Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/376

Rh one expedition to North China (see under ) and sent another westward to retake Anhwei, Kiangsi, Hupeh and Hunan. Though the northern expedition forced its way from Kiangsu through Anhwei, Honan, Shansi and Chihli, and even to within twenty miles of Tientsin, it was finally suppressed (1855) by. The western campaign also met a stubborn rival in, who eventually suppressed the Taiping Rebellion.

Tsêng Kuo-fan was ordered, at the end of 1852, to organize the Hunan Army. On February 25, 1854 he mobilized his newly organized force and pushed the Taipings from Hunan to Hupeh, and in October 1854 from the latter province to Kiukiang in Kiangsi. But in 1855 the rebels reasserted their power. Taking Wuchang for the third time, on April 3, 1855, they overran Hupeh and Kiangsi. In 1856, however, fortune favored Tsêng who recovered Wuchang on December 19, and again forced the Taipings back to Kiukiang. Nevertheless the imperialist forces under Hsiang Jung were crushingly defeated near Nanking on August 9—a turn of events of great significance to the Taipings. Their victory was followed, however, by a series of murders among themselves. The generalissimo, Yang Hsiu-ch'ing, was particularly proud of his accomplishments, and attempted to usurp the position of Hung Hsiu-ch'üan (see under ). Hung ordered the Northern King, Wei Ch'ang-hui, and the Assistant King, Shih Ta-k'ai, to assassinate Yang (September 3, 1856). But Wei went beyond his orders, and not only killed Yang but mercilessly slaughtered thousands of Yang's relatives and adherents. He then in turn became haughty and arrogant and tried to murder Shih Ta-k'ai, and even dared to kill the Celestial King's own bodyguards. Before long he himself was murdered by Hung. Apprehensive of further murders, Hung relieved Shih Ta-k'ai of his military power and put it in the hands of his near relatives. Shih left the court with an enormous number of followers and set out on his own account, roving through Anhwei, Kiangsi, Chekiang, Fukien, Kwangtung, Hunan, Kwangsi, Kweichow, Yunnan and finally Szechwan where he was captured and executed (1863). These dissentions naturally weakened the Taiping resistance.

After the death of Yang, Hung Hsiu-ch'üan placed his own relatives in positions of importance in the government. Affairs of state were taken over by his elder brothers, Hung Jên-fa 洪仁發 (Prince An 安王, d. Aug. 5, 1864), and Hung Jên-ta 洪仁達 (Prince Fu 福王, d. Aug. 3, 1864); by his cousin, Hung Jên-chêng 洪仁政 (Prince Hsü 䘏王, d. Nov. 23, 1864), and by Hung Jên-kan, Prince Kan or Kan Wang, the "Shield King" of Western accounts. These were known as the four Hung princes who, though incompetent, were nevertheless powerful. In military matters Hung Hsiu-ch'üan had to rely on the talented and. Hung himself is said to have led a carefree existence in the seclusion of his palace attended by numerous concubines.

Owing to the strife in their own ranks, the Taipings could not press the advantages that accrued to them with the defeat of Hsiang Jung (1856). Instead, they lost Kua-chou and Chinkiang in northern Kiangsu—both on the same day (December 27, 1857). In the spring of 1858 the reorganized imperialists of the Great Camp of Kiangnan, commanded by Chang Kuo-iang (see under ), again attacked Nanking. On May 19 Tsêng Kuo-fan's forces recovered Kiukiang. Hung, now frightened, urgently summoned (1858) his generals to relieve Nanking, but for a year none came, as they were engaged in serious fighting elsewhere. In order to retain the loyalty of important generals, he created (1859) hundreds of new wang, the two most important being Ch'ên Yü-ch'êng who was made Ying Wang, or Brave Prince, and Li Hsiu-ch'êng who was made Chung Wang, Loyal Prince. Before long Li was made commander-in-chief, a move believed by some to have protracted the Rebellion. Under Li Hsiu-ch'êng's command the Taipings conclusively defeated the imperialists near Nanking on May 5, 1860 and harried Tsêng Kuo-fan at Ch'i-men 1860–61. They conquered Soochow (June 2, 1860), Ningpo (December 9, 1861) and the greater part of Kiangsu and Chekiang by the spring of 1862. Meanwhile they repeatedly attacked Shanghai in 1860 and 1862 (see under ).

The Taiping Rebellion finally failed owing to the united opposition of the privileged classes who were Confucianists, and owing to the help offered the imperial forces by Western powers. Moreover, the insurgents were themselves weakened by internal dissention and by lack of competent leaders. At first, Westerners displayed a measure of sympathy for the rebels; then for a time they were neutral, but finally, in order to maintain their commercial interests and to safeguard the privileges gained from the Manchu government in the treaties of 1860 (see under 364