Hung Xiuquan (1814-1864) was the son of a farmer and
an aspiring Chinese bureaucrat. He came under the influence of
Christian missionaries, and reached the conclusion that he was
the younger brother of Jesus sent to found the Heavenly Kingdom on
earth. Faced with the collapse of Qing dynasty rule (under Western
onslaught), Hung tapped into the deep millenarianism of the Chinese
peasentry (previously expressed in Buddhist terms) and began a
rebellion - the Taiping Rebellion ("Taiping tien-quo"
means the "Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace").
There were many other revolts, but this was by far the most
serious. Lasting from 1851 to1864 it took control of large swerves
of south and central China, including the southern capital of
Nanking. There a theocraticmilitary government was established.
Although it was millenarian in form, the Taiping leaders adopted
many policies which would later become the marks of modernizers
in China: prohibition of opiumsmoking, gambling, the use
of tobacco and wine, polygamy, the sale of slaves, and prostitution.
The promoted the equality of the sexes: they abolished foot-binding
and appointed of women as administrators and officers in the Taiping
army. They also tried to abolish the private ownership of land
and property, and they developed a program for the equal distribution
of land.
The following is an excerpt from the basic document of the
Taiping Kingdom, called "The Land System of the Heavenly
Kingdom." published in 1853.
All fields are to be divided into nine grades: every mou [6.6
mou equal one acre] of land, which during the two seasons,
both early and late, can produce 1,200 catties [of grain] shall
be ranked as a superior field of the first class; every mou that produces 1,100 catties as a superior field of the second
class; and every mou that produces 1,000 catties as a superior
field of the third class. Every mou that produces 900 catties
shall be considered as a medium field of the first class; every mou that produces 800 catties as a medium field of the
second class; and every mou that produces 700 catties as
a medium field of the third class. Every mou that produces
600 catties shall be considered as an inferior field of the first
class; every mou that produces 500 catties as an inferior
field of the second class; and every mou that produces
400 catties as an inferior field of the third class. One mou of superior field of the first class shall be considered equal
to a mou and onetenth of a superior field of the
second class, and to a mou and twotenths of a superior
field of the third class; also to a mou and threeandahalf
tenths of a medium field of the first class, to a mou and
fivetenths of a medium field of the second class, and to
a mou and sevenandahalf tenths of a medium
field of the third class; also to two mou of an inferior
field of the first class, to two mou and fourtenths
of an inferior field of the second class, and to three mou of an inferior field of the third class.
The division of land must be according to the number of individuals,
whether male or female; calculating upon the number of individuals
in a household, if they be numerous, then the amount of land will
be larger, and if few, smaller; and it shall be a mixture of the
nine classes. If there are six persons in a family, then for three
there shall be good land and for three poorer land, and of good
and poor each shall have half. All the fields in the empire are
to be cultivated by all the people alike. If the land is deficient
in one place, then the people must be removed to another, and
if the land is deficient in another, then the people must be removed
to this place. All the fields throughout the empire, whether of
abundant or deficient harvest, shall be taken as a whole: if this
place is deficient, then the harvest of that abundant place must
be removed to relieve it, and if that place is deficient, then
the harvest of this abundant place must be removed in order to
relieve the deficient place; thus, all the people in the empire
may together enjoy the abundant happiness of the Heavenly Father,
Supreme Lord and Great God. There being fields, let all cultivate
them; there being food, let all eat; there being clothes, let
all be dressed; there being money, let all use it, so that nowhere
does inequality exist, and no man is not well fed and clothed.
All men and women, every individual of sixteen years and upwards,
shall receive land, twice as much as those of fifteen years of
age and under. Thus, those sixteen of years of age and above shall
receive a mou of superior land of the first class, and
those of fifteen years and under shall receive half that amount,
fivetenths of a mou of superior land of the first
class; again, if those of sixteen years and above receive three mou of inferior land of the third class, then those of
fifteen years and below shall receive half that amount, one and
onehalf mou of inferior land of the third class.
