1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Y. Hi, everyone, 2 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: welcome to the show. In a previous episode, you may 3 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: have noticed that I took I took great pride in 4 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: dropping the C word cult. Cult itself can be a 5 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: dicey phrase, right. Most people who are participated in a 6 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: religious organization do not care for their organization to be 7 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: referred to as a cult. The one's one man's religion. 8 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: There's another man's culture, man or woman or whatever have you. Um, 9 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: it's a it's a very divisive term because it's the 10 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: thrown around as a term of abuse. But there certainly 11 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: are criteria when you check the boxes that that tend 12 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: to line up more with cult than than religion. Right. Yeah, 13 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: way back in the day, my pal Matt and I 14 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 1: are mutual pal Matt Frederick. We made a great video 15 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: about how to tell whether or not you are in 16 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 1: a cult. Please do check it out on YouTube or 17 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: wherever you watch videos. Stuff. They want you to know 18 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: how to start a cult. I can't remember. And you know, 19 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: we all like the idea right of starting a cult? 20 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: Do well, I just assume you don't like that idea, 21 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: you know, it's go to I feel like it's a 22 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,199 Speaker 1: natural tendency. I feel like in another life, I I've 23 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: probably started several cults. But if you think about it, 24 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: if you take away the glamour, it's a very tedious life. 25 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: It's a lot of work. Whether you're just a follower 26 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: of a cult or you're the leader of a cult, 27 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: you're you're basically on call all the time. You don't 28 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: really get vacation. You probably you don't make a lot 29 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: of money. We always hear about these famous violent cults, 30 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: but what about those cult leaders who are out there, 31 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: you know, just grinding every day. They got like fifteen 32 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: people with him? And what about the cult leaders at 33 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: the time forgot Ben? What about them? What of them? 34 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: I am glad you asked noel uh and we oh, 35 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: we've also got an alert our super producer Casey Pegram Casey. 36 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: This is gonna be a weird one. I'm absolutely in 37 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: the cult of Casey. By the way, yeah yeah, yeah yeah. 38 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: The CEOC are you do you subscribe to the newsletter? 39 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: I subscribe to the newsletter. I get the Spotify playlists, 40 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: all about it? I do. I like to wait for 41 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: his yearly donation period because if you put in fifty 42 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: bucks you get the tope bag, but if you put 43 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: in seventy five bucks, you get the toe bag and 44 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: the water bottle. The c I s is like the 45 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: NPR of cults. It really is, it really is. I 46 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: appreciate those pledge drives, Casey. And speaking of cult leaders, 47 00:02:53,400 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: today's story takes us to China in the early eight hundreds. 48 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,959 Speaker 1: There is a guy named Hong s Quan, and we're 49 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: we're mispronouncing this name. I'm gonna mispronouncing worse than you. 50 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 1: So you're doing a fine job. Oh not really. Uh So, 51 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: this this guy, Hong sure yeah, is born on January one, 52 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 1: eighteen fourteen. He's a New Year's baby, and he is 53 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: the third and youngest son of a poor Hawka family. 54 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: His story gets propagandized pretty heavily as it goes on. 55 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: So now his origins are a little bit the sources 56 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: are a little bit contradictory. Some people say it was poor, 57 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: some people say his family was well to do. But 58 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: you know, one man's palace is another man's stumpster, right, 59 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: This kind of the idea of success is relative. But 60 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: let's let's learn a little bit more about Hong Hong 61 00:03:57,960 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: x as you call him. Nol. What do we know 62 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: about this guy? Well, we know that he had the 63 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: dream in his heart, the twinkle in his eye. He 64 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:09,119 Speaker 1: wanted to grow up and be a scholar. In order 65 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: to do that, it's sort of like um studying for 66 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: the bar. Right to be a scholar in in this 67 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,679 Speaker 1: period in Chinese history, you had to take this test. 68 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,679 Speaker 1: You had to memorize these Confucian texts and take these 69 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: things called the Imperial Exams. It was the equivalent of 70 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: going to college or you know, getting your s A 71 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: T S or whatever. So all of that kind of 72 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: combined into this life or death test more like the bar, 73 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: because it was like it was such a big deal. 74 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 1: You'd study for it so much that if you failed it, 75 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,039 Speaker 1: it was a really crushing blow. And nobody wants to 76 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: take the bar twice. Thusly, no