Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864)

A massive civil war led by Hong Xiuquan, who believed he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ. The Taiping movement combined Christian millennialism with Chinese peasant grievances. They controlled much of southern China for over a decade. The Qing eventually suppressed the rebellion with massive bloodshed (estimates of 20-30 million deaths make it one of the deadliest conflicts in human history). The rebellion further weakened the Qing dynasty and demonstrated that internal opposition to the regime was massive.