The Reform Of Folk Custom During The Period Of Taiping Regime

TaiPing Revolution is the summit of old-style peasant war of China,its struggle lasted 14 years and its influence reached 17 provinces. The heroes constructed their own regime, organized strong army and implememented series of polices to arouse many peasants to fight for repudiating feudal land institution, and meantime it shouldered on the anti-invasion ask and had made a great contribution to revolt the enemy from home and abroad. During the cause of revolution, it constructed series of institutions of politics, ecnomy, military and sepecial religion, and it also reformed the folk custom, which is unique in the history of ancient peasant war.The thesis studies the reform of folk custom during the peried of TaiPing Regime, discusses the historical background: the first is the violent charge of the era, the second is the need of reality and consolidating state power, the third is the effect of HorgXingquan's experience and Christianity;studies the reform on belief, wedding, costume and entertainment,analyzes the achievement and shortcoming, finally I draw a conclusion:the reform could expand the revolutionary effect, strive the mass support, strenth the revolution force, and it also could shake the lofty status of traditional culture, build road for west culture, it was very significant. However, the reform paid more attention to the variability of folk custom, and neglected the gradulity, forsaked the traditional culture,regardless of quintessence or dross, which violated the law of folk custom, and did harm to the development of the revolution. And meantime, it also embodied obvious feudalism.It isn't unintenigible on the achivement and shorting. The reform reflected peasant class' resentment to the reality and seeking for the happy life and social morality. After all, TaiPing Revolution was a old-style peasant war led by a backward social class, it couldn't essentially touch the economic basis of feudalism, couldn't completely roul out the old regime. Social existence decides social mentality, so the peasant class couldn't have its own mentality system,and couldn't shake off the feudalism enslavement ,and could only follow some feudal practice. So the reform couldn't exceed the limit of their era and social class, the reform finially failed because of exterior pressure and interior violation,it was a real tragedy.