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Taiping Movement - Summary History Of Modern China (1840-1960) History Of Modern China (1840-1960) (University of Delhi) Scan to open on Studocu Studocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university Downloaded by TUSHAR ARSD ([email protected]) lOMoARcPSD|34172904
Do you agree with the view that Taiping Movement was a full-昀氀edged revolu琀椀on and not a new tradi琀椀onal peasant rebellion? Analyse the an琀椀-feudal nature of Taiping movement in content of its revolu琀椀onary measures. Would you regard the “Dynas琀椀c cycle theory” as adequate explana琀椀on for the outbreak of Taiping Movement? How do you evaluate the policies and programmes of Taiping peasant movement. Why did it fall? Do you agree that Taiping was the second crusade of peasants, a na琀椀onal campaign and a modernist response to the challenges persecuted by the West. Explain the poli琀椀cal and social programme of the Taiping with the special reference to their land policies. Introduc琀椀on The Taiping movement, revolu琀椀on in China formidable which gave a blow to the Manchus in the mid-19th century, is widely debated and ques琀椀ons pertaining to its ‘character’, whether it was a Rebellion or a Revolu琀椀on, remain largely unse琀琀led. Some historians regard it as a full-昀氀edged revolu琀椀on, even to the extent of calling it the prelude of the Communist Movement while others believe that the former is a gross over-glori昀椀ca琀椀on, and that the Taiping Movement was no more than tradi琀椀onal Chinese peasant rebellion. Further, it is debated whether the Taiping movement was a ‘peasant rebellion’ at all. While a discussion of the various academic stances is impera琀椀ve for an objec琀椀ve appraisal of the nature of the Taiping movement, it is 昀椀rst and foremost necessary to elaborate on the factors that gave birth to the movement, as well as the very consciousness of the movement itself. Causes In nineteenth century, the Chinese empire had a series of social and poli琀椀cal movements. The series began between the two Opium Wars and some con琀椀nued un琀椀l 1875. They included the Taiping revolu琀椀on, the Nian rebellion, the Moslem risings usually led by secret socie琀椀es. By 1860 most of the eighteen provinces had been a昀昀ected by at least one of the rebellions. The Taiping Rebellion, the most important one broke out South and Central China. It lasted for almost 13 years is from 1851 to 1864 encompassing many provinces. This extensive rebellion also nearly brought the demise of the Ch'ing dynasty. In the words of Karl Marx, it was a ‘formidable revolu琀椀on’ and indeed the movement challenged not only Manchu authority but also the tradi琀椀onal Chinese Confucian beliefs that were the founda琀椀on of its authority. There are many reasons of its causes as per the tradi琀椀onal Chinese belief and Confucian theory, it is said that internal disturbance, be it poli琀椀cal like peasant discontent, unequal trea琀椀es, administra琀椀ve corrup琀椀on or even natural disasters and external disturbances like Downloaded by TUSHAR ARSD ([email protected]) lOMoARcPSD|34172904
foreign invasions led to the movement. In this 琀椀me China saw an increase in popula琀椀on with no arise in arable land. This burden on resources led to the rise in commodi琀椀es prices, fragmenta琀椀on of inheritance leading to tremendous debt and tenancy among the peasantry, ruining of small landholders. This in turn led to the concentra琀椀on of land in the hands of the ruling elite, and the consequent displacement of the peasantry from the rural areas. Such issues of discontentment de昀椀nitely paved the way for an uprising. They’re existed rivalry between the non-Chinese popula琀椀on of Guangxi region before the Han arrived, the 昀椀rst Chinese se琀琀lers, the one who had taken over the best land, and the Chinese families who had come from Central China later date. Rela琀椀ons were par琀椀cularly unpleasant between the Hakka and the Bendi. This social fric琀椀on eventually contributed to the growth of secret socie琀椀es like the Triads which who focused on equality and was involved in military struggle against Manchu in Peking and later joined Taiping movement. Along with this the increasing in昀氀uence of Chris琀椀anity created an unrest between the people. Nature Many terms have been used to describe the Taiping movement, ranging from ‘revolu琀椀on’, to ‘rebellion’. These terms clearly indicate the great deal of controversy surrounding the nature of this movement. Many historians di昀昀er in their interpreta琀椀on of the movement as well as other aspects of the nature of the movement, such as whether it was a peasant movement or an琀椀-feudal etc. Dynas琀椀c cycle theory Tradi琀椀onally, Chinese subscribed to Dynas琀椀c Cycle theory that domes琀椀c rebellion and foreign invasion were reac琀椀on of the decaying central power. Su-yu-teng and