Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/377

Rh ), they actually sided with the latter. Li Hsiu-ch'êng's attack on Shanghai was frustrated chiefly by Western troops. The Taiping rule in Chekiang was eventually stamped out by, and in Kiangsu by . The territory west of Nanking was taken by Tsêng Kuo-fan who took Anking on September 5, 1861 and caused the death of the valiant Taiping general, Ch'ên Yü-ch'êng, in May 1862—this last a heavy loss to the insurgents. The second siege of Nanking was begun by on May 31, 1862 and terminated successfully on July 19, 1864.

In the meantime Hung Hsiu-ch'üan placed his trust in what he believed to be divine guidance. When Li Hsiu-ch'êng urged him to retreat from Nanking to Kiangsi and Hupeh he declined on the ground that it was Heaven's will for him to remain at his capital. When he was advised to lay in supplies for a long siege he likewise refused on the ground that God would certainly provide. When there was nothing to eat in the besieged city he commanded everyone to take "sweet dew"—which meant grass. Then he distributed his pearls to his soldiers in order to hearten them, but the soldiers wept, for they could not exchange pearls for food. Finally Hung Hsiu-ch'üan himself, assailed by vexation and illness and fearful of defeat, committed suicide by taking poison on June 1 (some accounts say 2, 3, 30), 1864, not long before the fall of the city. He was succeeded by his son, Hung Fu 洪福 (or 洪福瑱, childhood name 洪天貴 and later called 洪天貴福, Nov. 1849–1864, Nov. 18), with Hung Jên-kan as regent. The young king, assisted in part by Li Hsiu-ch'êng, finally escaped to Kiangsi where he was arrested and executed at Nanchang (see under ). Meanwhile Hung Hsiu-ch'üan's corpse, wrapped in yellow satin embroidered with dragons, was found (July 30, 1864) in a sewer under his palace. He is described as rather tall with oval face and fair complexion, high nose, small round ears, and large, bright eyes. He had a clear and sonorous voice. His corpse was seen by Tsêng Kuo-fan who said that he was partially bald, and that he had a sparse gray beard. Though thousands upon thousands of rebels were mercilessly slaughtered by Tsêng's troops over a period of three days and nights, not one surrendered to the government. The remnants who fled concentrated in Kwangtung and were not annihilated until early in 1866 (see under ). Thus the Taiping Rebellion which lasted fifteen years and ravaged seventeen provinces was finally ended. The great jade seal of the Celestial King is now preserved in the Palace Museum, Peking.

Despite his incessant wars, Hung Hsiu-ch'üan, aided by Yang Hsiu-ch'ing, Hung Jên-kan and others, inaugurated many reforms, inspired mostly by ancient Chinese ideals, and by what they regarded as Christian precepts. A new lunar calendar, a compromise between Eastern and Western ideas, was put into use in 1852. The year had 366 days and 12 months, the odd months containing 31 days and the even 30 days. All lucky or unlucky days of the old Chinese calendars were discarded, and a Western Sunday was introduced. The governmental system had all the characteristics of a theocracy, the Celestial King being both the spiritual and temporal ruler. The five kings were both civil and military chiefs who acted in council with their leader. Six Boards were established, including one for foreign affairs. The kings (wang) were divided into four classes and below them were marquesses (侯), state ministers (丞相), supervisors (檢點), commanders (指揮), generals (將軍), and so on. Officials were selected by a civil service examination in which religious subjects had a place. The organization of the army was very elaborate, and the rules governing the soldiers in camp or on the march were very strict. Families were graded in a co-ordinated system which took into account the exigencies both of peace and war. Strict rules for the allotment or cultivation of land were also laid down. Women were allowed positions in the army and in the administrative system, though the sexes were rigidly segregated. Women were under the command of the Celestial King's sister, Hung Hsüan-chiao 洪宣嬌, wife of the King of the West, Hsiao Ch'ao-kuei. When Hsiao died in the attack on Changsha (1852) his wife is said to have assumed the command of his troops. After the seizure of Nanking (1853) we have only meager accounts of the activities of women soldiers, but there was (in Nanking) a great camp of women (女館 or 女行) composed chiefly of those whose husbands had died or were absent, or those who were young or unmarried. This camp, probably organized for their protection, was strictly governed by Hung Hsüan-chiao and rigidly protected from outside interference. When Nanking was short of food the camp was disbanded and the women were compelled to leave the city. Marriage in the Taiping regime was compulsory for all classes of women. Monogamy was the rule for the common people; but 365