one wanted to take 77 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 1: the Imperial Exams twice. Unfortunately, Oh by the way, less 78 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: than one percent of the people who took the test pass, 79 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: and Hong was among those that did not. Yes, yeah, 80 00:04:55,800 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 1: the Imperial Exams are a big, big, big deal, and 81 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: that attrition rate is nasty. It is not something to 82 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: mess with. Hong, however, does not give up. He decides 83 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: he will retake the exams. He travels to a city 84 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: in the south, Guangdreu, and he decides he's going to 85 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 1: take the exams again in eighteen thirty six. This city 86 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 1: is amazing at this time. It's a port. It's a 87 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: center of culture for the Qing dynasty. But with all 88 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: this culture and with all this population and all this trade, 89 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 1: there comes a dark side. You see, a lot of 90 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 1: the trade that goes through this port city comes from 91 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:45,719 Speaker 1: the West, and the West at this time has one big, 92 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: big product that they are pushing into Chinese markets. It's right. 93 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:53,479 Speaker 1: The British were a huge part of this culture and 94 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 1: they were bringing in lots of opium that they were 95 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: growing in India, where they also held in aerial rule essentially, 96 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:04,119 Speaker 1: and they were you know, they didn't have they didn't 97 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: hold sway over China per se, but there was a 98 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: pretty serious foothold that they had in the Chinese Empire 99 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:13,160 Speaker 1: and the Chin dynasty. Correct man, Yeah, yeah, you're absolutely right. 100 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 1: So the problem here is that the country of China 101 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: is producing all this really cool stuff that the British 102 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: forces want. Tea and te find China. They literally called 103 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:33,280 Speaker 1: the porcelain fine China and silk, of course, and the 104 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 1: British don't really have a lot of stuff that China wants, 105 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: so there's a trade deficit. They do, however, have that 106 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: opium growing in India, and they doubled out on this. 107 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 1: They're flooding the markets with opium to the point that 108 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: it is destabilizing Chinese society. But you see, not every 109 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 1: import is a tangible thing. Ideas are just as valuable 110 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:04,279 Speaker 1: and indeed just as dangerous as opium, silk, fine China, 111 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: or what have you. So Hang is walking through the 112 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: streets of this city thinking about his exam when he 113 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 1: hears a missionary from the far flung shores of North 114 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: America proselytizing, which means, you know, attempting to convert people 115 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 1: to his religion, to Christianity. And this guy doesn't speak Chinese, 116 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 1: he doesn't speak Cantonese, Normandarin, but he has an interpreter 117 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: with him. So picture if you will. You're a kid, 118 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: you're hung extra walking through these crowded, bustling streets, and 119 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: you see a guy probably standing on an apple box 120 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: or crate, you know, just yelling out in English, save yourselves, 121 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: learn the truth. So and so, and then there's an 122 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: interpreter who has to listen, so there's a little bit 123 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: of a lag. And I don't know whether the interpreter 124 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: is just calm remarking on the things this guy is 125 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: yelling about, but I hope he's yelling too at a 126 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: slight time delay. I too would like to believe that. Ben. 127 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 1: So what happens hanging hears him, right, he hears him, uh, 128 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: And he doesn't think too much of it at the time, 129 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: but he at least you know, he's gonna he's not 130 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: gonna be rude. He takes the pamphlet. You gotta you 131 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 1: gotta take the pamphlet. So he takes the pamphlet, folds 132 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: it up, saves it for later. And it turns out 133 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 1: that it will end up having a massive impact on Hong, 134 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: but not until after this next phase of the story, 135 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:32,319 Speaker 1: where and he fails the exam again and then proceeds 136 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,559 Speaker 1: to have something of what you might call a psychotic breakdown, 137 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 1: right yet a complete and utter meltdown, nervous breakdown. He 138 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: fails the exam twice, and then he takes it a 139 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: third time a year later, and he fails the third time, 140 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: and this, yeah, this pushes him to the edge. He 141 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: goes home. He says, I feel sick, and he lays 142 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: down and he has a fever dream or a vision, 143 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 1: series of visions and feversion and he really seems sick, 144 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: like he seems physically ill. His complexion is all pallid. 145 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: He is sweating, he is feverish. His parents are very 146 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:19,560 Speaker 1: very concerned about him. Um. So he in his let's let' 147 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: let's someone's walk through this. Yeah, walk through the vision 148 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: or the hallucinations. Yea, so he um, this is amazing. 