Hong Xiuquan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hong Xiuquan洪秀全 |
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| Heavenly King of Great Peace | |||||||||
Alleged drawing of Hong Xiuquan, dating from around early 1850s.
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| Taiping Heavenly King | |||||||||
| Reign | 11 January 1851 – 1 June 1864 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Kingdom established | ||||||||
| Successor | Hong Tianguifu | ||||||||
| Born | Hong Huoxiu (洪火秀) 1 January 1814 Hua County, Guangdong, Qing China |
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| Died | 1 June 1864 (aged 50) Tianjing, Taiping Heavenly Kingdom |
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| Spouse | Lai Xiying (賴惜英) or Lai Lianying (賴蓮英) | ||||||||
| Issue |
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| House | Hong | ||||||||
| Father | Hong Jingyang (洪鏡揚) | ||||||||
| Mother | Madam Wang (王氏) | ||||||||
| Religion | God Worshipping Society | ||||||||
| Hong Xiuquan | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese | 洪秀全 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Hong Renkun | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 洪仁坤 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Hong Huoxiu | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 洪火秀 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hong Xiuquan (born January 1, 1814 – died June 1, 1864) was a Chinese leader. He started a huge rebellion called the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing dynasty. Hong Xiuquan created the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in southern China. He called himself the "Heavenly King" and believed he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Hong Xiuquan was born into a Hakka family in Guangdong, China. His family was not rich, but they worked hard. They hoped he would become a government official. This was a big dream for many families.
Hong started school when he was five years old. He was a very bright student. He could remember many classic Chinese books. At a young age, he passed a local exam. This was the first step to becoming a government official.
He then went to Guangzhou to take harder exams. But he failed these important tests. His family could not afford to send him to school anymore. So, Hong became a village teacher.
In 1836, Hong tried the exams again in Guangzhou. He heard a missionary talk about Christianity. He received some Christian pamphlets. These books were called "Good Words for Exhorting the Age." They had parts of the Bible and other Christian teachings. Hong did not pay much attention to them at first. He failed the exams again.
Hong's Special Visions
In 1837, Hong failed the exams for the third time. He became very ill and had strange dreams. He believed he visited Heaven. In his dreams, he met a heavenly family. He saw a father, mother, and an older brother.
His heavenly father wore a black robe and a tall hat. He told Hong that people were worshipping "demons." He gave Hong a sword and a golden seal. Hong was told to defeat these demons with his heavenly older brother. Hong later believed his heavenly father was God the Father. He thought his older brother was Jesus Christ.
After these dreams, Hong felt changed. He stopped trying to pass the exams. He went back to being a teacher. He also started to think more about the Christian pamphlets.
In 1843, Hong failed the exams one last time. He then carefully read the Christian pamphlets. He realized his dreams matched the stories in the books. He believed he was the literal son of God. He thought he was Jesus's younger brother. He felt he had a special mission to save the world from "demon worship."
Hong began to destroy old statues and books in his home. He started telling people about his visions. Some of his first followers were his relatives. They also belonged to the Hakka group. They helped him destroy statues in villages. This made some local people and officials angry. Hong and his followers were forced to leave their teaching jobs.
Starting a New Movement
In 1844, Hong and some relatives traveled to preach. They went to different villages. Hong started writing a book called "Exhortations to Worship the One True God." This book explained his new beliefs.
In 1847, Hong went to Guangzhou again. He wanted to study with an American missionary named Issachar Jacox Roberts. Hong learned more about the Bible. He asked to be baptized, but Roberts refused. Hong then left to find his friend Feng Yunshan.
Hong found Feng Yunshan at Thistle Mountain. Feng had started a group called the "Society of God-Worshippers." This group had grown to many followers.
When Hong and Feng were away, two other leaders, Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui, took charge. They claimed to speak for God and Jesus. When Hong returned, he believed their claims were true. Hong preached to his followers in outdoor meetings. These meetings were like the Christian revivals he had seen.
Hong's understanding of Christianity came mostly from the "Good Words to Admonish the Age" pamphlets. He also used a Chinese translation of the Bible. He changed some parts of the Bible to fit his own ideas. He taught his followers that his religion was the true ancient Chinese religion.
The "God-Worshippers" group grew quickly. They had about 2,000 followers. The area was dangerous, with many bandits. This instability led Hong's followers to get into fights with other groups. Their Hakka background also caused problems. The growing tension with authorities led Hong to decide to rebel.
Leading the Taiping Kingdom
By 1850, Hong had between 10,000 and 30,000 followers. The government was worried. They ordered the group to break up. When the God-Worshippers refused, government troops attacked. But Hong's followers won. They even killed a government official.
In January 1851, the government launched a bigger attack. This was known as the Jintian Uprising. Hong's followers won again. On January 11, 1851, Hong declared the founding of the "Heavenly Kingdom of Transcendent Peace."
Hong and his followers faced many challenges. The government army was much larger. But the rebels fought bravely. They captured the town of Yongan. They stayed there for three months. Local landowners who disliked the Qing Dynasty helped them.
The imperial army attacked Yongan. Hong's followers fought their way out with swords. They tried to take the city of Guilin, but its walls were too strong. So, they moved north. In March 1853, Hong's forces captured Nanjing. They made it the capital of their new kingdom.
After taking Nanjing, Hong started many changes. He created a new government system. He changed the calendar. He also made rules to give women more equal rights. Hong ruled from his Heavenly Palace. He made many rules about how people should live. He stopped most trade. He also tried to share land equally. He banned having many wives, but he and other leaders still had many women.
Yang Xiuqing, also called the "Eastern King," was another Taiping leader. He was a very successful military leader. He often claimed to speak for God. Hong became suspicious of Yang. In 1856, Hong and other leaders had Yang and his family killed. This led to more killings within the Taiping leadership.
Later, the Taiping rebels tried to take Shanghai but failed. The Qing government, with help from Western officers, slowly started to win back land.
His Final Days
In the spring of 1864, the city of Tianjing (Nanjing) was surrounded. Food was running out. Hong told his people to eat "manna," which he said was sweet dew and a special herb. Hong himself ate weeds from his palace grounds.
Hong became sick in April 1864. He likely died from eating the weeds. He passed away on June 1, 1864. He was buried simply, without a coffin. His teenage son, Hong Tianguifu, became the new leader.
On July 30, 1864, Qing forces dug up Hong Xiuquan's body. They burned it to make sure he was truly dead. His ashes were then shot out of a cannon. This was meant to be a final punishment, so his remains would have no resting place.
What is His Legacy?
People have very different ideas about Hong Xiuquan. Many in China, especially under Mao Zedong, admired him. They saw his rebellion as a peasant uprising that was a step towards their own revolution. Sun Yat-sen, a famous Chinese leader, also felt a connection to Hong.
To honor Hong Xiuquan, China opened a museum in 1959. It is called the "Hong Xiuquan's Former Residence Memorial Museum." It is in his birthplace. There is a longan tree there that he planted.
Scholars still discuss Hong's life and ideas. They compare him to other religious leaders who have challenged society.
See also
In Spanish: Hong Xiuquan para niños
- Hong Xuanjiao
- Christianity in China
