In 1864, the Taiping Rebellion failed under the strangulation of the Qing Dynasty army led by Zeng Guofan, and many Taiping soldiers were either killed or fled. Surprisingly, there was a Taiping Army of 30,000 people who not only escaped from the Pursuit and Killing of the Qing Army, but also ran to a place that the Qing Dynasty could not have imagined- Peru in South America.
Here's how it went.
After Nanjing was contributed by the Qing army, the Taiping Army general Weng Derong led more than 30,000 soldiers, and fought and retreated, all the way south, after the dream of the prince's hegemony was shattered, their only thought was to live. However, the Qing soldiers were in hot pursuit behind them, and the Taiping Army was hiding in Tibet, but if so many people wanted to survive, they had to think of a better way.
At this time, Onderong accidentally discovered the announcement of the recruitment of indentured laborers in Peru. He thought that this might be the way for many brothers to live. So Weng Derong and his men discussed, and everyone agreed to go to the sea to Peru, so the Taiping Army collectively signed up as a laborer and went abroad by boat.
But going abroad to make a living isn't as rosy as they think. The place where the Taiping Army came was Iquique in Peru, rich in mineral resources saltpeter and fertilizer bird droppings, so the local government recruited a large number of laborers overseas. But these laborers were treated poorly, much like slaves.
After the more than 30,000 Taiping soldiers arrived in Peru, the factory owners treated them like beasts, letting them work day and night. But people under the eaves, how can they not bow their heads? The Taiping Army soldiers endured the oppression of the factory owners and silently sought the opportunity to change their lives.
Soon, a sudden war completely changed the fate of the Taiping Army. Iquique is located at the junction of Peru, Chile and Bolivia, and the sovereignty of the land has not been clear, so the three countries have constantly disputed the "treasure land" of Iquique. In 1879, Chile and Bolivia jointly attacked Peru and sent troops to capture Iquique.
After the outbreak of war, Weng Derong and his men launched a rebellion, killing the guards of the mining area, seizing the local arsenal, the slaves threw off the shackles, and the Taiping Army regained its status as a warrior and actively participated in the Three Kingdoms War.
At that time, the two countries of Chile and Bolivia were at a disadvantage on the battlefield, and the Peruvian army was constantly victorious, and the two countries would not be able to hold on. At this time, the rearmed 30,000 Taiping Army descended from the sky and launched an attack on the Peruvian army from behind, and the situation on the battlefield was reversed in an instant.
The Taiping Army wielded its swords and pulled the plate machine, taking all the humiliation it had suffered for a long time on the Peruvian army. The Peruvian army was defeated, and Iquique was under Chile's ownership.
After the battle, the Chilean government, in order to thank the Taiping Army, intended to give them a small town in Iquique to live, but Chile's real purpose was to make this brave and warlike force serve itself. How could Onderong and others not see the mind of the Chilean government, they were tired of years of fighting and killing, and living and working in peace and contentment was what they wanted. So after obtaining the status of residents, they automatically disbanded, lived a quiet life as civilians, and integrated into the local society.