Hong Xiuquan: When a Failed Exam Created History's Deadliest Civil War

In 1837, Hong Xiuquan failed China's civil service exam for the fourth time and had a complete mental breakdown. During fever-induced visions, he met God and Jesus Christ - who revealed that Hong was actually Jesus's younger brother, sent to save China from demons. When he recovered, Hong decided to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and establish the "Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace." What followed was the deadliest conflict of the 19th century.

Hong gathered followers by blending Christianity with Chinese traditions, banning foot-binding, opium, and alcohol, and promising equality between men and women. His Taiping Rebellion exploded into a full-scale civil war that lasted 14 years and killed an estimated 20-30 million people - more than World War I. At its peak, Hong controlled territory with 30 million people and declared himself the Heavenly King, ruling from Nanjing with multiple wives while his followers starved.

His "Heavenly Kingdom" had bizarre rules - separate living quarters for men and women (even married couples), strict Christian worship mixed with Chinese rituals, and death penalties for minor offenses. Hong barely governed, spending his time writing terrible poetry and religious proclamations while his generals fought the war. When Qing forces finally crushed the rebellion in 1864, Hong either committed suicide or died from food poisoning after eating wild vegetables.

This episode explores how one man's failed test scores and religious visions created one of history's bloodiest wars and changed China forever.

Keywords: weird history, Taiping Rebellion, Hong Xiuquan, Chinese history, civil wars, religious movements, 19th century China, deadliest wars, historical rebellions, Qing Dynasty

Perfect for listeners who love: Asian history, religious extremism, civil wars, bizarre historical figures, and stories of how delusion shaped world history.