title: Judge Judy

text: Sheindlin's regular catchphrases on the program became known as "Judyisms". Sheindlin used the position of television arbitrator to impart guidance, direction, and life lessons not only to her litigants but her viewers and public at large. An example of guidance often stressed by Sheindlin was to be independent through employment, especially to not live off the government where unwarranted or other people directly where oppression from or friction with the provider may eventuate. In the former, Sheindlin could often be quoted as stating, "No, you aren't supporting yourself. Byrd and I are supporting you." Sheindlin had stated that the main message she wanted viewers to take away from her program is that people must take responsibility for their actions and do the right thing.


title: Judge Judy

text: Petri Adonis Byrd was born on November 29, 1957, in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Byrd had his middle name legally changed to "Hawkins" when he joined the "Judge Judy" program as a salute to his late mother, whose maiden name was also Hawkins. In the program, Sheindlin referred to him simply as "Byrd," or less frequently "Officer Byrd."


title: Judge Judy

text: Byrd took on the role of Sheindlin's courtroom bailiff. His main duties in the program consisted of introducing the cases by calling the parties forward and swearing them, delivering evidence back and forth, and excusing the parties once the case was complete. Full of running gags, Byrd point-blankly disagreed with and corrected Sheindlin in moments when she bounced questions off him for his agreement. He was also noted for his preoccupation with crosswords during the proceedings. In addition, Byrd routinely delivered evidence to Sheindlin while having his head and eye contact directed away from her. A staple of the program, Sheindlin relied on Byrd's sophistication and academic knowledge base, Byrd frequently having to interject in areas to which she struggled: mathematics, new media, social media, current fads, etc.


title: Judge Judy

text: Sheindlin often comically incorporated Byrd amid her critiques and reprimands of litigants, such as by sharing with the parties Byrd's disapproving thoughts of them without any actual communication at all from Byrd about said litigants. Sheindlin has stated “We’re like two old married people who have reached an accord. I can rely on [Byrd] to be my protector. We don't have to exchange words—he knows what I'm thinking. People who watch us sense we have a history, and that is very important.” Byrd described Sheindlin as "Blunt, witty, and sharp as a tack." However, when asked if he'd like to appear as a litigant before her, he answered candidly (laughing), “Hell no. And I don't advise any of my friends to do so. Not if they want to maintain their love of the judicial system.”


title: Judge Judy

text: By 1999, Sheindlin began earning salaries reflective of her court show's success. For every roughly three years from that point forward, Sheindlin handed over her salary wishes to CBS management representatives in a sealed envelope during contract renewals. She communicated her wishes as nonnegotiable, that otherwise she would take her talents elsewhere and produce the program herself.


title: Judge Judy

text: In early 2000 during the show's 4th season, Sheindlin's annual salary from "Judge Judy" was reported as $7.8 million. In January 2003 during the 7th season, Sheindlin's annual salary was increased to $25 million when she signed a contract to preside over "Judge Judy" through its 10th season (2005–06). For the first time, she was put in the top pay ranks for TV performers. In September 2005, just before Sheindlin's 10th season anniversary, it was reported that her contract was extended 2 seasons further, promising the program through its 12th season (2007–08). As part of the deal, Sheindlin's annual salary would be increased to $30 million for the then-upcoming 2 seasons. In January 2008 (during show's 12th season), Sheindlin's annual salary was increased to $45 million when her contract was renewed through the 2013-14 television season (its 17th season).


title: Judge Judy

text: Her next contract renewal, in May 2011 (during the show's 15th season), saw her program extended to the 2014-15 television season (the show's 19th) and Sheindlin's "Judge Judy" salary increase to its peak of $47 million. Producing vast sums of wealth for CBS, Sheindlin's courtroom series brought in $230 million in advertising in 2012 alone. Sheindlin's $47 million per year "Judge Judy" salary translated into just over $900,000 per workday (she worked 52 days per year), reportedly making her the highest paid television star in 2013 and 2014.


title: Judge Judy

text: Sheindlin's next "Judge Judy" contract renewal signing with CBS transpired in March 2015 during the 19th season of her program. As part of the annual $47 million contract deal, Sheindlin has furnished ownership of the entire "Judge Judy" episode library (including all past and then future episodes) in exchange for extending the program to its 24th season. The renewal also included a first-look production deal for CBS with Sheindlin's television production company, Queen Bee Productions (which produces syndicated courtroom series "Hot Bench"), allowing CBS to have first viewing exposure to any material that her production company engineered.


title: Judge Judy

text: Sheindlin's final contract renewal signing with CBS was in August 2017 (late in the show's 21st season), extending the show for one additional season to its 25th. The terms of the agreement also included Sheindlin's submission of the "Judge Judy" episode library back to CBS, which has allegedly furnished Sheindlin with an additional annual income of $100 million. The move allows CBS to replay the show (at the time, as many as 5,200 episodes) without limitations on any platform they choose. Before Sheindlin's alleged contractual sell of the episode library back to CBS, she reportedly had her team shop the episode library around the entertainment industry for a much higher amount, as much as $200 million annually.


title: Judge Judy

text: "Forbes" named Sheindlin the highest paid host in November 2018 stemming from her $47 million per year "Judge Judy" salary combined with the annual income from her "Judge Judy" episode library. In 2018, Sheindlin earned $147 million between the $100 million from the alleged sale of the present and then future episode library of her show to CBS, in addition to her $47 million arbitration handling salary. In 2020 and 2021, Sheindlin's net worth was reportedly $440 million and $460 million, respectively.


