Lions Led By Donkeys Podcast Episode 256 - The Taiping Rebellion Part 1: Jesus Christ's Little Brother
Apr 17, 2023
A failed civil service exam leads to the deadliest civil war in China, exploring the syncretism of Taiping Christianity, the rise and fall of the Manchu Dynasty, the divine visionary Hong Zhuquan, and the violent origins of the Taiping Rebellion.
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Scale Far Exceeds Familiar Civil Wars
- The Taiping Rebellion killed vastly more people than the U.S. Civil War, possibly making it the deadliest civil war in history so far.
- Most deaths came from famine and disease amid state collapse, not direct combat.
Exam System Built The Imperial Elite
- Imperial China used a millennia-old civil service exam to staff its bureaucracy and unify administration.
- The exam demanded near-encyclopedic memorization and shaped elite conformity across the state.
Meritocracy Became Entrenched Privilege
- The exam system ossified into privilege as tutoring academies and corruption advantaged the wealthy.
- Officials resisted reform because changes threatened their power base.