Final answer:
The Taiping Rebellion was led by Hong Xiujuan who sought to establish a 'Heavenly Kingdom' and involved significant societal change, while the Boxer Rebellion aimed to expel foreign influence and protect Chinese culture. Despite both targeting the Qing Dynasty and involving resistance to foreign encroachment, their causes, leaders, and outcomes were different.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864) and the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) were two major uprisings in China that occurred against the backdrop of rapid societal change and foreign encroachment. Despite both being rebellions against the ruling Qing Dynasty and having significant anti-foreign elements, they had distinct causes, leaders, and outcomes.
The Taiping Rebellion was one of the deadliest civil wars in history with a death toll of about 30 million. Its leader, Hong Xiujuan, claimed to be the brother of Jesus Christ and aimed to establish a 'Heavenly Kingdom' by overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and Confucianism. The Taiping forces captured large swathes of territory, including Nanjing, which they made their capital.
In contrast, the Boxer Rebellion was a response to foreign interference and Christian missionary activity in China. It involved a secret society known as the 'Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists,' also called "Boxers" by Westerners, who believed that they were invulnerable to Western weapons. The conflict escalated when the Boxers, supported by the Qing government, besieged foreign embassies in Beijing, which prompted an international coalition to intervene and suppress the uprising.
The Taiping Rebellion sought radical societal change, including land reforms and gender equality, whereas the Boxer Rebellion's primary aim was to expel foreign influence and protect Chinese culture. Both rebellions ultimately failed but had significant impacts on the Qing Dynasty and the trajectory of Chinese history.
Comparisons to the US Civil War, which occurred roughly at the same time as the Taiping Rebellion, reveal similarities like internal division and vast casualties, but also differences such as the US Civil War's focus on the issue of slavery and the preservation of the Union.