The Taiping Rebellion was a lengthy and destructive religious and political civil war that devastated many regions of China. It was incited by Hong Xiuquan, who allied with Christian worshipers and disgruntled peasants in an attempt to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. They used the old capital of Nanjing or Nanking. Despite early success and a decade of brutality, they were ultimately defeated at the Third battle of Nanjing.
