Lions Led By Donkeys Podcast Episode 258 - The Taiping Rebellion Part 3: The Chicken King
Apr 30, 2023
The podcast discusses the brutal tactics used in the Taiping Rebellion, power struggles among rebel leaders, challenges in pronouncing Chinese names, immaculate conception beliefs, struggles of an opium-addicted official, and chaotic power dynamics within the rebellion. Foreign interactions, involvement of Western traders, and the appointment of foreign commanders are also highlighted.
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Rivers Turned Into Weapons
- The Qing used environmental engineering as a weapon by diverting the Grand Canal to flood Taiping camps.
- That deliberate inundation destroyed rebel forces and many civilians and devastated farmland and irrigation systems.
The Fate Of A Captured Rebel Leader
- Li Kaifeng surrendered and was executed by lingchi, the lingering death, a torturous multi-stage execution.
- The hosts describe how lingchi varied from minutes to days and often included amputations and decapitation.
Tunnels And Timed Bombs
- Taiping forces used mining and timed explosions to breach cities, including dual-tunnel traps to kill repair parties.
- These tactics show Taiping adaptability and brutal ingenuity in siegecraft.