149 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 1: It's just amazing. It's just like I like this should 150 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: be a movie. Um. So, he hallucinates that he takes 151 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 1: a trip, a sojourn to some sort of paradise um 152 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: heavenly land in the east, and then his father reveals 153 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: to him that there are demons that are destroying humanity. 154 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 1: All right, yeah, I mean I get it, you're on board. Yeah, okay. 155 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 1: Uh So, then of course he has to have a 156 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: special magical sword. He gets a magical sword that's bestowed 157 00:09:56,320 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 1: upon him by his father. Uh and then with help 158 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: of his brother, they fight the demons and what he 159 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:09,439 Speaker 1: refers to as the King of Hell. Yes. After the battle, 160 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: he doesn't wake up after the battle. He stays in heaven. 161 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:15,120 Speaker 1: He gets a wife and they have a child together. 162 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 1: Eventually he returns to Earth, burying his new title Heavenly King, 163 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 1: Lord of the Kingly Waya. His family is not on 164 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 1: board with this, well know, because from where they stand, 165 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,199 Speaker 1: he's just been tossing and turning around in bed for days. 166 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: I mean there's no not exactly a specific timeline, but 167 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: I can't imagine this. This was happened over a period 168 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: of time, um, and he just seems like he's losing it. 169 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 1: And he, you know, he goes from being fully asleep 170 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:53,440 Speaker 1: to turning around in bed and screaming you know, nonsense syllables, 171 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: to jerking upright and assuming a fighting stance and then 172 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: going back to bed. I mean, just you know, really 173 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: really not well. And he finally wakes up and he 174 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: explains to his parents the dream and he had written 175 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: like this in the form of poetry that he kind 176 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: of like dream journaled when he woke up. It's pretty impressive. Oh, 177 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: and he also came back with the name Hong SiO 178 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 1: Kuan because his original name was Hong Ho Shu. But 179 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 1: that father figure he meets in the hallucination tells him 180 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: that his given name violates taboos and has to be changed. 181 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:31,599 Speaker 1: So not only is he waking up it's very, very 182 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 1: fantastic story, he's also waking up with a different name. 183 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,839 Speaker 1: Everybody in the village thinks this guy's bonkers. If this 184 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:44,560 Speaker 1: guy were a breakfast, he would be nuts and bananas. 185 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: It's true, is that a breakfast? Well yeah, you could 186 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: beat like nuts and banana people do that all the time, 187 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 1: really like together, like mixed up with what with oats? 188 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: Maybe sure, oates? Probably yogurt people. Yogurt people are crazy, man. 189 00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:58,839 Speaker 1: They'll put anything in yogurt. Okay from now, And I 190 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:01,680 Speaker 1: think when we say something is insane, we should refer 191 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:04,960 Speaker 1: to it as yogurt. You know what. Let's give it 192 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:06,840 Speaker 1: a spin. Let's take it around the bloss we can 193 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:08,559 Speaker 1: make that. Let's can make that that catch on and 194 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: we might have enemies with big yogurt. But but yeah, 195 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: so Hong has gone full yogurt and he uh is 196 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 1: looked upon askance by the people of the village. But 197 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 1: he's able, He's able to put it behind him. Yeah, 198 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:23,959 Speaker 1: he gets better, quickly bounces back. He decides to take 199 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:26,599 Speaker 1: the exam a fourth time because of what worked and 200 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 1: what happens. Uh, he fails, He fails again, He fails 201 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: a fourth time. Again. It's a very very difficult exam. 202 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: There's a lot of corruption involved. Only one percent of 203 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 1: the people who take it will will succeed the one 204 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: percent of the one percent of the one percent kind 205 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,679 Speaker 1: of and it seems like a bit of a classist 206 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 1: kind of thing where well, yeah, I mean you have 207 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: to every what isn't classes. But what I'm saying is 208 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: it doesn't seem to be entirely merit based, maybe like 209 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,319 Speaker 1: certain people have a leg up in passing the exams. 210 00:12:56,400 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 1: Absolutely absolutely so. He is. He's still in his twenties 211 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: at this time, and he has failed this exam, but 212 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: thankfully not once, not twice, three four times, and he 213 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: still has a certain pamphlet. He has that pamphlet. He 214 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 1: finds it neatly folded in his pristinely pressed tunic. Right, 215 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: I don't know about that. I'm I'm editorializing here, but 216 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:25,839 Speaker 1: he definitely finds it somewhere, and he starts to make 217 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 1: some connections, doesn't he. Because the tract actually portrayed China 218 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:34,559 Speaker 1: as this kind of post apocalyptic wasteland which wasn't terribly 219 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: far off from the truth. I mean, there was certainly 220 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 1: some hyperbole here, but this, these opium wars and the 221 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 1: opium addictions that ravaged China really destabilized the country from 222 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: eighteen thirty nine to eighteen forty two. And finally it 223 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 1: ended with the Treaty of Nanjing, which really gave Britain 224 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 1: the upper hand and allowed them to be much more 225 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: of a colonizer, you know of of China, right right, 226 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: absolutely is ultimately the reason that so many Christian missionaries 227 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:07,480 Speaker 1: were able to make it into the country and stay there. 