Asian Millenarianism: An Interdisciplinary Study of the Taiping a ...

Hong was more of a political figure using religion for his own ends rather than a Christian who believed and followed the Bible. He created his own doctrine from ancient Korean and Chinese millenarian ideas, and he only used them in the name of Shangdi. He complained that both the Old Testament and New Testament had mistakes, and he refused to follow them as written, preferring his own interpretation of them. He wrote his own testament, which was called the Second Bible, for his own advancement. Hong did recognize some Confucian doctrines as the truth. His visions and doctrines were not purely influenced by Christianity, but were also influenced by East Asian ideas such as Confucianism and the I-jing (Book of Changes), which had originated in ancient Korea. Some Taiping leaders, at least, did not have enough faith to suffer martyrdom in China for their Christian God, and they said they would go to Britain if they failed in fighting the Qing. The Taiping leaders used Christianity as means to help them attain their own secular desires, in the belief that their actions would find more acceptance if they were wrapped in Christian clothes. Although Wagner and Spence have written good accounts of Hong Xiuquan and the Taiping history, they do not explore in depth issues like the importance of other Taiping leaders, or the forces that motivated the common people to participate in the Taiping movement. Hong's rebellion would arguably not have yielded the results that it did if it were not for the participation of leaders such as Feng Yunshan, Yang Xiuqing, and Xiao Chaogui, who provided realistic and practical vision and tactical advice to Hong and the Taipings. Wagner and Spence have both examined Hong's vision as it was, without carefully teasing out its more complex visions and actions. Although both scholars have made great contributions to the study of Hong Xiuquan and the Taiping, neither Wagner nor Spence stresses the importance of the social composition of the Taiping leadership, or the Taipings' position in relation to the Qing's policies of the Hakka (guest people), which led the Hakka to join the Taiping movement and to take over many of the most important duties. Without understanding the importance of the social composition of the Taipings, we can hardly understand why it should be that Hong failed