...an iconoclastic monotheism potent enough to set up the Taiping theocracy yet too blasphemous to win foreign support, too intent on the one true God to permit cooperation with secret societies, and too bizarre and irrational to win over Chinese literati. (pp. 74-75)The leader who defeated the Taiping, Tseng Kuo-fan, is a fascinating character in his own right. Here's his advice to the person Fairbank characterises as his "understudy":Leadership was taken by six activists who became sworn brothers... the chief military leader was an illiterate charcoal burner named Yang, who had the wit to receive God's visitations and speak with His voice in a way that left Hong literally speechless... they got their political-military system from the ancient classic The Rituals of Chou... (pg 75)
Taiping Christianity was a unique East-West amalgam of ideas and practises geared to militant action, the like of which was not seen again until China borrowed and sinified Marxissm-Leninism... (pp. 75-76)
...some 600 walled cities changed hands, often with massacres... the last [war] of the pre-modern kind. (pg 77)
Within Nanking [1853- ] the leaders soon each had his own army, palace, harem, and supporters. They spent much time elaborating systems of nobility, honors, and ceremonies... The original leadership had destroyed itself in 1856 when the Eastern King Yang... plotted to usurp the position of the Heavenly King, Hung, who therefore got the Northern King, Wei, to assassinate Yang and his supporters, only to find that Wei and his supporters, drunk with power, had to be assassinated by the Assistant King, Shih, who then felt so threatened that he took off to the west with much of the army, leaving Hung sitting on a rump of his oown incompetent kinfolk... (pp 77-78)
In your association with foreigners your manner and deportment should not be too lofty and you should have a slightly vague, casual appearance. Let their insults, deceitfulness and contempt for everything appear to be understood by you and yet seem not understood, for you should look somewhat stupid. (pg 107)