Protestant missionaries and Taiping Rebellion at Modern China

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K13124
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 03030:History of Asia and Africa-related
• Research Institution: Doshisha University
• Principal Investigator: DOI Ayumu 同志社大学, 文学部, 助教 (10731870)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 宣教師 / プロテスタント / 史料 / 太平天国

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the first half of the 19th century, Hong Xiuquan, who was inspired by Protestant ideas, organized the God Worship Society. The member of its society increased in Guangxi Province, and rose in revolt against the Qing Dynasty at 1851. This society, lately called as Taiping army, occupied Nanjing in 1853, but collapsed in 1864 due to the resistance by the local gentries and the internal conflict within the Taiping leaders. The purpose of my research attempts to clarify an attitude of the Protestant missionaries in China toward the rebellion, and their historical recognition after the rebellion.

Free Research Field

中国史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

プロテスタント宣教師が太平天国をいかに認識していたのかは、若干の先行研究が存在する。しかし、太平天国の勢力が変遷する中で、どのように認識を変化させていたのか、もしくは大変天国崩壊後に、その歴史的性格にどのような評価を下したのか、という観点では史料を用いた実証的な研究はそれほど多くない。それゆえ、本研究課題を通じて、これまで個別に存在していた中国近現代史と欧米のプロテスタント宣教師の視点を交錯させることができるのではないかと考えている。