title: Judge Judy

text: When "Judge Judy" launched in September 1996, it went on the air with little media attention and publicity. By the end of October of that year, the show was averaging only a 1.5 rating, putting it in the mid-rank of the 159 syndicated shows on the air. At that time, it was never expected that the show's ratings would ever compete with highly successful daytime TV shows of that era, such as "The Oprah Winfrey Show", "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" and "The Jerry Springer Show". According to "Biography"s documentary film on Sheindlin, "Judge Judy: Sitting in Judgment" (aired February 21, 2000), producers of "Judge Judy" were disappointed that the show was barely making it on the radar. However, it did not take long for the court show to pick up momentum as "Judge Judy" rose to a 2.1 rating by the end of that first season. By the starting point of her 2nd season, it was observed that Sheindlin's guest presence at public venues had already generated avid recognition and fanfare, her reaction characterized as "overwhelmed by her success, as if it was something she didn't expect." Season 2 (1997–98) of the program saw the court show already rise into the 4 ratings ranges, averaging a 4.3.


title: Judge Judy

text: The 3rd season (1998–99) of "Judge Judy" was the show's first season as the highest-rated program in daytime television, having surpassed the highly rated "Jerry Springer Show" and even then daytime powerhouse "The Oprah Winfrey Show" for the first time (King World Productions which launched Oprah was folded into CBS Television Distribution in 2007, which distributed "Judge Judy"): the program's ratings more than doubled to a 5.6 for that season, marking "Judge Judy" as an early success.


title: Judge Judy

text: It was due, in part, to this early success that daytime television began to feature more court programming, such as a revival of "The People's Court" that re-debuted in fall 1997. In 1999, "Judge Judy" moved from Worldvision Enterprises to Paramount Domestic Television, which also distributed her stablemate "Judge Joe Brown" and eventually "Judge Mills Lane". Many other former judges were given their own court shows in syndication due in large part to Sheindlin's popularity. Examples include Greg Mathis, Glenda Hatchett, Alex Ferrer, Maria Lopez, Karen Mills-Frances, Cristina Perez, David Young, and many others. In addition, the series helped to spawn various nontraditional court programs. These include the reality-based revival of "Divorce Court", which was originally presided over by Mablean Ephriam (1999–2006), Lynn Toler (2006–2020), Faith Jenkins (2020-2022), and currently helmed by Star Jones; the short-lived "Power of Attorney", capturing various high-profile attorneys arguing cases for litigants in front of Andrew Napolitano; "Street Court", which took litigation outside of the courtroom; "Jury Duty", featuring an all-celebrity jury hearing cases presided over by Bruce Cutler; etc. Furthermore, "Judge Judy"s rise in popularity enabled several non-real life judges to preside over courts, such as Nancy Grace, Larry Joe Doherty, and Gloria Allred.


title: Judge Judy

text: Also, partly due to Judge Judy's popularity, the producers of "The People's Court" decided to replace Ed Koch with Judy's husband, Jerry Sheindlin, as their presiding judge during "The People's Court"s present incarnation 3rd season/overall series 15th season (1999–2000). This meant that husband and wife would be either part of the same afternoon lineup or competing for ratings against each other. The experiment, however, did not last long as midway through "The People's Courts" 4th season (2000–01), Jerry was replaced by the show's current judge, Marilyn Milian.


title: Judge Judy

text: For its 4th season (1999–2000), Judy's ratings exploded to its highest for its 25 season lifespan, peaking at a 9.3 rating. At this point, Sheindlin's courtroom series was still more than ever the highest rated program in daytime. It was also at this point that "Judge Judy" held a record of increasing its ratings for each successive season since its debut. Because of the program's success, "Judge Judy" began airing at better time periods.


title: Judge Judy

text: It was by the show's 5th season (2000–01) that "Judy's" streak of growing in ratings from season to season since its debut had ceased. However, the court show still remained the highest-rated program in daytime that season with a 5.6 rating. By the 6th season (2001–02), Judy was no longer the highest-rated program in daytime, beaten out by "The Oprah Winfrey Show". The court show averaged a 5.0 rating that season. Likewise, for her 7th season (2002–03), she also averaged a 5.0. For her 8th season (2003–04), Sheindlin finally reversed the season-to-season downward turn in her ratings by averaging a 7.1. Of the seven running court shows during the 2004–05 season, most of them earned a 3.63 rating; however, "Judge Judy" remained court genre leader with a 7.5 ratings score for that season (the show's 9th). For her 10th season (2005–06), "Judge Judy" averaged a 4.8 rating. "Judge Judy" averaged 4.6 rating for her 11th season (2006–07). Meanwhile, other programs in the genre were trailing Sheindlin from a vast distance: "Judge Joe Brown" averaged a 2.9 rating; "The People's Court" averaged a 2.7; "Judge Mathis" averaged a 2.4; "Divorce Court" averaged a 2.0; "Judge Alex" averaged 1.9; "Judge Hatchett" averaged a 1.5; rookies—"Cristina's Court" averaged a 1.4, and "Judge Maria Lopez" came in last, averaging a 1.0 rating.


title: Judge Judy

text: For its 12th season (2007–08), "Judge Judy" averaged a 4.8 rating (4.8 HH AA%/7.4 HH GAA% rating) and 9.9 million average daily viewers. "Judy" was the only first-run syndication program to increase in ratings for that season from the previous, leading CBS to immediately extend her contract through the 2012–13 season. For its 13th season (2008–09), the show averaged a 4.2 rating (4.2 HH AA%/6.5 HH GAA% rating) and 9.02 million average daily viewers. Its 14th season (2009–10) marked the first season in nearly a decade since the 2000–01 season that any daytime television program had been able to surpass "The Oprah Winfrey Show"s ratings ("Judge Judy" is also the show in question that during the 2000–01 television season surpassed "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in daytime TV ratings): Judy broke Winfrey's near decade-long streak with a 4.4 rating (4.4 HH AA%/6.9 HH GAA% rating) and 9.6 million average daily viewers. It was also at that point that Sheindlin's courtroom series became the highest rated show in all of daytime television programming. "Judy" secured this title in its 15th season (2010–11) as the program remained ahead of "Oprah" in her [Oprah] final season and the highest-rated daytime television offering, averaging a 5.11 rating and 9.6 million viewers. During this season, "Judy" also became the highest rated show in first-run syndication. Late that same season in May 2011, as a result of continued high ratings, CBS again extended Sheindlin's contract, this time through the 2014–15 season (the show's 19th).