228 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: As Hong is reading this pamphlet, he's noticing a stunning 229 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: similarity between the story of Christianity and his personal vision, 230 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 1: the one he had thought and he had you know, 231 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: gotten over he encounters the words of Jesus Christ and 232 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: he becomes convinced. Hong becomes convinced that that father figure 233 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 1: in his series of visions was the Christian God like 234 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: the God of Abraham, and that the older brother because 235 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:52,000 Speaker 1: remember you mentioned that older brother. No, the older brother 236 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: was Jesus Christ himself. And the quote king of Hell 237 00:14:56,120 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: was the serpent in the garden of Eden. And Long 238 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 1: is putting everything together, Like the very end of Usual 239 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: Suspects when spoiler alert three to one, when the investigator 240 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: starts looking at the bulletin board and notices that Kaiser 241 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: SoSE has just been making up stories based on what 242 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: he reads around the room. I did spoiler countdown and 243 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 1: plus it's way past the statue think so yeah, I 244 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 1: mean it's fine. Also, where do spoilers stop? Man? Is 245 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 1: it a spoiler to say that a Lincoln passes away 246 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: or the Titanic sinks or the Yeah yeah, we're gonna 247 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 1: get some angry emails about that because I didn't spoiler 248 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 1: alert is and it is a movie. It is in fact, 249 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 1: I'm moving, It's true. So hall Is Halling is having 250 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: this Usual Suspect moment as he's reading through this pamphlet, 251 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: and he's like, wait, the father in my dream is God? 252 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 1: The older brother in my dream? That's Jesus, the king 253 00:15:56,280 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: of Hell? Is this serpent from this story Holy smoked? 254 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 1: Put two and two together. I am the Son of God. 255 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: It's like Darren Aronovski trying to describe the plot of 256 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: one of his movies, right right, So he doesn't take 257 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: this revelation as a personal thing. He doesn't hold it 258 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 1: close to his heart and use it as a way 259 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 1: to keep his divine chin up. Instead, he tells his 260 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:25,440 Speaker 1: relatives about his dream, and his message begins to spread. 261 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: He gets followers. He must have been very persuasive. Well, 262 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 1: he clearly was tenacious. He kept taking you know, he 263 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: let us like a little little bit of psychotic break 264 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 1: stop him from trying to take those those exams. Um. 265 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 1: So he clearly had drive. And yeah, he had to 266 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: have been very charismatic um. And his his message started 267 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: spreading like wildfire call style. Right. Right, he gathers followers. 268 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: They go on the road to evangelize. Right. They're selling 269 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: ink and brushes to fund their travels, and Hong begins 270 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: writing his own religious works. He writes exportations to worship 271 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,880 Speaker 1: the One True God, and this helps him win more converts. 272 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: He goes back home to work on more religious writing, 273 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 1: but his disciples continue to travel and they form a 274 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: group known as the God Worshiping Society. There's an interesting 275 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:28,919 Speaker 1: sociological aspect here because a lot of his original followers 276 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: are Hakka people, the ethnic group Hacca, just like he is, 277 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 1: and they have a relatively lower position in Chinese society. 278 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 1: So this is this is a message that paints a 279 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: picture of an alternate way to live, a world in 280 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 1: which you do not have to be on the bottom 281 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: just because of your ethnicity. Which is interesting because sort 282 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 1: of in the same way that l. Ron Hubbard found 283 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: that a religion based on constantly being rejected by science 284 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:02,439 Speaker 1: fiction you know, publishers and things like that spoiler alert 285 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 1: out of well that's fair, but out of kind of 286 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:08,640 Speaker 1: this bitterness and this it shaped his whole worldview, and 287 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:14,160 Speaker 1: Hong was very similar. He rejected those the Confucianist family 288 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:16,680 Speaker 1: ideals and the idea of having to be in that 289 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:19,160 Speaker 1: one percent of the one percent of society and past 290 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: those tests and he built an entirely new, uh philosophy 291 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:27,439 Speaker 1: that was it wasn't Christianity exactly. It was sort of 292 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 1: a twist on Christianity, right yeah, yeah, yeah, it's you know, 293 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 1: if you think about it, it's a Pruto version of communism. 