Tiny Insect

Hong's rule that men and women should not mix led to separate camps, separate work crews, and a death penalty for sex.

Hong Xiuquan began wearing yellow and calling himself the “Heavenly King” as war with the Qing approached.

China's silver-copper system created simultaneous inflation and deflation as silver prices rose past 2,200 copper.

Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xuching helped turn Thistle Mountain into a place where possessions and revelations shaped authority.

Hong’s poem on the roadside temple claims, “I, the ruler in the high heavens, am the heavenly king.”

This episode introduces the Opium War, covering the economic and political tensions between the British and Qing Empires leading to conflict.

This episode explores the Qing dynasty's unique approach to foreign policy, contrasting it with European norms and detailing its interactions with various foreign groups.

This episode explores the British East India Company's opium monopoly and the rise of free trade ideology that ended its dominance in China.

This episode discusses the global silver shortage and opium trade's impact on China's economy leading up to the Taiping Civil War.

This episode explores the Opium War's role in destabilizing Lingnan and setting the stage for the Taiping Rebellion.

This episode details the decline of the Ming Dynasty and the rise of rebel leader Li Zicheng, setting the stage for the Qing conquest.

This episode explores how a silver mine in the Andes caused an economic crisis in Ming China, leading to its downfall.

This episode introduces the Taiping Civil War, the largest civil war in history, and explores why it is often overlooked in popular history.