title: Judge Judy

text: In the first post-Oprah television season, the court show continued its reign as the most dominant show in daytime and also became the top-rated show in all of syndication, its 16th season (2011–12) racking up a 7.0 rating and 9.29 million average daily viewers. As the top-rated show in all of syndication at this point, Sheindlin defeated first-run syndication programs and off-network syndication programs (rerun episodes of programs off their original network). The title of overall syndication leader was previously held by off-network syndicated program "Two and a Half Men" (2010–11) and before that, first-run syndicated program "Wheel of Fortune" (2009–10).


title: Judge Judy

text: "Judge Judy"s ratings boost in its 16th season and late into the show's 15th season was at least partly due to Nielsen's change in methodology, in April 2011. This variation benefits programs that air multiple, differing episodes a day. The updated method is totalling ratings points through adding all viewings for each daily episode–even if one of those viewings come from an individual already counted in as having watched another of the show's daily episodes. For example, as "Judge Judy" airs two different episodes per day, two ratings points are counted for every one person who has watched both the first and second daily airings. This is as opposed to one person's viewing of the two daily episodes amounting to only one ratings point. Prior to the convert, the latest method was only used in GAA numbers, while the previous method was used in average audience measure. Some court shows air in one hour blocks and thus do not benefit at all from the updated method. Worth noting, however, is that shows airing multiple daily episodes may not directly benefit monetarily as the rating system that local stations use to sell to advertisers is based upon the prior method.


title: Judge Judy

text: For its 17th season (2012–13), "Judge Judy" once again pulled in a 7.0 household rating. The series delivered 9.63 million average daily viewers that season, growing by +32,000 viewers over the prior season. Despite this, "Judy" lost its 1st place spot as the ratings leader in all of syndication that season, descending to 2nd place, only a tad behind "The Big Bang Theory" (off-network syndicate) which took home a 7.1 for that season. Still and all, this was the 3rd season in a row that "Judy" earned the title of ratings leader in all of first-run syndication. Moreover, this was the 4th consecutive season that "Judy" was the ratings leader in all of daytime television programming. For the 18th season (2013–14), Judy rose to a 7.2 household rating and brought in 9.94 million viewers, gaining 8% over its prior season. Also for this season, the show reclaimed the title as highest rated program in all of daytime (5th consecutive time, 8th time overall) and all of syndication (3rd time). The show's 19th season (2014–15) pulled in a 7.0 household rating and remained the highest rated program in both daytime television as well as all of syndication. The 20th season (2015–16) was Judy's 3rd consecutive year as syndication's top strip, the court show averaging a 7.0 full-season household rating.


title: Judge Judy

text: For its 21st season (2016–17), "Judge Judy" trounced all of its competitors in daytime and all of syndication. The court show scored a 6.8 household rating for its 21st season. For the 22nd season (2017–18), "Judy" attained a 6.9 live plus same day household average, well ahead of anything else in syndication. It marked the show's 5th straight year as the leader in all of syndication ratings and the 9th straight year as the leader in first-run syndication ratings.


title: Judge Judy

text: For the 23rd season (2018–19), it was reported by Nielsen that "Judy" topped first-run syndication ratings for the 10th straight year with 6.8 household rating. According to Nielsen's ratings, the court show finished out its penultimate season (2019–20) at the top of first-run syndication for an 11th straight year, "Judy" taking home a 6.2 household rating. The program's closest competitors were "Family Feud" at 6.1, "Jeopardy!" at 6.0, and "Wheel of Fortune" at 5.8. Going out on top for its 25th anniversary, "Judge Judy" boasted its 12th year as top Nielsen rated program in first-run syndication, ending its run with an estimated 7.8 million viewers for that final season (2020–21). "Judge Judy" also lasted its entire 25 year first-run as the highest Nielsen rated court show, outperforming all other courtroom series broadcasts and by vast margins.


title: Judge Judy

text: "Judge Judy", which premiered on September 16, 1996, reportedly revitalized the court show genre. Acclaiming the program's impacts on courtroom television programming, Daytime Emmy Awards Senior Vice President and Executive Producer David Michaels was quoted as stating, "Daytime television wouldn't be what it is today without Judy Sheindlin. Judge Judy redefined and reinvigorated the courtroom format propelling the genre to new heights." Only two other arbitration-based reality court shows preceded it, "The People's Court" (its first 12-season incarnation canceled in 1993 from low ratings) and "Jones & Jury" (lasting only the 1994–95 season, short-lived from low ratings). Sheindlin has been credited with introducing the "tough" adjudicating approach into the judicial genre, which has led to several imitators.


title: Judge Judy

text: The only two court shows that outnumber "Judge Judy"s seasons, "The People's Court" and "Divorce Court", have both built longevity on series cancellations/revival reincarnations and multitudes of judge-role recasting moves (in its pre-1999 form, the latter program was scripted via court transcripts of past proceedings). Thus Sheindlin's span as a television jurist or arbitrator has lasted longer than any other—a distinction that earned her a place in the "Guinness World Records" in September 2015. With no cancellations or temporary endings in its series run, "Judge Judy" also had the longest-lasting individual production life of any court show during its entire run. With "Judge Judy" off the air, "The People's Court"s current/2nd production incarnation now boasts the longest single production continuance of any court show, having reached 26 seasons by the 2022-23 television year—though having gone through 3 judges during this 26 year production incarnation.


