Talk:Hong Xiuquan

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What is up with this article? His birthdate is off by two years, his age at first examination by eight. me goes and corrects. This is one messed up article. Zotlan

Traditionally the Chinese did not measure age the same way Europeans did. They counted a child as being one year old at birth, and increased that age by one year every new year, not every anniversary of the child's birth. Thus a kid born two days before the new year would be two years old on the second day after he was born. Causes historians all sorts of problems.
As for his age at examination I can't say what might have caused that do be messed up. --soto 03:53, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

Was he medically mentally ill? I have read that beyond the visions, there were some other signs of madness. -- Error

Classifying religious experiences as mental illness opens many cans of worms. I say that as an athiest. --soto 03:53, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] ==

So were his alleged Brother and Father. [[User:GrandVoivodOfErdely|

I do believe he did pass his first level of imperial examinations.

[edit] NPOV

I added the tag because of such gems as: "he dictated several reforms that would have improved the lives of his subjects, but they were implemented harshly and ineffectively in the Taiping Rebellion." This seems to lay the blame for the puritanical, totalitarian practices of the Heavenly Kingdom entirely on his followers. (i.e. As if trying to justify the idea that a Christian revolution, embodied only in Hong, must be ideal.) Eduardo Cuellar 06:46, 7 April 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, speaking of "neutral point of view"...

Well, Cuellar's comments aren't exactly NPOV, but that doesn't make the article NPOV. Also, it is true that putting all the blame for the failure of the Taiping Rebellion on bad implementation is pretty POV. Hong never really did anything to produce an efficient administration of his Heavenly Kingdom, so at least part of the fault must be his.--soto 03:53, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

He was a dreamer, half crazy but there are some passion in his quest of his heavenly kingdom..


[edit] Hong's senior associates in the "God Worshippers"

I found this info in Rebellions and Revolutions: China from 1800 to 1980 by Jack Gray. I'm gonna put it here until we have a better place to put it.


A number of figures appear to have formed an influential council to Hong in the God Worshippers, and they would subsequently play key roles in the Taiping Rebellion itself.

  • Feng Yunshan - Hakka relative of Hong, a failed examinee and tutor.
  • Yang Xiuqing - Hakka former government clerk and charcoal-burner.
  • Xiao Chaogui - Hakka peasant and faggot-seller.
  • Wei Chunghui - Zhuang lictor and former militiaman in Guangdong from a rich clan.
  • Shi Dakai - Half-Hakka, half-Zhuang failed examinee from a rich farming clan.
  • Su San - Female bandit outlawed after killing her husband's murderer.
  • Luo Dagang - Hakka triad leader and river pirate.
  • Hu Yiguang - Military cadet from rich landlord family.
  • Wu Keyi and Zhou Shengkun - Wealthy moneylenders.
  • Yu Tingzhang - Hakka merchant based in Guangdong.
  • Bin Fashou - Hakka carpenter.
  • Huang Yukun - Rural advocate.
  • Meng De-an and Chen Chengzhong - Hakkas from landlord families.
  • He Zhenquan - Reputable local scholar.
  • Wu Ruxiao - Former accountant for a merchant in Hong's family.
  • Zeng Yuzhen - Head of a rich Hakka clan.
  • Li Xiucheng - Peasant.

I think these details are useful because they give an impression of the diversity of the leaders of the Taiping and God Worshippers (i.e., many are peasants, many are wealthy landlords, some are criminals) but also what common ties they had (i.e., the vast majority are Hakka).

--AsaRoast 10:39, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Looks like the same fellow.Brian0324 17:29, 31 August 2007 (UTC)