The tragic situation of the destruction of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the commander was shot, and 3,000 female soldiers were martyred, which was tragic and magnificent.
When the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom fell, an earth-shattering tragedy was staged on the stage of history. The commander-in-chief was killed by artillery fire and his head was shot off by bullets. This bloody and tragic scene is a merciless mockery of history, plunging the once ambitious Taiping Heavenly Kingdom into an endless abyss.
But what is even more shocking is the astonishing actions of 3000 men and women soldiers, who, under the clouds of destruction, resolutely ** and without hesitation dedicated their lives to the country. At that moment, their hearts and beliefs turned into a raging fire, writing a tragic page in history.
Let's talk about Hong Xiuquan's life experience first: When he was a teenager in high school, he was unjustly imprisoned.
Hong Xiuquan, whose ancestral home is Huaxian County, Guangdong, was born in a scholarly family. In 1836, at the age of 18, Hong Xiuquan won the first place in the Guangdong examination, and was hailed"Double champion"。He had a promising future, but he was punished and imprisoned for causing the envy of the nobles. In prison, Hong Xiuquan was tortured by whipping, suffering unbearably, and his young heart was hit hard. Three years later, the unjust case was finally overturned, and Hong Xiuquan regained his freedom, but his body and mind were seriously injured. This prison experience later became an important reason for Hong Xiuquan's personality change and his move towards the Qing Dynasty.
ii.Religion and Ideals: Hong Xiuquan is self-reliant"Worship God Meeting"to propagate the idea of national salvation.
After Hong Xiuquan was released from prison, he found that he no longer had the desire to succeed in the exam, and he was also deeply disappointed by the corruption of the provincial government. In 1843, he built his own chapel in Guangxi to spread the gospel of salvation to the world. At the same time, Hong Xiuquan also has his own political ideals -- to build an ideal country where the rich and the poor are unequal and everyone is equal. This idealistic ideology was gradually intertwined with his religious beliefs, and became a powerful driving force for Hong Xiuquan to embark on the road of anti-Qing revolution.
Jintian Uprising III: The peasant uprising and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement were in full swing.
In 1851, a peasant uprising broke out in Jintian, Guangxi, led mainly by believers in the Cult of God. The uprising spread rapidly, and Hong Xiuquan became the leader. He proposed"Help clear and extinguish the ocean"The peasants rose up under the banner of opposing the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty. The rebels soon captured the cities of Wuchang and Nanjing, establishing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, with the goal of overthrowing the corrupt Qing dynasty and establishing a just and equitable new dynasty. In the early years of the offensive, the Taiping army was strong, and the Qing court was threatened with annihilation.
4. The Decline of Glory: Hong Xiuquan's Fascination with the Harem and the Internal Contradictions of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
But the good times were short-lived: in 1853, the Taiping army invaded Nanjing, and Hong Xiuquan established the Tianwang Mansion and proclaimed himself the Heavenly King. During this period, he completely lost himself, indulged in the beauties of the harem, indulged in lust with civil and military officials, and rarely went to court. He handed over the internal military affairs of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to Yang Xiuqing and others. Hong Xiuquan disobeyed"Everyone is equal"promises, building on a large scale, plundering the people. This led to constant disputes among the generals within the kingdom of heaven. Hong Xiuquan was indifferent to this and allowed the war to spread.
Fifthly, the main force of 400,000 was defeated within the scope of the traitor's mission: the tycoon army went into the cage.
In July 1864, Qing forces captured Nanjing. Although the main force of the Taiping army did not participate in the battle, it still needed to maintain more than 400,000 troops. The Qing army finally caught the main force of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom by surprise. Li Xiucheng and others were either captured or killed on the battlefield, the remnants of the Taiping army scattered and fled, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom completely collapsed.
vi.The martyrdom of 3 000 girls: the girl who chose death over obedience.
This defeat once again highlighted the unique tragedy of the Taiping Rebellion. 3,000 female rebels to avoid capture**. They would rather commit suicide than be captured by the Qing army. It was a tragic spectacle as these young girls died fearlessly in front of the authorities, defending their last honor. Their martyrdom is still awe-inspiring and weeping to this day.
Hong Xiuquan is a complex and tragic historical figure.
Obviously, his original intentions as the head of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were commendable, and he expected the peasants to be fair and just, trying to change the rotten reality of the time. The great success of the First Taiping Rebellion also demonstrated Hong Xiuquan's outstanding organizational and strategic skills.
His greatest tragedy is that he is still a traditional scholar at heart, and his thinking is limited to the consciousness of a small peasant. Therefore, soon after his victory, he lost himself, deviated from his original ideals, indulged in sensuality, and reneged on his promises. For the fall of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Hong Xiuquan himself was very responsible.
Of course, we can't blame Hong Xiuquan for all the failures. The external environment such as the Qing army's **, spies and betrayal, as well as many other factors, were also one of the reasons for the final defeat of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
It is often difficult to evaluate a historical figure briefly. The interpretation of Hong Xiuquan, a tragic figure, is no exception. He was an idealist and a realist; He is a hero and an ordinary man; He was the spiritual pillar of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the driving force behind the fall of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. This complexity is the historical wisdom contained in the character of Hong Xiuquan.
Reflection on the vigorous revolutionary measures of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom will continue and deepen. And Hong Xiuquan's name will also be engraved on the stone tablet of China's modern revolutionary history and will be remembered by history.