title: Judge Judy

text: Starring on "Judge Judy" earned Sheindlin a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February 2006, the Gracie Allen Tribute Award from the Alliance for Women in Media in 2006, induction into "Broadcasting & Cable"s Hall of Fame in October 2012, election as vice president of the UCD Law Society in April 2013, and given the Mary Pickford Award by the Hollywood Chamber Community Foundation at the 2014 Heroes of Hollywood.


title: Judge Judy

text: By 2011, Sheindlin's series had been nominated for 14 consecutive years for the Daytime Emmy Award without ever winning. While part of that 14 years had the court show categorized into other television genre categories by the Emmys, it also includes failures to win once the Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Daytime Emmy category was introduced in 2008. By 2012, an article from the "New York Post" reported that "Judge Judy" was snubbed by the award show in having never won and not even being nominated into the Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Emmy category that year—despite "Judy"s status as highest Nielsen-rated court show for its entire series run. In a followup interview with "Entertainment Tonight" on May 3, 2013, Sheindlin was questioned about the "snub" and her court show's failure to ever win up to that point, responding:


title: Judge Judy

text: On June 14, 2013, however, "Judge Judy" won its first Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program, having received its 15th nomination. The program won again in 2016 and 2017.


title: Judge Judy

text: "Judge Judy"s daytime audience was reportedly composed of approximately seventy-five percent women and twenty-five percent men. In February 2014, it was reported that Judge Judy's audience was mostly composed of older women, African Americans and Latinos.


title: Judge Judy

text: Despite her widespread acclaim, Sheindlin's behavior and treatment of the parties that have appeared before her have often been the subject of criticism. Regular viewers of the program have also been criticized as "sadistic" for their delight in watching Sheindlin engage in her typical behaviors. One such example of criticism has come from the first star of arbitration-based reality court shows, Joseph Wapner. Wapner, who presided over "The People's Court" from 1981 to 1993, was a long-time critic of Sheindlin. On November 26, 2002, Wapner criticized Judge Judy's courtroom behavior, stating "She is not portraying a judge as I view a judge should act. Judge Judy is discourteous, and she's abrasive. She's not slightly insulting. She's insulting in capital letters."


title: Judge Judy

text: Judge Judy replied through her publicist, stating, "I refuse to engage in similar mud slinging. I don't know where or by whom Judge Wapner was raised. But my parents taught me when you don't have something nice to say about someone, say nothing. Clearly, Judge Wapner was absent on the day that lesson was taught."


title: Judge Judy

text: Since then, Wapner has stated, "She is a disgrace to the profession. She does things I don't think a judge should do. She tells people to shut up. She's rude. She's arrogant. She demeans people. If she does this on purpose, then that's even worse. Judges need to observe certain standards of conduct. She just doesn't do it and I resent that. The public is apt to gain the impression that this is how actual judges conduct themselves. It says <nowiki>'</nowiki>"judge"<nowiki>'</nowiki> on the nameplate on the bench and she's wearing a robe."


title: Judge Judy

text: Sheindlin later stated, "As a young person, when I had watched "The People's Court". . . I said 'you know what, I could do that.' And at least as well because while Joe Wapner is a very good judge, [he] didn't have much of a sense of humor. And I always knew from a very practical perspective that you have to marry those two things in order to be successful in entertainment."


title: Judge Judy

text: In a November 2013 interview with Larry King, Sheindlin was asked whether she enjoyed watching Wapner on "The People's Court". She replied, "Meh! Oatmeal!" Following this, King asked her what if any other television judges then did she enjoy, to which Sheindlin answered "Mills Lane" of "Judge Mills Lane."


title: Judge Judy

text: In a September 2014, "Rickey Smiley Morning Show" interview, Greg Mathis of "Judge Mathis" (second longest reigning court show arbitrator, three seasons behind Sheindlin during her "Judge Judy" series run) was asked what three other court show judges he'd most enjoy sharing a meal with. For his first choice, he answered (laughing) "Are you kidding?! It would be Judge Judy at the head of the table. Oh my goodness, that Judge Judy is something else." His second choice was Judge Marilyn Milian, and his third was Judge Mills Lane.


title: Judge Judy

text: In August 2010, rapper, singer, and songwriter Nicki Minaj stated that one of her favorite television programs is "Judge Judy" and when asked what she likes to do in her spare time, she replied that one of her favorite things to do is watch Judge Judy's show.


title: Judge Judy

text: In February 2013, the head football coach for the San Francisco 49ers, Jim Harbaugh, was asked about the importance of truthfulness and enthusiastically remarked, "Somebody that's not truthful? That's big to me. I'm a big fan of the "Judge Judy" show. When you lie in Judge Judy's courtroom, it's over. Your credibility is completely lost, and you stand no chance of winning that case. So I learned that from her. It's very powerful and true. If somebody lies to you, how can you trust anything they ever say after that?"


title: Judge Judy

text: A couple of months later, Harbaugh would even attend tapings of "Judge Judy" along with his father as audience members. As part of the experience, Harbaugh and his father had lunch with Sheindlin and visited with her both before and after tapings. After meeting Sheindlin and seeing cases in person, Harbaugh stated, "I've never seen Judy adjudicate one improperly. She is so smart. She is so good. I could sit there and watch those cases all day. I really could. It's fun to watch somebody that does their job well. I could watch Judge Judy do cases all day. I could watch people play football who do their job really well. People who direct traffic. I get a real kick out of watching people who direct traffic do it. I've done it for hours. I like football the most, but Judge Judy is right up there. She's the best."


