The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2409 page)

(1850–64). A major Chinese uprising which threatened to overthrow the Ch'ing dynasty. The Taiping's ‘Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace’ (
T'ai-p'ing t'ien-kuo
) was a theocracy established and ruled by Hung Hsiu-ch'uan (1814–64). Influenced by Confucian utopianism and Protestant Christianity, Hung came to understand himself through dramatic visionary experiences to be the brother of
Christ
Jesus and God's second holy son. The religio-political movement stressed the equality of the sexes, Christian education, and social welfare. As Hung Hsiu-ch'uan promised his followers reward in
heaven
for martyrdom on earth, zealous Taiping forces fought Ch'ing government troops with remarkable success. At the zenith of its wealth and power, however, the Taiping kingdom was shaken by internecine strife, and the religious community slowly began to disintegrate. Realizing the end was near, Hung Hsiu-ch'uan committed suicide in 1864. The Taiping Rebellion lasted for fourteen years and inspired many later anti-Ch'ing revolutionaries such as Sun Yat-sen and
Chiang Kai-shek
.
The basic ‘programme’ of the rebellion is contained in
T'ien-t'iao shu
(Eng. tr.,
North China Herald
, 14 May 1853), including a reapplied Ten Commandments.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

(Chin., ‘Way of Supreme Peace’). Early
Taoist
school founded by
Chang Chüeh
c.
175 CE. It was a revolutionary, utopian movement, based on healing and confession of fault. For its alternative name, the Yellow Turbans, see
CHANG CHÜEH
.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

see
MOUNT HIEI
.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

T'ai-shan
.

Sacred mountain in China. It is in Shantung province, and is therefore known as the ‘sacred mountain of the east’. Its god, T'ai-yüeh ta-ti, is the ruler of the earth, and inferior only to the Jade Emperor (
Yü-huang
). The mountain is ascended by about 7,000 steps, the Stairway to Heaven, lined by shrines and temples to other Taoist deities. It is one of the four sacred mountains (standing at the corners of China) which were visited by the emperors to mark out their territory.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

A text on Taoist morality. Life is lengthened or shortened according to one's conformity to the rules and advice offered.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

(Chin., ‘supreme master of the Tao’). One of the highest deities of religious
Taoism
. He is considered (as is
Lao-tzu
) an incarnation of the
Tao
, to make manifest the Tao in heaven, as Lao-tzu was to make it manifest on earth.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search