294 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:42,920 Speaker 1: His stresses sharing property. He has religious ideas and laws 295 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 1: based on the Ten Commandments of Christianity. Importantly, he promises 296 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,880 Speaker 1: free land to all of his followers, and that's when 297 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:58,520 Speaker 1: thousands and thousands more people start joining up with Hong 298 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:03,439 Speaker 1: and the god worship society, and they really start to 299 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: openly reject the Ching norms of that time. They chop 300 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: off their their braids. They have this hairstyle called a 301 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 1: que where you've probably seen it in Um in films, 302 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:18,480 Speaker 1: where their head is shaved, except they have like one 303 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: big long ponytail that's in the back. They cut those off. Um. 304 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:26,360 Speaker 1: He they start wearing these red turbans as a symbol 305 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:31,359 Speaker 1: of their undying allegiance to hang Um, and he even 306 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 1: starts preaching this notion that the man Chou were the 307 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: very demons that he fought in his battle with the 308 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:42,359 Speaker 1: King of Hell. Yeah. Yes, so this is during the 309 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:46,880 Speaker 1: Qing dynasty, right, and the Ching dynasty was founded by 310 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 1: the man Chew people, and they are still regarded as 311 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: foreigners at this time, you know what I mean, And 312 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:57,880 Speaker 1: the Hakka, with valid reason, don't care very much for 313 00:19:58,000 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: the man Chu. Did we mention that the Hakka work 314 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,120 Speaker 1: d of already a bit of a disenfranchised community. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 315 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:06,879 Speaker 1: that's that's that's key because he was able to capitalize 316 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: on those feelings of rejection and isolation and not being 317 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 1: part of the same cast system that he was rejected from. 318 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: And then when he has the revelation that the demons 319 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:22,400 Speaker 1: in his vision are the Manchu. You know, he begins, 320 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 1: as you said, pushing people to violence, and this marks 321 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: the beginning of one of the bloodiest civil wars in 322 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 1: Chinese history. Within two years, Hong and the God worshiping 323 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:40,920 Speaker 1: society have captured the city of Nanjing. There is a 324 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:46,480 Speaker 1: rebellion taking place, folks. Hundreds of thousands of people are 325 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:51,280 Speaker 1: overthrowing the social status quo. Yeah, here's the thing too. 326 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:57,400 Speaker 1: Um Hong really starts doubling down with his um speaking 327 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 1: with God kind of uh ang where he believes that 328 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:06,399 Speaker 1: he has been sent by God as the son of 329 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 1: God because he is a son of God. He's not Jesus, 330 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:10,440 Speaker 1: he's his other son. He's the younger He's the younger 331 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: brother of Jesus. Uh and he is here to change 332 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 1: the very course and nature of Chinese society based on 333 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 1: the word of God and what he wants. So Um, 334 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 1: all of in his society, all of these little kind 335 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: of sub offshoot society, all of the beliefs of the Chinese, 336 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 1: all of the Confucian texts are burned, all those beliefs 337 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 1: are scattered and rejected. Um got rid of every single 338 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 1: um idol or effigy or you know, any anything that 339 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:48,400 Speaker 1: represented the old way right, and even the outlawed opium, 340 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,440 Speaker 1: because that had been a problem one that was probably 341 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:55,159 Speaker 1: the one one of his good moves. Um and heavily 342 00:21:55,200 --> 00:22:01,639 Speaker 1: segregated men and women officially official, but not for him, No, 343 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: not for him. He had something of a harem in 344 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:08,439 Speaker 1: his in his abode. Very very common with cult leaders, 345 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. From l Ron Hubbard and 346 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:16,639 Speaker 1: the Sea Org to David Koresh. Usually cult leaders have 347 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:18,920 Speaker 1: a do as I say, not as I do, sort 348 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:23,320 Speaker 1: of approach to their beliefs and laws. Doesn't he also 349 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 1: change the calendar? He does? He changes the calendar. Dude. 350 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:30,639 Speaker 1: That's such a power moves. I love. I love that. 351 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:35,439 Speaker 1: It's like, all right, I'm in charge. Now April is done. 352 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 1: Now we're calling it um Uh hey, Casey, I knew 353 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: you were going to call me. Then I have nothing. 354 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:47,920 Speaker 1: I have nothing to offer on this. Oh sorry, I don't. Okay, 355 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:51,680 Speaker 1: you'd rather be on the case than on the spot, right, Okay, Okay. 356 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: Uh so we'll say instead of instead of April, we're 357 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: gonna call it Lowell, right, the month of loll Yeah? 358 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:03,840 Speaker 1: Or how about grea April. Yeah, April aprist like that. 359 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 1: I like that, so okay, yeah, I don't mean to 360 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 1: also casey on the case, thank you. I don't mean 361 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:17,359 Speaker 1: to diminish the suffering that Hall is becoming responsible for. 362 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:24,040 Speaker 1: What we see happening now is that the Qing dynasty notices, Yeah, 363 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 1: that society is quickly crumbling. Dude, in the city of Nanjang. 