Top Peasant Rebellions - Part 1 中国历史上的农民起义之第一期
01/03/21 • 76 min
In China, an Imperial Dynasty can rule only as long as the Mandate of Heaven allows. Such a mandate has never been permanent however, and weak rulers face famine, plagues, war, and banditry.
Almost without fail in such times, disaffected Chinese peasants mass in giant rebellious armies, fighting and dying in attempt to overthrow the old regime and install a new dynasty. If they succeed, they have inherited the Mandate of Heaven, and all the riches and honors that entails. If they fail, they will be tortured and put down like any other bandit. After all in China:
成者為王,敗者為寇: "The winner is king, the loser an outlaw."
In this episode we discuss 4 of the most famous rebellions, The Boxer, The Taiping, the Red Turban, and Li Zicheng's Rebellion.
In China, an Imperial Dynasty can rule only as long as the Mandate of Heaven allows. Such a mandate has never been permanent however, and weak rulers face famine, plagues, war, and banditry.
Almost without fail in such times, disaffected Chinese peasants mass in giant rebellious armies, fighting and dying in attempt to overthrow the old regime and install a new dynasty. If they succeed, they have inherited the Mandate of Heaven, and all the riches and honors that entails. If they fail, they will be tortured and put down like any other bandit. After all in China:
成者為王,敗者為寇: "The winner is king, the loser an outlaw."
In this episode we discuss 4 of the most famous rebellions, The Boxer, The Taiping, the Red Turban, and Li Zicheng's Rebellion.
Previous Episode
Christmas with Chinese Characteristics 圣诞节在中国的历史之谈
In this episode Natalie and Cherrie discuss how Christmas stole Confucius's holiday, where the world's holiday decorations are made, and Mao's Korean war holiday party.
Learn about the history of Christmas in China, and how it has taken on its own set of Chinese Characteristics.
Next Episode
Movie Discussion: 55 Days at Peking 影评：北京55日
55 Days at Peking is a 1963 Hollywood movie which dramatizes the events of the 1900 Boxer Rebellion/Uprising, and the siege of the foreign legations in Peking.
One of the few western movies to depict late Imperial China, it spent lavishly on elaborate sets, thousands of extras, and huge battles. While it was a commercial and critical failure, and has its problems, such as white actors playing as Chinese royalty, and a bloated and boring script, it is still worth examining.
In this Episode we discuss what the movie gets right, what it gets wrong, and how the events of 1960 impacted its depiction of 1900 China.
For more about the boxer rebellion, the Military History (Not) Visualized Channel is quite good!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQJ5Jx3mO7s
https://youtu.be/U2ngXMCe8qQ
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