Hong Xiuquan's Taiping Rebellion lasted for 14 years, expanded its influence to 18 provinces, and a number of outstanding generals emerged, and the promulgation of the "Heavenly Dynasty Tianmu System" and "New Chapters of Senior Administration" also reached a new height in its theoretical standards, and even carried out some social system practice. But still can not escape their own limitations, after the success of the uprising, willing to degenerate, become the ruler of the fish and meat people, in fact, the deep problem is still the limitations of the entire traditional culture.
Hong Xiuquan raised an army
Hong Xiuquan and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom are a very strange person and thing in Chinese history, in the early 19th century, Hong Xiuquan was born in an ordinary peasant family in Hua County, Guangdong Province, and worked as a private school teacher in the village. Before the age of 30, he took the imperial examination 4 times, but he failed to pass the examination, and later under the influence of the missionaries, he gave up the imperial examination and went to the road of missionary.
Before the Opium War, Christianity had been introduced to Guangdong, and Hong Xiuquan was fascinated by some of the teachings of Christianity. At that time, many missionaries translated the Bible into Chinese, which excited Hong Xiuquan, who was new to religion, convinced that he was the brother of Jesus, and the Father gave him a special mission to liberate the people of the land of God from the rule of the Manchurian demons, and he wanted to lead these believers to heaven on earth.
Beginning in 1840, Hong Xiuquan gathered a group of believers who worshiped God, and 10 years later, he established the Taiping Army, and at the beginning of the uprising, he promulgated the "Tianchao Tianmu System", which depicted an absolutely egalitarian utopian society, abolishing all private property, entrusting everything to the management of the "Holy Treasury" and realizing egalitarianism.
Hong Xiuquan led this Taiping Army to fight in southern and central China, invincible and invincible. In 1853, he captured the southern city of Nanjing, and fixed the capital here, and then abolished the family, implemented strict separation of men and women, and collectivized military life, even husband and wife, mother and son can not be together, let alone sleep together, otherwise they are regarded as adulterers and punished. At this time, the leaders lived an extravagant and lavish life, the palace and the palace were all golden and brilliant, with a large number of wives and concubines, and many palace women, especially Hong Xiuquan's palace.
Harem management that is mired in it
After the execution of Yang Xiuqing, the Eastern King, no one could form restraint on Hong Xiuquan anymore, so Hong Xiuquan managed this harem family according to his own ideas. Located in the center of Nanjing City, the Tianwang Mansion is self-contained. In the Forbidden City, eunuchs served the emperor's concubines and made miscellaneous goods, and emasculated men were not allowed to enter the palace.
There were no eunuchs in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, so almost all affairs in the palace were handled by women. There were more than 2,000 women in the palace, mainly divided into three categories, namely female officials, maids, and some female relatives in Hong Xiu's family, including Hong Xiuquan's mother, mother-in-law, and concubines that Hong Xiuquan married along the way. According to the young king Hong Tiangui, Hong Xiuquan had 88 concubines in Nanjing.
Hong Tiangui
When Hong Tiangui was eight years old, Hong Xiuquan thought that his son had grown up and could not stay in the palace, so he married 4 wives to Tiangui, sent him to live outside the palace, and even forbade him to enter the palace to visit his mother and sister. Sometimes Tiangui missed his mother too much, so he sneaked back when Hong Xiuquan was busy with official duties.
Hong Xiuquan also strictly regulates the behavior of his children, such as boys can not be too close to their sisters after the age of 4; after the age of 7, they cannot sleep with their mothers or concubines; they must keep a distance of more than 3 meters from their sisters; they must learn to bathe on their own; after the age of 9, not only mothers, grandmothers and grandmothers cannot visit the elderly. Not only boys, but also girls, sisters and brothers must be separated, girls can not touch brothers after the age of 5, after the age of 9 can only be with women, can not see any men, even young brothers.
Hong Xiuquan expelled his sons from the palace and issued various rules to women of all ranks in the palace. These regulations are not only numerous but also very detailed, mainly in Hong Xiuquan's more than 500 poems. Like what
Serving ungodly should be fought. Hard neck does not listen to the teaching of the two should be played.
Look up at the husband three should fight. Ask the king if he is not religious four should be beaten.
Impure breath is not pure five should be played. Speak loudly six should be hit.
There are seven should be called and should be played. Face affection does not like eight should be played.
Look left and right nine should fight. Speaking is not leisurely and should be played.
Seeing the Lord as an anti-heavenly being, more than half a sin.
Look at the main single accurate to see the shoulder, the best reason to look at the chest.
Why should we sleep and not sleep, why should we not sleep and sleep?
Why did he sleep in spite of the Lord, and why did he dare to sleep to this day?
They are not allowed to cry in the palace, not to frown, not to scream around like animals, not to be jealous of others. Everyone performed their duties, demanded order, could not move without approval, and as long as they heard the sound of the gong, they had to be called by name. These concubines did not have any titles, collectively called wives, but there were too many wives, and Hong Xiuquan could not remember their names, so he numbered each wife, so there was the anecdote of wife No. 30 and wife No. 80. The other thousands of palace ladies are unnumbered.
