The Taiping Rebellion was a major uprising during the mid-19th century against the ruling Qing Dynasty in China. The rebellion was led by Hong Xiuquan, an unsuccessful candidate in the Imperial examinations, who preached socialist egalitarianism and rigorous spiritual practice based on concepts and symbols adapted from Christianity. Before the rebellion was eventually defeated, it had gained control over a large portion of southern China and established its capital in the captured city of Nanjing.

In 1836, Hong Xiuquan traveled to Guangzhou to take the imperial exams. During his stay there, he met a Protestant Christian missionary and was given evangelical pamphlets written by Liang Fa, the first Chinese Protestant Christian minister. Hong failed the examinations and experienced an illness or nervous collapse during which time ...