Chesneaux points that Manchu period was a part of con琀椀nuing dynas琀椀c cycle and tend to view all socio- economic and poli琀椀cal problems of the mid-19th c as a sign that preceded the fall of earlier dynas琀椀es. While, Tan Chung have rejected this theory and argued that it was based on the oversimpli昀椀ca琀椀on of facts. It had blowen of the western prejudice about Chinese’s historical changelessness. Taiping rebellion was unprecedented as Tan Chung points out that the Taiping army challenged a dynasty, which s琀椀ll had a somewhat powerful image and vitality. Hence it would be correct to say that the Taiping movement was a cause of Manchu degenera琀椀on and not the other way round. There was more to the Taiping movement than what the Dynas琀椀c Cycle Theory could reckon. Revolu琀椀on or rebellion Among the most important aspects on the nature of the Taiping is whether it is a ‘rebellion’ or ‘revolu琀椀on’. It is 昀椀rst of all essen琀椀al to understand what exactly these terms mean in the modern context. To Western scholars such as Vincent Shih, Barrington Moore Jr., George Taylor, J.K. Fairbank and others, the Taiping movement appears to be a ‘typical tradi琀椀onal rebellion’ that was bound to fail. According to them for any movement, to be called a revolu琀椀on it must be successful in its aims. Downloaded by TUSHAR ARSD ([email protected]) lOMoARcPSD|34172904
Barrington Moore Jr. argues that the Taiping movement did not alter the basic structure of society and therefore cannot be called a revolu琀椀on. In this case however, even a昀琀er the Taiping movement, the Manchus, the prevailing socio-poli琀椀cal order and the tradi琀椀onal Confucian system con琀椀nued. Vincent Shih notes, “Certain ideals were borrowed from Chris琀椀anity and the West which held a genuine possibility of bringing a real revolu琀椀on but these ideals were diluted due to the mixing of na琀椀ve Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhist principles.” Moreover, he argues that for a movement to be called revolu琀椀onary not only must violence be a means of achieving the objec琀椀ves but the leaders must also show the desire to make changes in the nature of the society. However, in case of the Taiping this does not seem to have happened as the leaders were only interested in taking over the reins of the government but not bring about any fundamental change in the society. This view is cri琀椀cized by Tan Chung, who points out that there is no evidence to show that the existence of na琀椀ve cultural aspira琀椀ons in the Taiping ideology diluted its revolu琀椀onary character. Moreover, he believes that if one studies the developments and changes that have taken place in China from the beginning of the 20th century it becomes amply clear that the myth that only western ideas can save China is in fact only a myth. The Chinese communist historians such as Holl Wailu, Li Tianyu, Wu Shimo, Tan Chung and Jean Chesneaux accepted its shortcomings but they call the Taiping ‘nothing less than a full- 昀氀edged revolu琀椀on’ and a ‘precursor to the Communist Revolu琀椀on of 1949’, apprecia琀椀ng its revolu琀椀onary character. Some have called it “the 昀椀rst great 琀椀de of revolu琀椀on in the history of modern China”. The Taiping movement, according to Mao Tse Tung, was one of the eight major events in China’s one-hundred-year history before the Communist Revolu琀椀on. These scholars lay emphasis on the theore琀椀cal aspect of the Taiping aims and policies and refer to many new and unique measures suggested by the Taiping, such as the land reforms, equality between sexes, trade policy etc. and assert that even if not fully implemented, their sugges琀椀on indicates the revolu琀椀onary nature of the movement. Thus, it was seen as more broad-based than all previous peasant rebellions are cited as jus琀椀昀椀ca琀椀on for the term ‘revolu琀椀on’. The various posi琀椀ve impacts of the movement are emphasized such as the development of regionalism due to the decentraliza琀椀on of power to the provincial authori琀椀es during the movement to deal with it more e昀昀ec琀椀vely. The originality of the Taiping Revolu琀椀on lay in the unprecedented blend of modernist impulses with tradi琀椀onal themes. Some scholars avoid joining either the Western or the Communist schools of thought. Prominent among them is Ssu Yu Teng, according to whom “the 昀椀rst half of the Taiping rebellion”, las琀椀ng from 1851 to 1856, was “a proletarian revolu琀椀onary movement to overthrow the Manchu regime and replace it by a new ra琀椀onalist government with a radical economic, social, poli琀椀cal and cultural programme.” This was followed by the “internal dissension of 1856”, a昀琀er which “the later part of the Taiping Rebellion resembled more a tradi琀椀onal Chinese ‘peasant’ insurrec琀椀on than a modern revolu琀椀on.” Peasant or an琀椀 feudal Downloaded by TUSHAR ARSD ([email protected]) lOMoARcPSD|34172904