There were five generals in the Jintian Uprising: Yang Xiuqing, Xiao Chaogui, Feng Yunshan, Wei Changhui and Shi Dakai.
1. Yang Xiuqing
Yang Xiuqing (1823-1856), formerly known as Yang Silong, was a Han Hakka, originally from Jiaying Prefecture, Guangdong. During the time of his great-grandfather, he moved to Ping'ai New Village, Zijingshan, Guiping City, Guangxi (today's Dongwangchong), and made a living by farming forests and burning charcoal.
He joined the God Worshipers Association in 1846 and participated in launching the Jintian Uprising in 1851. In December of the same year, he was conferred the title of King of the East by the Heavenly King Hong Xiuquan. He was said to be nine thousand years old and was one of the important leaders of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. In June 1856, the Taiping Army broke through the Jiangnan camp of the Qing Army.
Yang Xiuqing has integrated religious power, political power and military power into one body, and is the de facto leader of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. In the "Tianjing Incident" in 1856, Yang Xiuqing was killed by Hong Xiuquan, Wei Changhui, Qin Rigang and others, and few of his family members were spared.
2. Xiao Chaogui
Xiao Chaogui (approximately 1820-1852) was born in the late Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty. He was a Hakka from Luodong, Wuxuan, Guangxi. His family was poor, so he came to Guiping Bauhinia. Living in the mountains and burning charcoal. Later he joined Hong Xiuquan and Feng Yunshan's "God Worship Club".
The King of the West among the Five Kings was officially named. He was said to be eight thousand years old and had a high status, ranking below Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuqing, and above Feng Yunshan, Wei Changhui, and Shi Dakai.
Xiao Chaogui was an important leader in the early days of the Taiping Rebellion. He often issued orders with the phrase "Brother Tian descended to earth and possessed his upper body". He was one of the core leaders of the Jintian Uprising. He was killed during the attack on Changsha in September 1852.
3. Feng Yunshan
Feng Yunshan, a native of Heledi, Huaxian County, Guangdong, is a neighboring village to Hong Xiuquan's hometown Guanlu, about three miles apart. He was born around AD 1815 (the 20th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty) into a well-to-do family. His father's name is Feng Shaoxian, and his mother's name is Hu.
He recited classics and history, read hundreds of schools of thought, and learned a set of knowledge about old Chinese culture. He did not want to live the life of the exploiting class and became a rural elementary school teacher.
Feng Yunshan and Hong Xiuquan lived in the same neighborhood and were close in age. They had been classmates since childhood and later became tutors at Mengmengguan School. They had very similar aspirations. In 1843 AD (the 23rd year of Daoguang reign in the Qing Dynasty), Hong Xiuquan founded the God-worshiping religion, and Feng Yunshan and his colleagues joined the Mitu Revolution.
Feng Yunshan has always been in contact with poor farmers, which made him sympathize with the plight of the majority of farmers, and developed dissatisfaction and hatred for the real society. After the Opium War, he saw the decay of the Qing Dynasty and the general public rebellion against the Qing, so he Leave the original class and embark on the road of uprising.
4. Wei Changhui
Wei Changhui (original name: Zhizheng, also known as: Zheng), was born in Nanhai County, Guangdong in 1823. He is a Han Hakka and one of the early leaders of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. . At the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty, his ancestors moved to Guangxi and settled in Jintian Village, Guiping.
His family is wealthy, he has studied at a young age, knows the meaning of literature, is talented, and can adapt to situations when encountering difficulties. In the twenty-eighth year of Daoguang (1848), he joined the God Worshipers Association and soon became a backbone. He became brothers with Hong Xiuquan and Feng Yunshan, and was called the fifth son of Heavenly Father.
After the Jintian Uprising, he served as a rear guard and deputy military advisor, and led the right army. He was granted the title of Northern King and was said to be six thousand years old. His status was second to the Heavenly King Hong Xiuquan, the Eastern King Yang Xiuqing, the Western King Xiao Chaogui, and the Southern King Feng Yunshan.
5. Shi Dakai
Shi Dakai (March 1831-June 27, 1863), nicknamed Yada and nicknamed Shi Gandang, was born in Guixian County, Guangxi (now Gangbei District, Guigang City) Qishi Township) Hakka, their ancestral home is in present-day Heping County, Guangdong Province.
Shi Dakai was one of the main generals of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. He was a famous military strategist, politician, revolutionary, strategist, martial artist, poet, calligrapher, patriotic general, and national hero in modern China.
In December 1851, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was established in Yong'an, and Shi Dakai was granted the title "King of Wings Five Thousand Years Old" in Jin Dynasty. In 1857, he was awarded the title "King of Wings, Chief General of the Left Army". During the Tianjing Incident, he was named "King of Wings, Chief General of the Holy Spirit Dentong Army". The army and the people respected him as the "King of Righteousness" (I will not accept this with humility).
Shi Dakai is one of the most legendary figures in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. He came out of the mountain under investigation at the age of sixteen, commanded thousands of troops at the age of nineteen, was awarded the title of King of Wings at the age of twenty, and died heroically at the age of thirty-two. Chengdu.