3 replies to this topic

[Jiazhang]

I am interested in knowing how the establishment of the Taiping Kingdom and its expansion affected civilian life in cities and villages, particularly those of Suzhou and surrounding areas prior to their occupation by the Taipings. Were commoners in Jiangsu aware of the Taipings' anti-Manchuism and revolutionary/religious ideals? Did they fear them as western-influenced bible-fanatics, or did they see them as liberators from Qing oppression? When the Taipings advanced, were there any imperial efforts to evacuate the civilians? Did they flee on their own? Did the Christian missionaries face persecution because of the Taipings?

I have taken out two books from the library on the Taiping Rebellion, but they have proven to be poor sources of information when it comes to low-level granular data like this. In addition, I am a total newbie to history of any sort, so I am unfamiliar with standard procedure in the face of organized uprisings and the like. Long-winded explanations are welcome.

[lesterado]

From records, folk oral history and literature, I think the political alignment may be as follows:

Anti-Taiping: inhabitants above Yangtse, non-Hans, Manchus, gentry, loyal officials/civil servants, landlords, Buddhist/Daoist clergy etc.

Sympathisers: inhabitants of Southeastern provinces, Hakkas, starving and dispossessed Han peasants (the majority!), disgruntled scholars, anti-Manchu 'revolutionaries', Hung's 'Christian' converts etc.

[lesterado]

To add on, many older Fujian/Teochew/Hakka Chinese today still referred to conversion to Christianity as "Jia Gar", which literally means "eating from or getting fed by the faith". Christianity is known as "Hung Gar", or "religion of the Hong". All indicative of the reputation of Hong's movement then in the hearts of the common people.

[Meiguo Laowai]

There are a couple of references in my post Historical Fiction about China that are representative of diaries kept by ordinary folks during the Taiping troubles. As many of these documents are incidental and obscure, not many are in translation, but a non-linguist could slog through them using Bablefish or a similar tool.