#331 - Taiping 8: Kingdom Come

#331 - Taiping 8: Kingdom Come

From The History of China by Chris Stewart

May 31, 2026 · 43 min

About this episode

This episode covers the march of the Heavenly Host during the Taiping Rebellion and the significance of the Yangtze River in this historical context.

The Heavenly Host marches north out of Hunan. Ahead of them lies the spine of China itself – the mighty Yangtze; maker and breaker of dynasties. The trading capitals strung along its southern bank glimmer like beads on a thread. They have and continue to transform, to build a fleet, a state. Now they will find out what it’s all been leading toward. This is the story of the Kingdom In Motion, and the river that carried it east. Time Period Covered: Nov. 1852 – Mar. 1853 Major Historical Figures:Taiping Heavenly Kingdom:Hong Xiuquan, Heavenly King, Second Son of God [1814–1864]Yang Xiuqing, East King, Voice of God the Father [d. 1856]Shi Dakai, Wing King [1831–1863]Li Xiucheng, future Loyal King [1823–1864] Qing Dynasty:The Xianfeng Emperor, Aisin Gioro Yizhu [1831–1861]Chang Liangji, Governor of HubeiQian Jiang, the jiansheng from Zhejiang who pitched reform and walked Major Sources Cited:Michael, Franz, and Chang Chung-li. The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents, Vol. I.Kuhn, Philip A. "Ch. 6, The Taiping Rebellion" in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 10.Spence, Jonathan D. God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan.Hamberg, Theodore. The Visions of…

People in this episode

Host: Chris Stewart

Topics covered

  • Taiping Rebellion
  • Yangtze River
  • Chinese history
  • dynasties
  • 19th century China

Keywords

  • Taiping Rebellion
  • Hong Xiuquan
  • Yangtze River
  • 19th century
  • Chinese dynasties

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Qing Dynasty

Books & works: The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents, Vol. I, Ch. 6, The Taiping Rebellion in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 10, God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan, The Visions of Hung-Siu-tshuen, and Origin of the Kwang-si Insurrection

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