
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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