The Taiping Revolution (also called the Taiping Rebellion or Taiping Civil War) was an effort by radical christians to establish a theocratic, totatlirain, proto-socialist society in China from 1851 to 1864. The revolution failed, killing tens of millions of people and further leading to the weakening of the Chinese state, and increased power of foreign empires like the British, French and USA.
Positives
- The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom made significant strides towards gender equality by banning foot binding and mandatory hairstyles, letting women into civil service exams, and declaring men and women equal.
- The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom began to initiate the use of railroads and steamboats to help modernise China on par with the west.
Negatives
- The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom established a totalitarian regime with no degree of democracy or self-management.
- The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom mandated Christianity as a state religion.
- The Rebellion killed between 20 and 30 million by conservative estimates, others put the death toll at 120,000,000.