title: Judge Judy

text: Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research for Horizon Media, said ""Judge Judy" is the new Oprah of daytime TV-actually, she was [already] beating Oprah while Oprah was still on."


title: Judge Judy

text: While he was President and CEO of CBS Corporation, Leslie Moonves stated, "Over the last few decades, there have been very few shows that have achieved the remarkable success that she has. Not only has Judy sustained that success year after year, how many shows grow in their 15th or 16th year in syndication? She started as a fresh voice and she's been a remarkable presence in daytime television ever since."


title: Judge Judy

text: Many regular viewers and supporters of "Judge Judy" had defended Sheindlin's treatment of the parties that have appeared before her by describing the parties as an "endless parade of idiots" that Sheindlin had to put up with.


title: Judge Judy

text: "Judge Judy" Executive Producer Randy Douthit had been sued numerous times by former staff members of the "Judge Judy" program for alleged wrongful termination, discriminatory practice, mismanagement, etc., while on the job. While only two of those lawsuits went public during the course of the show's original run, many other lawsuits and allegations against Douthit were brought to light following the program's conclusion.


title: Judge Judy

text: On November 13, 2007, the show's former associate producer Karen Needle was fired. She later sued Douthit, claiming that she was wrongfully terminated because she was too old, 64 at the time. Sheindlin was not named as a defendant. Needle, who helped book audiences for the program, stated the reason she was given for being fired was "unspecified conflict from her audience work." Needle said she began suffering from back pain, sometimes even resorting to lying on the ground in pain, and when she asked her bosses for a new chair, nothing was done. According to the complaint, two weeks before Needle was fired, she took off four days to assist her ailing 88-year-old mother. Needle later stated, "There is a lot of terrible stuff going on if two people file separate lawsuits (referencing Jonathan Sebastien's suit). It's a toxic situation over there. This is supposed to be Judge Judy, the voice of justice, and yet her own staff isn't treated well. What is she getting paid all that money for if her own staff is treated with such little decency?" The case was dismissed following a jury trial on January 26, 2009.


title: Judge Judy

text: On December 26, 2007, Jonathan Sebastien, a former producer of the "Judge Judy" show of seven years, filed a lawsuit against the production company in L.A. County Superior Court for wrongful termination. Sebastien claimed that when he proposed certain cases for the show involving black litigants, Douthit turned them down with his alleged reasons being he did not want to see any more black people; their behaviors were too ghetto and more suited for former television jurist Joe Brown; and they needed more pretty, upscale white people. Sebastien claimed that in January 2007, he objected to the alleged discrimination in a meeting and was verbally abused by Douthit. Three months later on March 30, Sebastien stated he was fired with the reason given that rating numbers were down. Sebastien claimed that the real reason he was fired was that he opposed his boss's alleged "discriminatory selection process". On June 26, 2009, Sebastian filed a request for dismissal with the courts after a settlement was offered to him by the defendant for an undisclosed amount.


title: Judge Judy

text: In March 2013, a lawsuit was filed against Sheindlin by Patrice Jones, the ex-wife of Douthit. Jones alleged Douthit and Sheindlin had conspired to permit Sheindlin to buy Christofle fine china and Marley cutlery owned by Jones. She said Sheindlin had paid Douthit $50,815 for the items without her knowledge to deprive her of her valuables, and she sought $514,421 from Sheindlin. The suit ended after Sheindlin returned the tableware to Douthit and Jones agreed to pay Douthit $12,500 and have the tableware handed back to her.


title: Judge Judy

text: On October 17, 2013, Big Ticket Television and the producers of "Judge Judy" filed a lawsuit against Ignacio De Los Angeles. The suit was made against the individual for posting an episode of "Judge Judy" on YouTube. Ignacio ignored the command.


title: Judge Judy

text: On March 12, 2014, Sheindlin filed a lawsuit against Hartford, Connecticut, personal injury lawyer John Haymond, and his firm. In the lawsuit, Sheindlin accused Haymond and his firm of using her television image without consent in advertisements that falsely suggested she endorsed him and his firm. In March 2013, Sheindlin's producer allegedly told the firm that the use of her image was not permitted, but ads continued. The lawsuit filed in federal court sought more than $75,000 in damages. Sheindlin said in her statement that any money she wins through the lawsuit will go toward college scholarships through the Her Honor Mentoring Program. Sheindlin described the unauthorized use of her name as "outrageous", stating, "Mr. Haymond is a lawyer and should know better." Haymond later filed a countersuit for punitive damages and attorney's fees, alleging defamation of him and his firm by Sheindlin. Haymond insisted that local affiliates asked him to appear in "Judge Judy" promos to promote Sheindlin for which he obliged. On August 8, 2014, it was reported that the case between Sheindlin and Haymond settled out of court in a resolution that favored Sheindlin. Haymond will be donating money to Sheindlin's charity, Her Honor Mentoring Program.


title: Judge Judy

text: On March 14, 2016, talent agency Rebel Entertainment Partners Inc. and its president, Richard Lawrence, filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against CBS Television Distribution, claiming the media giant failed to pay the agency its contractually-agreed-to share of the show's profits, totaling millions of dollars. Rebel claimed they were owed for their contributions to launching the program and introducing Sheindlin and CBS through their terminated employees Kaye Switzer and Sandi Spreckman. The lawsuit alleged that CBS hadn't paid Rebel for the past six years, claiming that the show operated at a loss primarily due to Sheindlin's annual salary boost to $45 and then $47 million. The lawsuit went on to attack Sheindlin's salary as being far too high. Rebel described it as "exorbitant" and "grossly inconsistent with customary practice in the television industry" and claimed that similarly successful talk show hosts weren't paid nearly as much. Further, Rebel claimed they were entitled to be consulted before any spin-offs of the show were produced, but were not when "Hot Bench" (another courtroom-arbitrated show) was launched by Sheindlin and her producers in 2014. In response to the lawsuit, Sheindlin had stated:


title: Judge Judy

text: The fact that Richard Lawrence is complaining about my salary is actually hilarious. I met Mr. Lawrence for 2 hours some 21 years ago. Neither I nor anyone involved in the day-to-day production of my program has heard from him in 20 years. Not a card, not a gift, not a flower, not a congratulations. Yet he has somehow received over $17,000,000 from my program. My rudimentary math translates that into $8,500,000 an hour for Mr. Lawrence. Not a bad payday. Now complaining about not getting enough money, that's real chutzpah.


