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Hong Xiuquan (洪秀全) 1 January 1814 – 1 June 1864, was a Hakka Chinese revolutionary who was the leader of the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing Dynasty. He established the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom over areas in Southern China and proclaimed himself as younger brother to Jesus
In 1837, Hong attempted and failed the Imperial examination for the third time, leading to a nervous breakdown, being so delirious that his family feared for his life.
While convalescing, Hong dreamed of visiting Heaven, where he discovered that he possessed a celestial family distinct from his earthly family, which included a heavenly father, mother, elder brother, sister-in-law, wife, and son.
His heavenly father, wearing a black dragon robe and high-brimmed hat with a long golden beard, lamented that men were worshiping demons rather than him, and presented Hong with a sword and golden seal with which to slay the demons infesting Heaven.
The father figure later informed Hong that his given name violated taboos and had to be changed, suggesting as one option the "Hong Xiuquan" which was ultimately adopted by Hong.
Hong would also claim that he saw Confucius being punished by his heavenly Father for leading people astray. In 1843 he failed his examinations for the fourth time, it was only then that Hong took the time to read Christian pamphlets.
Hong came to believe that his heavenly Father was God the Father and that his heavenly Brother was Jesus Christ. His interpretation led him to believe that he was a literal son of God and that he was commanded to rid the world of demon worship.
Hong began by burning all Buddhist and Confucian statues as well as books in his house and started preaching to his community about his visions. His earliest converts were his distant relations whom were also of Hakka descent and they too failed their examinations.
He ended up collaborating with his new converts to destroy Buddhist and Confucian statues in small villages, naturally to the ire of local citizens and officials. In turn Confucians would force them to leave their positions as village tutors.
He would then journey to Guangzhou and preached in the outlying areas before heading northwest to White Tiger Village There, Hong and Feng Yunshan parted ways before traveling some 400 kilometers (250 mi) to the southwest to the village of Sigu, Guiping county, Guangxi.
t is in or near Sigu that Hong begins to draft "Exhortations to Worship the One True God", his first substantial work. In November 1844, after having preached in Guangxi for five months, Hong returned home without Feng and resumed his previous job as a village teacher.
In 1847, Hong Xiuquan was invited by a member of the Chinese Union to study with the American Southern Baptist missionary, Reverend Issachar Jacox Roberts. Once there, Hong studied Karl Gützlaff's translations of the Old and New Testaments and requested to be baptized by Roberts.
Roberts refused to Baptize Hong. Though we don't know the exact reasons as to why it is likely that Hong was tricked by other converts into asking Roberts for money. Hong would then leave Guangzhou to search for Feng Yunshan.
Robbed of his possessions he would find Feng and his society of God that Feng founded of over 2000 converts. By 1850 Hong would have between 10 000 to 30 000 followers. Authorities were alarmed at the size of the sect and sent a local force against them.
Battle would ensue with Hong and his followers victorious and the Imperial troops routing and repelling another government attack later on. Hong would then declare "Heavenly Kingdom of Transcendent Peace"
Hong and his followers faced immediate challenges. The local Green Standard Army outnumbered them ten to one, and had recruited the help of the river pirates to keep the rebellion contained to Jintian. They would fight their way through the blockade and take the town of Yongan.
Hong and his followers would remain here for three months, sustained by local landlords hostile to the Qing Dynasty. The Imperial Army regrouped launched an offensive, Having run out of gunpowder, Hong's followers fought their way out by sword, and made for the city of Guilin.
However Guilin's fortifications were too strong so they abandoned the siege and set out for Hunan. Here they encountered an elite militia that specialized in putting down rebellions. The rebels would lose 20% of their forces in this battle.
March 1853, Hong's forces managed to take Nanjing and turned it into the capital of their movement. Following a failed attempt by the Taiping rebels to take Shanghai in 1860, Qing government forces, aided by Western officers, slowly gained ground.
Hong's eventual death would occur in the Spring of 1864, Nanjing dangerously low on supplies. Hong ordered his followers to eat manna, which was mistranslated in Chinese to mean sweetened dew and a medicinal herb. Hong gathered up weeds around his Palace at them and then died.