Throughout the empire the mulberry tree is to be planted close
to every wall, so that all women may engage in rearing silkworms,
spinning the silk, and making garments. Throughout the empire
every family should keep five hens and two sows, which must not
be allowed to miss their proper season. At the time of harvest,
every sergeant shall direct the corporals to see to it that of`
the twentyfive families under his charge each individual
has a sufficient supply of food, and aside from the new grain
each may receive, the remainder must be deposited in the public
granary. Of wheat, pulse, hemp; flax, cloth, silk, fowls, dogs,
etc., and money, the same is true; for the whole empire is the
universal family of our Heavenly Father, the Supreme Lord and
Great God. . . . For every twentyfive families there must
be established one public granary, and one church where the sergeant
must reside. Whenever there are marriages, or births, or funerals,
all may go to the public granary; but a limit must be observed,
and not a cash be used beyond what is necessary. Thus, every family
which celebrates a marriage or a birth will be given one thousand
cash and a hundred catties of grain....
In every circle of twentyfive families, the work of the
potter, the blacksmith, the carpenter, the mason, and other artisans
must all be performed by the corporal and privates; when free
from husbandry they are to attend to these matters. Every sergeant,
in superintending marriages and funeral events in the twentyfive
families, should in every case offer a eucharistic sacrifice to
our Heavenly Father, the Supreme Lord and Great God; all corrupt
ceremonies of former times are abolished.
In every circle of twentyfive families, all young boys must
go to church every day, where the sergeant is to teach them to
read the Old Testament and the New Testament, as well as the book
of proclamations of the true ordained Sovereign. Every Sabbath
the corporals must lead the men and women to the church, where
the males and females are to sit in separate rows. There they
will listen to sermons, sing praises, and offer sacrifices to
our Heavenly Father, the Supreme Lord and Great God....
In the creation of an army, for each 13,156 families there must
first be a corps general; next there must be five colonels under
the command of the corps general; next there must be five captains
under the command of each colonel, altogether twentyfive
captains; next each of the twentyfive captains must have
under his command five lieutenants, altogether 125 lieutenants;
next each of the 125 lieutenants must have under his command four
sergeants, altogether 500 sergeants; next each of the 500 sergeants
must have under his command five corporals, altogether 2,500 corporals;
next each of the 2,500 corporals must have under his command four
privates, altogether 10,000 privates, the entire army numbering
altogether 13,156 men.
After the creation of an army, should the number of families increase,
with the increase of five families there shall be an additional
corporal; with the increase of twentysix families there
shall be an additional sergeant; with the increase of 105 families
there shall be an additional lieutenant; with the increase of
526 families there shall be an additional captain; with the increase
of 2,631 families there shall be an additional colonel; with the
total increase of 13,156 families there shall be an additional
corps general. Before a new corps general is appointed, the colonel
and subordinate officers shall remain under the command of the
old corps general; with the appointment of a corps general they
must be handed over to the command of the new corps general.
Within [the court] and without, all the various officials and
people must go every Sabbath to hear the expounding of the Holy
Bible, reverently offer their sacrifices, and worship and praise
the Heavenly Father, the Supreme Lord and Great God. On every
seventh seven, the fortyninth day, the Sabbath, the colonel,
captains, and lieutenants shall go in turn to the churches in
which reside the sergeants under their command and expound the
Holy books, instruct the people, examine whether they obey the
Commandments and orders or disobey the Commandments and orders,
and whether they are diligent or slothful. On the first seventh
seven, the fortyninth day, the Sabbath, the colonel shall
go to a certain sergeant's church, on the second seventh seven,
the fortyninth day, the Sabbath, the colonel shall then
go to another sergeant's church, visiting them all in order, and
after having gone the round he must begin again. The captains
and lieutenants shall do the same.
Each man throughout the empire who has a wife, sons, and daughters
amounting to three or four mouths, or five, six, seven, eight,
or nine mouths, must give up one to be a soldier. With regard
to the others, the widowers, widows, orphaned, and childless,
the disabled and sick, they shall all be exempted from military
service and issued provisions from the public granaries for their
sustenance.
Throughout the empire all officials must every Sabbath, according
to rank and position, reverently present sacrificial animals and
offerings, sacrifice and worship, and praise the Heavenly Father,
the Supreme Lord and Great God. They must also expound the Holy
books; should any dare to neglect this duty, they shall be reduced
to husbandmen. Respect this.
Source:
From Franz Michael, The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents,
vol. 2, Dosuments and Comments (Seattle: University
of Washington Press, 1971), pp. 313315, 319320.
This text is part of the Internet Modern History Sourcebook.
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(c)Paul Halsall Aug 1997
