During the mid-19th century in China, a series of revolts against the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) raged, devastating the landscape and claiming millions of lives. The Nian Rebellion (1851-1869) in the east and north of China had ties to a Buddhist sect, while the Taiping Rebellion in the south was led by a man who claimed to be the recipient of divine revelations. Hong Xiuquan (b. 1814), a schoolteacher from a small village in the Guangzhou province, led the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing Dynasty, nearly toppling the government and establishing himself as ruler. In the context of economic strife and religious fervor, Xiuquan blended public need and radical spirituality into an appealing movement for change. Chinese commoners flocked to support Xiuquan, and once he established his Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the country descended into civil strife that altered China's path in immeasurable ways.