Final answer:
The Tai Ping Rebellion appealed to people because it promised land redistribution and social equality under the new Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace, offering hope to those affected by Qing Dynasty's failures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Tai Ping Rebellion appealed to people primarily because of the promise of land redistribution and social equality. The leader, Hong Xiuquan, envisioned a new dynasty, the Tai Ping Tianguo (Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace), where land would be held in common and women would have equal status to men. This appealed to those disgruntled with the Qing Dynasty due to unemployment, famine, and the government's failure to maintain infrastructure like the Grand Canal.
Combining Christianity, Confucianism, and other Chinese beliefs, the Tai Ping movement gained momentum. Hong's assurances for a better distribution of wealth and the upheaval of the status quo resonated with impoverished peasants, tribal groups, and members of secret societies. Their revolt targeted the Qing Dynasty's failures and inequalities, offering a radical social transformation.
The appeal of the Tai Ping Rebellion lay in its revolutionary ideology and the concrete benefits it promised to the lower classes suffering under the Qing Dynasty's corruption and ineffectiveness, at a time when China's humiliation in foreign conflicts exacerbated domestic disaffection.