The Taiping Rebellion and the Rise of the Xiang Army

The mid-19th century was a period of immense turmoil in China, marked by internal strife and foreign encroachment. The Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864), led by the self-proclaimed “Heavenly King” Hong Xiuquan, emerged as one of the deadliest conflicts in human history, claiming millions of lives. By the early 1860s, the rebellion had lost much of its initial momentum, but its capital, Tianjing (present-day Nanjing), remained a formidable stronghold.

The Qing government, desperate to crush the rebellion, turned to regional militias like the Xiang Army, led by the scholar-general Zeng Guofan. His younger brother, Zeng Guoquan, played a crucial role in the final siege of Tianjing. The Zeng brothers represented a new breed of military leaders—Confucian scholars turned strategists—who would reshape China’s military and political landscape.

The Siege Begins: Rain, Mud, and Stalemate

In 1863, as the Xiang Army tightened its grip around Tianjing, nature seemed to conspire against them. Unseasonal torrential rains caused their fortifications to collapse, yet the Taiping defenders, weakened by years of war, failed to capitalize on this vulnerability. Zeng Guoquan, despite suffering from a persistent facial injury, remained determined. His brother, Zeng Guofan, advised caution, suggesting a tactical withdrawal to regroup. But Guoquan, sensing victory within reach, refused.

The turning point came when Li Xiucheng, the Taiping’s most capable general, was forced to return to Tianjing after a failed campaign. His retreat was disastrous—half his troops were lost in a Xiang naval ambush. Hong Xiuquan, increasingly detached from reality, celebrated Li’s return with a macabre feast, where he ominously praised him as a “savior” while subtly threatening his loyalty.

Psychological Warfare and Desperation Inside Tianjing

As the siege dragged on, conditions inside Tianjing grew dire. Food shortages forced the population to scavenge for weeds, which Hong Xiuquan bizarrely declared were “heavenly dew.” When he himself fell ill from eating toxic plants, he refused medical treatment, trusting only in divine intervention. Meanwhile, Li Xiucheng, recognizing the hopelessness of their situation, proposed abandoning the city to regroup elsewhere—a plan Hong angrily rejected.

Outside the walls, Zeng Guoquan’s forces dug tunnels beneath Tianjing’s massive fortifications, only to be repeatedly thwarted by Taiping counter-mining efforts. The psychological toll on both sides was immense. Zeng Guofan, visiting the front lines, noted the eerie silence of the city—its defenders too exhausted to even man the walls.

The Fall of Tianjing and the Rebellion’s Legacy

By mid-1864, the Xiang Army’s encirclement was complete. The Qing court, impatient for victory, pressured Zeng Guoquan to accept reinforcements from Li Hongzhang’s better-equipped Huai Army. Reluctantly, he agreed, though he feared sharing the glory. Before outside help arrived, however, the Xiang Army’s relentless pressure bore fruit. On July 19, 1864, after a massive explosion breached the walls, Tianjing fell. Hong Xiuquan had already died—possibly by suicide—and Li Xiucheng was captured and executed.

The fall of Tianjing marked the end of the Taiping Rebellion, but its impact endured. The rebellion exposed the Qing Dynasty’s weaknesses, accelerating calls for modernization. The Zeng brothers, though loyal to the throne, became symbols of regional militarization, foreshadowing the warlord era. Meanwhile, the rebellion’s radical social and religious ideas left an indelible mark on Chinese revolutionary movements.

Conclusion: A Pivotal Moment in Chinese History

The siege of Tianjing was more than a military campaign—it was a clash of ideologies, a test of endurance, and a turning point in China’s 19th-century crisis. The Zeng brothers’ victory preserved the Qing Dynasty, but the cost was staggering. The rebellion’s legacy—of upheaval, reform, and the rise of regional power—would shape China’s turbulent path into the modern era.