The Taiping Rebellion. Essay by Master Researcher

The Taiping rebellion is often regarded as a domestic civil war, but it was a response against European imperialism as well. The rebels, after all, were fighting a ruling class, the Manchu dynasty, that was at the subservience of European powers. This meant, in turn, that the Manchus were exploiting the Chinese people. In the end, the Taiping rebellion had failed, partly because the wealthier classes, who were in league with European imperialists, preferred to support the Manchu dynasty, which to them stood for stability. The anti-imperialist nature of the Taiping rebellion was well illustrated by the fact that its forces were eventually put down not only by Chinese imperial troops, but also by their allies -- a mixed force of Europeans, who feared to lose their commercial interests if the Manchu dynasty fell. In order to understand China's response to imperialism in the late 19th century, therefore, it is necessary to perceive the role that the Taiping rebellion played in moulding China's anti-imperialist ideology and capability.