SSU-YU TENG believe that the first half of the movement (up to 1856) was a
proletarian revolutionary movement to overthrow the Manchu regime and replace it with a
new rationalist govt. with radical economic, social, political and cultural programmes.
Following the INTERNAL DISSENSION OF 1856, the latter part of the movement came
to resemble a traditional peasant insurrection.
CRITIQUE
TAN CHUNG: Felt that it is difficult to conceive the degeneration of the movement once it
had reached a level far ahead of a peasant rebellion in the first stage

IV. PEASANT/ANTI-FEUDAL MOVEMENT

JEAN CHESNEAUX and TAN CHUNG felt it was a ‘peasant revolution’.
o Peasants dominated the revolution
o Chesneaux felt it was a social crusade expressing the poor peasants’ desire for equality
o Taiping rural collectivism related to the utopian tradition of Chinese peasant
movements
o It attacked the feudal edifice of Chinese society
GEORGE E. TAYLOR
o Gave primacy to economic factors
o Movement must first be considered an agrarian movement, then a religious movement
and finally as an anti-dynastic movement
KANG C.
o Peasants were the chief architects of the Taiping Movement
o The constituent section of the movement was that of poor farmers, unemployed miners,
vagabonds, charcoal workers and scholars forced into agriculture due to lack of
remuneration in their fields, constituting a ‘displaced peasantry’.
o Aim was to demolish the feudal system
ANTI-FEUDAL NATURE
1. LAND REFORMS
o Taiping controlled areas saw rent reduction of up to 50%
o Around Nanking, the capital, rent payment was stopped altogether
2. PEASANT CONTROLLED LANDS
o Due to fleeing landlords whose surplus was being appropriated by the Taiping state,
peasants could now enjoy control of the land
3. ANTI-FEUDAL DECREES
o Decrees were passed to attack the feudal elite such as orders to surrender grain,
precious stones, metal etc.
4. COMPOSITION OF FOLLOWERS
o Most of the Taiping leaders, and almost all of the mass following were drawn from
peasant stock, though not exclusively

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WU SHIMO
o 4 aspects to the anti-feudal character of the movement:
1) Demand for political equality
2) Sexual equality
3) Economic equality
4) International equality

CRITIQUE
VINCENT SHIH
o Taiping leaders did not identify themselves with the peasantry
o They did not reflect the peasant consciousness
o They might have had a wide appeal for poor peasants but did not attempt to do
away with the landlords and give land to the tillers, and at times they sided with the
landlords as much as the Manchu regime
FRANZ MICHAEL
o In terms of the Taiping hierarchy, which was based on merit, the lowest category
was that of husbandman, or workers of the land
o Also points to the fact that most of the rebels were not fighting to improve the
status of the peasantry but to escape form the plight of being peasants
CRITIQUE: TAN CHUNG
o Felt that Michael misunderstood the hierarchy, which was actually based on
military organization not social standing
o Michael also seemed to ignore that those in the higher ranks of the Taiping
hierarchy were also former peasants

V. ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT
o Emperor of China was seen now as a keen supporter of the feudal system, and known as
the ‘Monster King of Hell’
o The Taiping Movement decried Confucius and his teachings, calling them works of
sorcery and feudal ideas
o These issues were once again brought up in subsequent revolutions

VI. RELIGIOUS NATURE

o Some scholars considered the Taiping religious fanatics as they were revolutionary
righters who only used the medium of religion as a vehicle to disseminate revolutionary
ideas
o They further argue that Hong’s identification with religion enabled him to use Christian
tenets to claim that heaven sent him on a mission
JEN YU-WEN
o Religion was the chief motivating factor for the leadership
o Points to numerous Christian elements in the leadership
CRITIQUE: TAN CHUNG
o Was not clear what Hong’s most important aim was for China was: to rule China; or to
get rid of all pagans; or to unite all men in the worship of one true God
o It is not correct to generalize on the basis of one man’s belief
LIANGHAO LU
o Takes a middle path
o Religion important; emphasized both as a matter of faith as well as propaganda

VII. ANTI IMPERIALIST

o Though far removed from Sino-centrism, the Taiping still considered foreigners as
dependents
o That being said, they were certainly in favour of learning from the foreigners, especially
the Western concepts of science, new technology, education etc.
o However, they opposed the foreigners just as much as they accepted them, in that they
denounced western intrusion and did not fully embrace concepts of free trade

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o There was also a desire to emulate the West and extend their notion of egalitarianism to
international relations

VIII. PRECURSOR TO THE COMMUNIST REVOLUTION

o Link acknowledged by MAO TSE-TUNG:
Ø Both groups were modernists in nature
Ø Sudden impact of the west and scientific, technological and social advances had
their influence on Taiping ideology
Ø Communists provided a modern and practical philosophy with which to reject
both the traditions of the Chinese past and the Western domination of the
present
Ø Origins of Mao’s programme of collective ownership can be seen in the agrarian
programme of the Taiping Movement
Ø Principles of social egalitarianism and equality of the sexes espoused by both
Ø Anti-imperialist in nature
o Differences existed
Ø Basic united espoused in the Heavenly Land System was that of the family, not
the community
Ø No mention of land redistribution was made by the Taiping
Ø Unlike the Marxist concept of a classless, ultimately stateless society, the
Taiping Movement never distanced itself form the concept of absolute
benevolent rule
Ø In terms of religious outlook, thought Communist historians try to downplay its
role in the movement, studies of JEN YU-WEN and FEN WENLAN look at
the religious grounding of the movement.

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