title: Judge Judy

text: When Sheindlin was deposed for the case in the summer of 2016, she said "CBS had no choice but to pay me what I wanted because otherwise I could take it wherever I wanted to take it or do it myself. Their backs to the wall. They pay me the money that they do because they have no choice. They can't find another one."


title: Judge Judy

text: In an April 2018 verdict on this case, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joanne O'Donnell found that Sheindlin was not grossly overpaid and that her salary did not constitute a breach of contract, rather her salary is a result of the "resounding success of her program and without its namesake star would not continue". That being said, Judge O'Donnell ruled partially in Rebel's favor, agreeing that it was a breach of contract for the defendants to have failed to consult Lawrence before launching the "spin-off" series, "Hot Bench". Dissatisfied with being granted one part of their motion while denying the other, Bryan Freedman (Lawrence's attorney) stated that the plaintiffs intended to appeal Judge O'Donnell's verdict. Freedman was quoted as stating, "As for admitting and then ignoring Rebel's uncontroverted expert opinion evidence that frontloading the 45 million dollar salary of Ms. Sheindlin was not consistent with the United States television industry, the court committed a reversible error. That issue will be decided by the court of appeal."


title: Judge Judy

text: On July 30, 2021, the California Courts of Appeal upheld Judge Joanne O'Donnell's 2018 ruling that CBS did not breach its contract with Rebel by increasing Sheindlin's salary to $45 million (and later $47 million), consequently zeroing out Rebel's earnings at around the same time in 2009. At the crux of the legal hearing was the contract agreement signed by CBS and Rebel in 1995 when Rebel sold CBS the court show. The contract that was signed outlined that CBS would compensate Rebel 5% of gross proceeds from "Judge Judy" for the duration of its series run, but minus production expenses. CBS contended that profit share deductions were a direct result of production expenses, that is, Sheindlin's intent to terminate employment with the network if her salary demands weren't met. Sheindlin corroborated these claims in her testimony, stating that she laid down rigid salary terms for CBS every three years otherwise resignation. Accordingly, the court rejected Rebel's legal claim and granted CBS a summary judgment, finding that CBS Television Distribution properly deducted profits from Rebel Entertainment as a production expense.


title: Judge Judy

text: On January 19, 2018, a breach-of-contract lawsuit—similar and loosely related to the case filed by Rebel Entertainment—was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court against Sheindlin, CBS Corporation, CBS Studios, and Big Ticket Television by Kaye Switzer, and the trust of the now deceased Sandi Spreckman. Switzer and Spreckman are former employees of Rebel Entertainment, terminated by the employer. Switzer and Spreckman's trustee, Jay Robinson, claimed they "discovered" and introduced Sheindlin to producer Larry Little, asserting that if not for this move that there never would have been any "Judge Judy" and thus they were owed monetary royalties for the entirety of the court show's series run. The lawsuit also claimed that Sheindlin sold "The Judge Judy Library" (a collection of all episodes of "Judge Judy") to CBS Television Distribution for over $95,000,000. Switzer and the Spreckman's trustee contend that they were not paid any monetary royalties by Sheindlin, CBS, or Big Ticket related to this transaction. The two women have a long history of filing lawsuits over the same matter against Sheindlin and CBS dating back to the year 2000.


title: Judge Judy

text: An insider claimed that Sheindlin was not concerned about the lawsuit, regards the subject of "who is owed what as just background noise", and believed that the success of her show came from nothing more than the "sweat of her brow" and the force of her personality. According to the same insider, Sheindlin said that while she "was always fond of Kaye and Sandi", the pair were terminated by Rebel Entertainment before her show ever even made it on the air and that she "never entered a contract with Kaye and Sandi personally."


title: Judge Judy

text: In March 2021, defendants Judith Sheindlin, Big Ticket Pictures, Her Honor, and CBS Studios petitioned the courts for a summary judgment (an early verdict from a judge based on enough evidence gathered during discovery so that a case does not have to move to trial). In February 2022, the court granted the defendants their petition for a summary judgment, effectively dismissing the case filed by plaintiffs Switzer and the trust of Spreckman. The defendants contended that the plaintiffs were unable to prove that any money was earned by Sheindlin for her submission of the "Judge Judy" episode library back to CBS, adding that details of the contract regarding that exchange have been kept confidential through contractual protections. To that end, in August 2017 when CBS Television Distribution President at that time, Paul Franklin, shared the news that Sheindlin submitted her "Judge Judy" episode library back to CBS, Franklin was quoted as describing the exchange as CBS "acquiring" the episode library as opposed to "buying" the episode library.


title: Judge Judy

text: In February 2020, CBS attempted to come to a settlement with Rebel Entertainment (despite this, there have been numerous additional failed attempts at winning lawsuits filed against Sheindlin and ViacomCBS by Rebel, even after the show ran into the present). Less than a week after CBS's February 2020 settlement attempt with Rebel, Sheindlin announced on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that her "Judge Judy" series would end that following television year, 2020-21, at 25 seasons. In announcing this news, Sheindlin also shared that she would prepare to shop a new spin-off series, "Judy Justice", around to other distributors. The news of Sheindlin announcing the end of her series caught CBS off guard. Although CBS had some idea that the show would conclude at around 25 seasons, nothing was set in stone. Sheindlin later signed a deal with Amazon Studios to stream the new "Judy Justice" court show. The deal with Amazon allows Sheindlin full ownership rights over her new program and what was described as a lucrative salary—Sheindlin stated that salary negotiations were effortless because of how public her $47 million "Judge Judy" salary and $440 million net worth (for the year 2020) were. According to later released media reports, Sheindlin's annual "Judy Justice" salary is 25 million.