364 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 1: He has amassed an army and in addition to all 365 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 1: of his followers, but a real legitimate army that can 366 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:41,879 Speaker 1: expand this kingdom that he's creating all over southern China. 367 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 1: Uh and ends up with more than thirty million people 368 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:51,920 Speaker 1: living inside his little sub kingdom called the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, 369 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 1: which is what they referred to their their new territory as. 370 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 1: And this is a real threat to the powers that be. 371 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:03,280 Speaker 1: I mean, this is huge and will not let this stand. Right. Absolutely. 372 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:08,120 Speaker 1: We should also mention though he did segregate the sexes 373 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,639 Speaker 1: for his followers, he took some steps to try to 374 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: make women more socially equal to men. So it wasn't 375 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:20,560 Speaker 1: all terrible stuff. But yes, war was very much on 376 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 1: the horizon. The Qing emperor says, I have to raise troops. 377 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:30,639 Speaker 1: This may become an existential conflict, and it does. It 378 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 1: becomes one of the most deadly conflicts in history. So 379 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:38,719 Speaker 1: by eighteen sixty hangs people that Taiping were at the 380 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 1: height of their power. They were smashing ching armies that 381 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:48,560 Speaker 1: were besieging Nanjing, and they were capturing other southern cities Hanju, Suju. 382 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:52,680 Speaker 1: In eighteen sixty one, the same year that the US 383 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 1: Civil War starts, the Taiping attack Shanghai. But Shanghai has 384 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:01,600 Speaker 1: been this Internet national hub, right and is where the 385 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: Western powers go and they send their boots and they 386 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:07,119 Speaker 1: trade their stuff. And that means that the British and 387 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 1: French empires are not happy to see this fall to 388 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:15,920 Speaker 1: a cult movement and the Europeans begin to bring in 389 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:20,160 Speaker 1: their own forces to protect the city. Got a question 390 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 1: for you man, that distinction between religion and cult or 391 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 1: movements and cult. I think thirty million, it sort of 392 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:30,360 Speaker 1: kicks it out of cult territory and it becomes more 393 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 1: like a new norm. But again, talking population wise in 394 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: this in the country, just just for a rough ballpark perspective, 395 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:45,399 Speaker 1: UH calculations estimates put the population of China and the 396 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:49,720 Speaker 1: Qing Empire at this time around just under three million, 397 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 1: got it, so no, no small potatoes, thirty million, right, 398 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 1: but still certainly not taking hold in a widespread way. 399 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:04,000 Speaker 1: I don't know, man, that's that's it's definitely dangerous and 400 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:06,879 Speaker 1: they're all hold up or a bunch of them are 401 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: holed up in this one area and are kicking ass. Yeah, 402 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:15,639 Speaker 1: and the European troops arrived to help out there. I 403 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 1: don't know, buddies, their relationship is probably a little strain, 404 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: but it's more to defend their ports, right, absolutely, Uh, 405 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:29,360 Speaker 1: the opium must flown, you know. The Europeans come with 406 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: the latest word, the bleeding edge of military technology, and 407 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:41,320 Speaker 1: they use cannon fire to just tear through the Typing rebels. 408 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 1: The Ching launches a major counter attack and this this 409 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 1: occurs at the same time. This shatters the Typing army 410 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:54,000 Speaker 1: and they retreat from the city. They are forced onto 411 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:58,640 Speaker 1: the defensive, and now the Ching dynasty is receiving support 412 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 1: from the West. They begin pushing the borders of the 413 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:08,119 Speaker 1: Heavenly Kingdom back to Nanjing and they're fighting. Think of 414 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: it this way. They're fighting what's called a total war 415 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 1: in one of the most densely populated areas of the 416 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 1: planet around this time. The country of China alone is 417 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 1: like thirty percent of the world's population. It's a crowded place, 418 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:29,119 Speaker 1: and a total war means that everything is up for 419 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 1: grabs and everything that can be destroyed probably will. Yeah, 420 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 1: And there's no real rules of engagement or anything like that. 421 00:27:35,359 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: I mean, civilians are at risk, utterly at risk, not 422 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 1: not not just being in harm's way, but resources plundering 423 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 1: of villages from the opposition. When they sack a town 424 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:50,479 Speaker 1: or whatever, they just take what they want and food 425 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 1: becomes scarce. People actually begin to starve to death in 426 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:58,159 Speaker 1: the streets. So I think we're talking um millions of 427 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:02,200 Speaker 1: people that that died. Brute. