History – Tiny Insect

Episode 1.18 – The Taiping Testament

Posted on February 26, 2024February 26, 2024 by tinyinsectpod

While Feng Yunshan was building up the God Worshipers in Guangxi Province in 1845 and 1846, Hong Xiuquan living was back in his hometown of Guanlubu, Guangdong province working as a school teacher. He also spent his time elaborating on the nature of God, his relationship to humankind, and how the Chinese people had been deceived by demons and spirits. These writings were later collected into the “Taiping Testament”. In this episode we’re going to explore the Testament and see how it laid the foundation for what will become the Taiping political project, which resulted in a full insurrection against the ruling Qing dynasty a few years later.

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Episode 1.3 – Ming China and the Silver Mountain

Posted on April 14, 2020April 14, 2020 by tinyinsectpod

At the beginning of the 17th century the Ming empire was the largest and most powerful on earth. But in a newly global world they soon found themselves tied to the whims of global trade and a silver mountain half way around the world.

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Episode 1.1 – What is China?

Posted on March 12, 2020March 13, 2020 by tinyinsectpod

Popular conceptions of Chinese history usually follow the lead of Confucian ideology that held that China was the eternal “Middle Kingdom”, always existing in its essential essence at the center of the world. Dynasties may rise and fall, but China remains China, a country that has been around for more than two thousand years.

Well, that’s wrong. It’s what they wanted you to believe. But it’s wrong.

Since we’re going to be spending most of season 1 in the Chinese Qing empire, it’s important to understand how this myth is wrong and learn a more about China. In this episode we’ll learn about China’s geography, languages, and take a lightning tour of China’s early dynastic history.

Maps!

Skinner’s Eight Regions of China. These made up the core centers of economic activity and population density, bisected by “interior hinterlands”.

Modern provinces of the People’s Republic of China + Taiwan. At it’s greatest extent toward the end of the Qianlong era in 1790, the Qing Empire was about 25% larger.

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