title: Judge Judy

text: After "Judge Judy" completed its series run at 25 seasons, the program officially ending on July 23, 2021, Sheindlin rationalized that "25 is a good round number" to go out on top with. In June 2021, however, Sheindlin issued public statements that her tensions with CBS and feeling disrespected by the network posed the basis for her show's end. According to reports, Sheindlin had taken exception to CBS's management of her program ever since the resignation of Les Moonves from the role as chief executive over the network in 2018, resulting from a multitude of scandals. In particular, Sheindlin resented CBS's ownership rights to the "Judge Judy" episode library, a position that allowed CBS to air numerous seasons of "Judge Judy" without having to pay Sheindlin as much for new episodes (at least as she had been receiving at that time, which was $47 million annually). Sheindlin further resented CBS's demotion of the court show "Hot Bench" in airing timeslots (a series that although does not feature Sheindlin, is produced and created by her).


title: Judge Judy

text: Addressing her relationship with the network, Sheindlin commented, "We had a nice marriage. It’s going to be a Bill and Melinda Gates divorce." In a formal press release response to Sheindlin's statements issued by CBS Ventures President Steven Locascio, he was quoted as stating, "The network has had an incredibly successful relationship with Judy over the last 25 years. It has been an honor representing her show, and just like there has never been another Oprah, there will never be another Judge Judy."


title: Judge Judy

text: Sheindlin's "Judge Judy" spin-off, "Judy Justice", garnered significant criticism from disgruntled "Judge Judy" show fans and media outlets alike over "Judge Judy" program's Bailiff Byrd not returning to Sheindlin's side nor having any participation. According to sources close to Sheindlin's programs, the vast majority of her "Judge Judy" crew was invited back and treated well for the successor. Byrd, on the other hand, later revealed in October 2021 that when he finally had a discussion with Sheindlin by the time her new series was in production, she explained that he was omitted due to the show's budget, that they couldn't afford him. The discussion was also said to have resulted from Byrd having to call Sheindlin. Byrd expressed that he was "dismayed" and "perplexed" as no one had ever previously discussed the new series with him. In a public response to Byrd and "Judge Judy" fans, Sheindlin praised Byrd as "terrific", sharing that the two had a great 25-season run, but concluded that the new show required a fresh, exciting direction. Byrd ultimately expressed appreciation for the opportunities provided to him by Sheindlin, wishing her all the best with "Judy Justice" and stating to hold no grudges.


title: Judge Judy

text: Byrd later added in November 2021 that he also felt snubbed by the Emmys when he was not allowed to present Sheindlin's Lifetime Achievement Award to her at the Daytime Emmy ceremony in 2019. Byrd stated that he was seated 15 to 20 rows back while Sheindlin sat with "Judge Judy" Executive Producer Randy Douthit in the front rows. Questioned about the matter, Sheindlin shared that it was Amy Poehler who called up the Television Academy and requested to present her with the award because she was a big fan. According to Byrd, however, Poehler later shared with him that she was equally perplexed over his exclusion from the ceremony.


title: Judge Judy

text: While Judge Judy Sheindlin is not accused of any workplace misconduct, "Judge Judy" and "Judy Justice" Executive Producer Randy Douthit has come under fire over years of lawsuits and allegations about creating a toxic workplace behind the scenes of "Judge Judy". Discovered were multitudes of allegations leveled at Douthit by 16 former "Judge Judy" producers that run the gamut, involving workplace drunkenness, sexual harassment, body shaming, ageism, ableism, anti-blackness and misogyny.


title: Judge Judy

text: According to the allegations made by former "Judge Judy" staff dating back from 2001 through the remainder of the show's run, Douthit frequently sexually harassed employees who reported to him and reviled female litigants while directing from the control room, referring to them as "too fat", "too ugly", "hos", uttering pig and cow vocalizations, sharing of which of them he most desired to sleep with, etc. "Judge Judy" Producer Kurstin Haynes revealed, "He'd make comments about their weight, he'd make comments about their teeth, or if they were disabled." According to "Judge Judy" employees, the process of proposing cases to Douthit for his approval required submitting photography of the litigants involved. Several revealed that Douthit was particularly concerned with the teeth of the show's guests, employees citing getting into "big trouble" with Douthit over the selection of such "disgusting" litigants. Throughout "Judge Judy"s run, all lawsuits filed against Douthit were dismissed. However, when questioned about the various allegations, court filings quote Douthit as answering, "I don't believe so. I hope not. I may have, but I hope not."


title: Judge Judy

text: According to a media publicized lawsuit filed against Douthit in 2009 by former Senior Producer Jonathan Sebastien, Douthit announced, "We're not doing any more Black shows. I don't want to hear Black people arguing." Asked whether he remembered telling producers to screen out Black litigants, court filings quote Douthit as answering that he could not recall. After objecting to Douthit's behavior, Sebastien was later fired, allegedly for that reason. Sebastien later reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount. In November 2021, six "Judge Judy" staffers confirmed Sebastien's claims, additionally alleging that this behavior from Douthit continued through season 25 in 2020-21. Douthit's lawyers have denied all charges, claiming that they emanate from disgruntled former employees, also citing Douthit as fostering a supportive, inclusive workplace. Sheindlin's leadership was consequently called into question, criticized over turning a blind eye to the matters and allowing Douthit as well as other allegedly problematic "Judge Judy" Executive Producers Amy Freisleben and Victoria Jenest to resume their roles in "Judy Justice." Expressing resentment over how her leadership was portrayed in media reports, Sheindlin was quoted as stating:


title: Judge Judy

text: To author a piece which speculates that I 'was untouchable,' 'don't care how the show gets made,' 'that I don't trust anyone,' 'didn't like cases involving dogs, dog bites or strippers,' 'by and large didn't interact with staffers,' 'wasn't worried about the coronavirus,' is appalling and untrue.