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, The violence 428 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 1: combined with the famine led to millions of deaths. If 429 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:11,880 Speaker 1: this were a film, let's cut two. Hong Hong is 430 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: becoming increasingly yogurt. He has withdrawn from running his kingdom 431 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 1: during the day to day affairs, directing the armies, rallying 432 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: the troops. Instead, he hangs out in his palace with 433 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 1: his harem, with his concubines. His generals begin to fill 434 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 1: the vacuum of power, and this leads to a lot 435 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: of internal conflict and fracturing of the kingdom, Hong begins 436 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 1: to you know, suspect members of his inner circle of 437 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:51,959 Speaker 1: being traitors, and he has very valid reasons for this. 438 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,800 Speaker 1: By eighteen sixty four, the Chain armies are at the 439 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:58,840 Speaker 1: gates of the city and Hongs General, a guy named 440 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:03,960 Speaker 1: Leashu Cheng, demands that Hong g t f O right, 441 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 1: get get out of the city. And now they are 442 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:10,400 Speaker 1: who they have been, you know, forced into retreat and 443 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 1: they're hold up behind walls. They've running the food as well. 444 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: So what is Hong do you he? He says, Uh, 445 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:19,640 Speaker 1: We're just gonna drink tears from heaven, you know, eat 446 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:22,960 Speaker 1: mana from heaven. When mana like that's like magical energy juice, 447 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 1: like from the Final Fantasy Games, I think, But no, 448 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: he says. And what he was referring to were like 449 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,200 Speaker 1: he basically said that that God will nourish us with 450 00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: whatever we put into our bodies. It's so crazy, it 451 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 1: almost seems made up, but it's the craziest. So he 452 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: plucks this what is he plux a weed from the 453 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 1: ground and eats it as a sign. They like, see, 454 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,160 Speaker 1: I'm on board with you, you know, like I'm just 455 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: like you guys and it's turns out to be deadly 456 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: poison and he dies Yeah, yeah, just on a fluke totally, 457 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:59,640 Speaker 1: you know, good God. And then his teenage son kind 458 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:02,160 Speaker 1: of steps sinner places him, but it's too late that 459 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: the chamber at the gates, like we said, they eventually 460 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:11,040 Speaker 1: kicked down the doors. Blood bath ensues night night, Kingdom 461 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 1: of Heaven, and the Taiping Rebellion is put down. Estimates 462 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:19,160 Speaker 1: vary widely depending on which historical sources you encounter. You 463 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:23,080 Speaker 1: will see the estimate of the death toll here ringing 464 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:27,840 Speaker 1: in it anywhere between twenty to seventy million people. That 465 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 1: makes it one of the deadliest conflicts in human history, 466 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 1: and its shaped China and therefore the world in ways 467 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:41,400 Speaker 1: that carry over even today in twenty nineteen, all because 468 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 1: one guy had a vision. You know, what if he 469 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 1: had passed his exams. You always have to wonder. It's 470 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 1: kind of like what if Hitler got accepted into art school. Yeah, 471 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:53,920 Speaker 1: I don't know, man, that's true. I mean, it's I 472 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 1: think it's the with the repeated rejection that really caused 473 00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 1: him to break. But you gotta wonder too, something was 474 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 1: off in this guy, so he would have done some 475 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 1: weird stuff the other way, and you have to wonder 476 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 1: about the country as well. If not him, would some 477 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: other kind of event have occurred, you know what I mean? Yeah, 478 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:14,040 Speaker 1: it's true because the history of China is largely a 479 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: series of peasant uprisings, as of the case for many histories, 480 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,480 Speaker 1: like the French Revolution, the American Remoli. It's all about 481 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:26,320 Speaker 1: rising up against the oppressor, perceived or otherwise. Um and these. 482 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:31,880 Speaker 1: The dynasty system was so entrenched culturally that it was immovable, 483 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 1: and so it makes sense that like, but what's so funny, 484 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 1: ban though, is what's that happening is you replace you 485 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:40,000 Speaker 1: you you knocked down a dynasty, and then you replace 486 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 1: it with your own dynasty, and you become the same 487 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 1: thing that you hated and we're fighting against in the 488 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 1: first place. Absolutely happens every time. Maybe one time it 489 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,440 Speaker 1: will be different. Probably not, Okay, probably, do not not look 490 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 1: forward to it. I'm not holding my breath. So history 491 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: tells us that the world is rife, the world is overflowing. 