The History of China

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom has been proclaimed — but proclamations don't feed armies. As such, its Divine Host will enjoy all of 11 days before sheer arithmetic forces them back onto the road. What follows is eight months of movement through the hills and river valleys of Guangxi: not quite a military campaign, not quite a refugee march. When they finally stop, it will be inside the walls of a city called Yong'an - "Eternal Peace." There, for the first time, the blueprint of the kingdom they have been promising can at last be seen in outline. Kings will be named, & time itself will be reordered... But the walls keep closing in, and ahead - always ahead - is the only path left. Time Period Covered:Jan. 1851 – June 1852 Major Historical Figures:Taiping Heavenly Kingdom:Hong Xiuquan, Heavenly King, Second Son of God [1814–1864]Feng Yunshan, South King, Architect of the God-Worshipping Society [1815–1852]Yang Xiuqing, East King, Voice of God the Father [d. 1856]Xiao Chaogui, West King, Voice of Jesus Christ [d. 1852]Wei Changhui, North King [1823–1856]Shi Dakai, Wing King [1831–1863]Luo Dagang, pirate-turned-general [fl. 1851–1853] Qing Dynasty:Saishangga, Imperial Commissioner [fl. 1851–1852]Xiang Rong, Qing General [d. 1856]Ulantai, Qing General [d. 1852] Major Sources Cited:Hamberg, Theodore. The Visions of Hung-Siu-tshuen and the Origin of the Kwang-si Insurrection.Kuhn, Philip A. "Ch. 6, The Taiping Rebellion" in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 10.Platt, Stephen R. Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom.Spence, Jonathan D. God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A rural disaster spawns a new communal movement that feeds, heals, and organizes desperate people. Religious visions drive a mass migration to Jintian and the creation of a shared treasury. Local elites and imperial forces scramble to respond as disciplined military preparations lead to a shocking victory and the proclamation of an alternative kingdom.

A fringe religious movement defaces a temple and sparks local panic. Leaders refine radical anti-idol, anti-Confucian tracts and court controversy. Legal crackdowns, courtroom gambits, and deportation harden the group. Charismatic trance speakers claim divine voices in Hakka and help the movement expand from secrecy into wider centers.

A tale of displaced pirates, river-bandits, and collapsing state order in wartime China. The story follows organizers who build a protective society among marginalized Hakka in remote mountains. It traces how missionary encounters, missed baptisms, and visions galvanize a new religious movement that blends ritual, organization, and military potential.

A failed scholar’s shattered dreams ignite fever visions that remake his identity and claim a divine mission. Tensions between imperial exams and popular religion erupt into symbolic attacks on Confucian order. Missionary tracts and ritual preparations fuse with travel, baptism, and the rapid spread of a new, militant spiritual movement.

TheKangxi Emperor’s Obsessive Pursuit ofGaldan Khanto the Endsof the EarthPresented: 02/28/2026audio-only cut (this is from my mic pick-up, so the host's audio is low... apologies... I'll replace it with a better final version once it's released!)~20:00 - presentation ~20:00 - audience Q&A Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The aftermath of the Treaty of Nanjing and its surprising ambiguities are explored. Diplomatic theatrics and personal diplomacy blur meanings of equality and sovereignty. Opium trade sidesteps legal bans via offshore anchorages. Early treaty ports open to missionaries and merchants. The settlement seeds a growing treaty system that reshapes China for decades.

A new British envoy arrives with orders to finish the war and crush any more 'humbug'. The narrative follows a relentless coastal and Yangtze campaign, bold riverine maneuvers, and the shocking capture of key ports and waterways. It ends with tense negotiations aboard a warship, a punitive treaty that never mentions opium, and deep mutual misunderstandings about what victory actually means.

A tense reversal in Canton as imperial hardliners undo conciliatory deals and launch a bold Chinese military push. British forces seize heights, demand a huge ransom, and occupy the city. Local militias rise, a rain-soaked skirmish sparks a lasting legend, and the conflict shifts toward a larger demonstration of power across the south.

Steam-powered ironclads and new weaponry reshape naval warfare and shatter Qing coastal defenses. British infantry tactics and disciplined firepower outmatch militia forces and old military traditions. Diplomatic maneuvers and ritualized negotiations collide with modern demands, culminating in shocking territorial concessions and political backlash in both capitals.