The Sepoy Rebellion versus the Taiping Rebellion

Essay by white_eskimoHigh School, 10th grade May 2004

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Justin Wickett


The Sepoy Rebellion versus the Taiping Rebellion

Although India and China are different when it comes to religion and culture, the Taiping Rebellion in China and the Sepoy Rebellion in India had their similarities and their differences, which allowed them to succeed in some parts of their rebellions and fail in other. However, neither of these rebellions were truly successful in the sense that neither of them achieved their main goals. Even though the leaders of the Sepoy Rebellion and the Taiping Rebellion used certain methods and techniques to achieve their goals, both rebellions outcomes were very similar.

The main reason for the Sepoy rebellion in India was the intrusion of western culture that became the impetus for rebellious soldiers, fearful that their culture was slowly being annihilated. The British were interfering with traditional Hindu and Muslim religious practices such as the Sati. Although there was no single person who led the Sepoy Rebellion against the British, Indian soldiers, known as sepoys, rebelled when a rumor spread around that pig and cow fat were used to lubricate the bullets used in the Lee-Enfield rifles.

They believed that this was the British doing to disrupt the caste system, and, in the end, turn them all into Christians. Their goal was to kick the British out of India. Unlike the Sepoy rebellion, Hung Xiuquan, the leader of the Taiping Rebellion, believed that according to Confucius law, it was his right to overthrow the Qing emporer who had lost the Mandate of Heaven due to over population and the loss to the British during the Opium war. Hung Xiuquan promoted sexual equality. He wanted to abolish foot binding and appointed of women as administrators and officers in the Taiping army to fight against the Qings. He also believed...