492 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 1: If um would be Messiah's We are lousy with people 493 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: who suspect that they have divine right to one thing 494 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 1: or another. And the modern age is no different It's 495 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:16,960 Speaker 1: easy for us to say, Wow, that sounds crazy, what 496 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 1: the heck was going on in the eighteen hundreds, But 497 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 1: you have to realize in there are plenty of groups 498 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:26,200 Speaker 1: in the United States, in your home country and your 499 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 1: neck of the global woods. I guarantee you there's someone 500 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:33,520 Speaker 1: right now who believes that they are either God or 501 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:39,520 Speaker 1: the avatar of God, or the younger brother of a 502 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:44,280 Speaker 1: divine figure, first cousin. Whatever. Yeah, why not, man, somebody's 503 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:47,520 Speaker 1: got to be um. More power to you, just trying to, 504 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:52,160 Speaker 1: you know, foment any bloody uprisings. Yeah, do your best, 505 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:53,840 Speaker 1: do your best, do your do your best, be a 506 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:57,920 Speaker 1: good citizen. This was such a crazy story. It's a 507 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:00,520 Speaker 1: story that a lot of Westerners are not familiar with it. 508 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:03,240 Speaker 1: And how how how insane is it that a story 509 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 1: involving the death of twenty to seventy million human beings 510 00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:10,160 Speaker 1: that took place over fifteen years at the hands of 511 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: a psychotic Christian death call leader not really a death call, 512 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 1: but certainly, I mean, I stand by, we stand by 513 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:19,200 Speaker 1: the whole cult thing. How crazy is that we don't 514 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:20,720 Speaker 1: know about that and they don't teach that in in 515 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 1: history class. I don't know it's it's it's interesting. It 516 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:26,480 Speaker 1: sounds weird because we do host a history show, but 517 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff happened. Yeah, I don't know, Casey. 518 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:31,720 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna put it in spite here. I just 519 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:34,000 Speaker 1: want to know, have you ever heard of this story? No, 520 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 1: this is like all completely new to me, and my 521 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 1: mind is thoroughly blown, absolutely bonkers. And how has there 522 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,040 Speaker 1: not been a film of this as well? It seems 523 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 1: very good film fodder when you Yeah, when you first 524 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:47,280 Speaker 1: mentioned it, I was thinking of Scorsese is Silence, which 525 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:51,840 Speaker 1: is also concerns Christianity in Japan. Um and and it's 526 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:55,440 Speaker 1: kind of somebody also having maybe a little bit of 527 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 1: a savior complex or something, but different era, different country, 528 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 1: different culture, very different. But you know it kind of 529 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:04,520 Speaker 1: brought that to mind. Yeah, very much. So um well, 530 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:06,040 Speaker 1: I don't know, I don't I think, uh, I think 531 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:08,439 Speaker 1: the story speaks for itself. I think we've said it all, 532 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:10,719 Speaker 1: so I think it's time to wrap it up. And 533 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:12,640 Speaker 1: what do you say? I know I never want a 534 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:16,120 Speaker 1: cult story to end, but yeah, I guess, I guess 535 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:18,440 Speaker 1: I got it. All good cult things must come to 536 00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:20,960 Speaker 1: an end. Band, I know, I know, and you know 537 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:24,480 Speaker 1: when you've started as many as I have, eventually you 538 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 1: wanted to feel fresh. Said that was in another life. 539 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:31,480 Speaker 1: Totally so. Thanks to Christopher hasci Otis, Thanks to our 540 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:35,440 Speaker 1: super producer, Casey Pegrom, Thanks to research associate and pal 541 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:39,440 Speaker 1: Gabe Loucier, Thanks to Alex Williams who composed our Thanks 542 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:43,120 Speaker 1: to you knowld. Thanks to you listeners for giving this 543 00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:47,359 Speaker 1: episode a spin. If the spirit so moves you, why 544 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:50,760 Speaker 1: not dropped by your podcast platform of choice and toss 545 00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:53,600 Speaker 1: us a rating or review. Yeah, we really appreciate it. 546 00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:56,440 Speaker 1: You can also join us on our Facebook fan page 547 00:34:56,520 --> 00:34:58,759 Speaker 1: or community page whatever you wanna call it, which is 548 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:03,840 Speaker 1: ridiculous historians. Um. We are on the usual platforms, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. 549 00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:07,600 Speaker 1: You can also follow me personally on Instagram at Embryonic Insider, 550 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:11,359 Speaker 1: and you can find me on Instagram as well. I 551 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:15,840 Speaker 1: am at ben Bowland. So let us let us know 552 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:21,640 Speaker 1: about the local movements, communes, or dare we say, cults 553 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:25,479 Speaker 1: in your neck of the Global woods. Do you think 554 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:29,160 Speaker 1: these groups are innocuous? Do you think they are malevolent? 555 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:34,280 Speaker 1: If so, why or why not? And I'm especially interested 556 00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:38,560 Speaker 1: to hear stories of local cults that most people outside 557 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:42,680 Speaker 1: of the area don't know about, like Zendig Farms. Yeah, hey, 558 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 1: Zendig Farms. There are a ton of Florida just to 559 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:50,560 Speaker 1: the south of us. Very strange ones too, but yeah, 560 00:35:50,719 --> 00:36:00,279 Speaker 1: let us know. We'll see you next time. Books. For 561 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:03,040 Speaker 1: more podcasts from My Heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 562 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.