Taiping Rebellion's Pioneer: Hakka Feng Yunshan

["Dixie" <Dixie@singnet.com.sg>]

Feng Y|n-shan,

Pinyin FENG YUNSHAN (b. 1822, Hua-hsien, Kwangtung province, China--d. June
1852, Ch'|an-chou, Kwangsi), Chinese missionary and social reformer, one of
the original leaders of the Taiping Rebellion, an uprising that occupied
most of South China between 1850 and 1864, brought death to an estimated
20,000,000 people, and radically altered governmental structure. Feng was a
neighbour and schoolmate of Hung Hsiu-ch'|an, the religious mystic who
became the supreme Taiping leader. 

Feng was one of the first converts to Hung's unique version of
Christianity, and in 1844 he accompanied the mystic on a preaching mission
into their neighbouring southern province of Kwangsi. Hung returned home
after a few months, but Feng remained to organize the Pai Shang-ti Hui, or
God Worshipers Society, which combined Hung's religious ideas with a
program of social reform. In 1847 Hung rejoined Feng and was accepted as
the leader of the society. 

When government troops attacked the God Worshipers in July 1850, the
Taiping Rebellion broke out. On Sept. 25, 1851, Hung proclaimed his new
dynasty, the T'ai-p'ing T'ien-kuo ("Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace"). Hung
became the T'ien-wang, or Heavenly King, and Feng was given the title of
Nan-wang, or Southern King, and was made the general of the advance guard.
A short time later, however, he was mortally wounded in battle.