Red Turban Rebellion (1854–1856)

This article is about the rebellion of 1854–1856. For the Red Turban Rebellion of 1351–1368, see Red Turban Rebellion.

The Red Turban Rebellion of 1854–1856, sometimes known as the Red Turban Revolt, was a series of uprisings by members of the Tiandihui or Heaven and Earth Society (天地會) in the Guangdong province of South China. Ling Shih-pa was one of the leaders, and also a member of the God Worshipping Society, which declared the Jintian Uprising and so began the Taiping Rebellion.

Background

Guangdong after 1850 saw a gradually increasing level of disorder in the province. The disorder began with the various Taiping excursions across the border from Guangxi, especially the one headed by Ling Shiba. Wuzhou and Conghua were also attacked by the Taiping in this period. Provincial authorities often failed to deal with the rebel incursions, and the financial cost of the ineffective operations was met by the gentry in the province, especially in the Pearl River Delta. The situation was further exacerbated following a serious flood in the delta in 1852, but provincial authorities continued to make demands, also making some on the local farmers.

The most significant event that took place in Guangdong province was in 1853, when the Taiping captured Nanjing, the ancient capital of China, and established it as the centre of their 'Heavenly Kingdom'. The disaffected locals, especially the secret societies, saw this as an opportunity, especially as many officials were focused on this recent Taiping incursion. One of the proclamations from the secret societies read: "The ancient books tell us that once in five centuries some man of talent beyond his fellows will appear, on whom the hope of the nation will depend. That period has elapsed since the rise of the Ming dynasty, and it is full time that a hero should come forward and save the nation."

From April 1853, dissident activity became more prominent in Guangdong, with disorder being reported in Huizhou, to the west of Guangzhou. The gentry belatedly began organising militia units, but by October a band allied to the Small Sword rebels of Xiamen had taken the city of Huizhou. In the following few months, severe disturbances were reported in both Huizhou and Dongguan, creating a level of disorder than enabled what was to become known as the Red Turban Rebellion.

Sources

• Jaeyoon Kim (2009). The Heaven and Earth Society and the Red Turban Rebellion in Late Qing China Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences 3 (1). ISSN 1934-7227.