Hong Xiuquan asked that the palace door be locked at night, and the vigil should patrol around, Hong Xiu's sleep quality throughout the night was very poor, and he would often be distracted by some noise, even if he played more gongs and drums to wake him up. But Hong Xiuquan liked to listen to the organ, and he liked the mournful music played by the organ, and every evening, he ordered the palace ladies to play until midnight, and these palace women had to learn to play the organ in their spare time.
Hong Xiuquan Palace
Hong Xiuquan has a strong cleaning habit in the palace, all the items must be clean, there was once a leper in the palace, which made Hong Xiuquan sick. Inside the palace, garbage cannot be piled up, and the spittoon must be cleaned up every shift, and the flying insects must not be allowed to approach Hong Xiuquan, especially at night, two palace women must use fans to drive away flying insects, one palace girl is fanning his head, one fan is fanning his feet, these fans must also be away from Hong Xiuquan's palm, can not touch him.
Hong Xiuquan's bathroom is even more spotless and orderly, if the palace maid does not take her turn, she cannot enter the bathroom, and everyone who enters the bathroom must be registered. When Hong Xiuquan entered the bathroom, the palace ladies had to prepare 4 clean bath towels with a strong aroma, which were required to be made of silk, composed of yellow and white, and if it was cold, these towels should be heated. His handkerchief towels, face towels, beard covers, etc. need to be cleaned and replaced regularly.
Statue of Hong Xiuquan
After Hong Xiuquan finished bathing, one group of palace girls was responsible for sorting out his upper body, and the other group was responsible for sorting out his lower body. Some cut his beard, some tied his hair, some wiped his nose, and so on. When the maid dressed him, she could stand in front of him and face him, but her eyes could not be higher than his shoulders, let alone look directly at him. When giving him a robe, he must not touch his neck, and the hat must be worn from behind.
And Hong Xiuquan asked all women to get up to rinse their mouths, must keep their breath fresh, and carefully clean their eye circles. Their hands should also be kept clean, and they should not trim their eyebrows, let alone wear strange clothes, nor can they wrap their feet. Hong Xiuquan believes that beauty is not important, The Heavenly Father has never disliked ugly women, as long as the makeup is neat, the clothes are bright and tidy, and with a little accessories, they are all good-looking.
If Hong Xiuquan walked around in the garden, at any time, these palace ladies should pay attention to whether his clothes were warm enough, and even help him go. If Hong Xiuquan wants to play in the car, these palace girls should pull this float and be careful of bumps at all times.
Hong Xiuquan's brutality
Hong Xiuquan strictly forbade palace women and their children to read Confucian books, and regarded confucian ancient books as "evil words" . Moreover, the palace maid was required to recite the Bible and his poems together every day when she was on a mission, and when reading these scriptures and poems, she should pay special attention to the names of people and places, read them out loud, and ensure that the pronunciation was correct. Ten articles of heaven are recited on each Sabbath, and those found not to have memorized them are severely punished.
Hong Xiuquan has a very big temper in the inner palace, and often gets angry for a little small matter, such as the fan fan in the wrong place, the towel is sent late, etc., will be punished by him. If the same mistake is made twice, they will be reprimanded by the rod, and when they are beaten, they will praise the king, and if these palace ladies refuse to admit their mistakes, they will bring the punishment of death. Before the execution, these executed palace ladies were to burn incense and bathe, and then take them to the back garden and be hacked to death with a large knife.
Hong Xiuquan ignored the government and politics all day in the palace, accompanied these concubines to write and revise the "Book of Heaven", and he neither summoned the ministers nor let the ministers see him. When Hong Xiuquan left the palace, he asked 64 people to carry the palanquin, as long as he left the palace, he asked the whole city to quit smoking, and the people had to turn their backs on their honor guards, kneel on the side of the road, and if there was a collision with the honor guard, they would be beheaded, and serious ones would also be delayed or light sky lanterns. Ling Chi is to cut the prisoners one by one, and to light the sky lantern is to soak the person in oil and then light it with fire.
Ling Chi Hong Tiangui
The "Hong Xiuquan" of history
It can be said that no matter what class you come from, as long as you grasp the dictatorial power without restraint, you will turn to brutal autocratic rule, which is definitely not a historical accident, nor is it Hong Xiuquan's personal phenomenon, but a natural logic. The main feature of China's traditional social and political culture is that it has entered the only narrow cultural vision that only understands the model of absolute monarchical rule, there is no decent historical tradition of checking and checking power, there is no relevant cultural quality, and the formation of a social mechanism and political tradition of "having power has everything". The question of the so-called metamorphosis of the leaders of the uprising is actually a historical necessity after the combination of ordinary humanity and unchecked power.
Although the purpose of the peasant revolt was to overthrow the old dynasty, they could not oppose it as a system; although they also exposed the evils of the emperor and the nobility, they did not know the need to oppose kingship, did not understand the need to abolish absolute monarchy. Violent revolutions may overthrow the old regime, but they will never change people's ways of thinking and cultural traditions.
Resources
Shi Youzhong, "The Origin, Meaning and Influence of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Thought", Zhong Wendian "Taiping Army in Yong'an", Guo Tingyi", "Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Historical Journal"