The Taiping Rebellion (Rebellion of Great Peace) was a large-scale movement against the authority and forces of the Qing government in China. It was conducted from 1850 to 1864 by an army and civil administration led by Hong Xiuquan (洪秀全, Hóng Xiùquán, 1814-1864). He established the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace (太平天国, Tàipíng Tiānguó, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom) with capital Nanjing and control most parts of southern China. The regime instituted social reforms of strict separation of the sexes, abolition of foot binding, land socialization and the replacement of Confucianism, Buddhism and Chinese folk religion by a peculiar form of Christianity, holding that Hong was the younger brother of Jesus Christ.

The rebellion was eventually put down by the Qing army aided by French and British forces. With an estimated death toll of between 20 and 30 million due to warfare and resulting starvation, the civil war ranks among history's deadliest conflicts. Today, artifacts from the Taiping period can be seen at the Taiping Kingdom History Museum in Nanjing.