Hung Hsiu Chuan – Taiping Emperor

Hung Hsiu-ch’uan made himself leader of the largest popular movement in Imperial times. This involved the slaughter of millions of Chinese soldiers and civilians over a five-year period. The Taiping were moving on to Beijing when the Imperial government gave up much of its sovereignty to the West in order that the European armies would crush the rebellion. This came to pass and in 1865 the “emperor” of the Taiping died, perhaps by his own hand. Embroidery by