title: Judge Judy

text: In April 2022, it was computed that "Judge Judy" reruns have vastly outperformed "Judy Justice" season one (2021-02) in viewership quantities. It was also reported in August 2022 that with "Judge Judy" out of production for over a year by this point, the court show remained one of the highest-rated programs in all of daytime television and syndication. Moreover, the series still dominates the court show genre as the highest-rated broadcast and by significant margins. Questioned about her concluded court show's enduring success and timelessness in reruns during a November 2022 interview, Sheindlin answered, "My mind is still blown away by the fact, that in the second year of its afterlife, Judge Judy is still number one in the daytime."


title: Seann William Scott

text: Seann William Scott (born October 3, 1976) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Steve Stifler in the "American Pie" franchise, and also for his role as Doug Glatt in both "Goon" and "". He has also appeared in films "Dude, Where's My Car?" (2000), "Final Destination" (2000), "Road Trip" (2000), "Evolution" (2001), "The Dukes of Hazzard" (2005), "Mr. Woodcock" (2007) and "Role Models" (2008). He has voiced Crash in four "Ice Age" animated feature films and two "Ice Age" television specials. Scott portrayed former CIA operative Wesley Cole in Fox's crime-drama television series "Lethal Weapon" (2018–19). Films in which Scott has starred have earned $4.91 billion at the global box office as of 2017.


title: Seann William Scott

text: Seann William Scott was born in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, to Patricia Anne Simons and William Frank Scott. Scott's father died in 2007. He is the youngest of his seven siblings. He graduated from Park High School, where he was part of the varsity football and basketball teams. He has attended University of Wisconsin and Glendale Community College. Scott dedicated himself to acting and relocated to Los Angeles.


title: Seann William Scott

text: Early in his career, Scott worked at The Home Depot and the Los Angeles Zoo to support himself between acting jobs. Scott began his career by appearing in several television commercials, including American Express and Sunny Delight. He also featured in the Aerosmith music video ‘Hole in my Soul’. In 1996, Scott made his first on-screen appearance as Moondoggie on The WB's sitcom "Unhappily Ever After" in the episode "Beach Party." Scott landed the role of Steve Stifler in the comedy film "American Pie" (1999). Scott has revealed that he was paid $8,000 for his supporting role in the first film. "American Pie" grossed over $235 million at the worldwide box office. Scott reprised his role as Steve Stifler in the film's three sequels, "American Pie 2" (2001), "American Wedding" (2003), and "American Reunion" (2012). Scott received a reported $5 million salary and a percentage of the profits for his performance in "American Reunion".


title: Seann William Scott

text: In 2017, "Forbes" reported that the "American Pie" films have grossed $989.5 million at the worldwide box office, became a pop culture phenomenon and made several cast members famous. Scott won two Teen Choice Awards for Choice Sleazebag as a result of playing Steve Stifler in "American Pie" and "American Pie 2", and MTV Movie Award for Best Dance Sequence for "American Wedding". He also shared an MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss with Jason Biggs for their kiss in "American Pie 2".


title: Seann William Scott

text: Scott's fear of typecasting led him to play different types of characters post-"American Pie", such as a hapless nerd in the horror film "Final Destination" (2000) and a friendly stoner in "Dude, Where's My Car?" (2000). "Dude, Where's My Car?" was a box office success and has managed to achieve a cult status. The film earned $73.2 million worldwide against a $13 million budget. He also appeared in films "Road Trip" (2000), "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (2001), "Evolution" (2001), "Stark Raving Mad" (2002) and "Bulletproof Monk" (2003). He played Peppers in "Old School" (2003), which was a moderate box office success and has gained a massive cult following over the years. Scott portrayed Bo Duke in "The Dukes of Hazzard" (2005), which was also financially successful, but received negative reviews from critics. The film eventually collected $111 million worldwide. He was nominated for MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team with Jessica Simpson and Johnny Knoxville for their roles in "The Dukes of Hazzard". Scott hosted the MTV Movie Awards 2003 with Justin Timberlake.Scott landed a lead role as a police officer in "Southland Tales" (2007), where he reunited with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, with whom he had previously worked in "The Rundown" (2003). The two performed several skits, including scenes from "The Matrix Reloaded", which are on "The Matrix Reloaded" DVD. He has also hosted "Saturday Night Live" and appeared as a guest co-host on "Live with Regis and Kelly". Scott appeared as John Farley in "Mr. Woodcock" (2007) and as Jeff Nichols in "" (2007). His next film, "Role Models" (2008) was a commercial success and grossed over $92 million at the box office worldwide. The film was met with positive reviews and was selected as one of the best films of 2008 by Eye Weekly.


title: Seann William Scott

text: He voiced the character Crash in "" and reprised his role in its sequel "" (2009) and "" (2012). He appeared in the action-comedy film "Cop Out" (2010) alongside Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan and Kevin Pollak. To prepare for his role in "Cop Out", Scott gained weight and stopped working out for six months. In 2011, Scott starred in the Canadian sports comedy film "Goon" as Doug 'The Thug' Glatt. The film was a critical success and made $6.7 million at the worldwide box office. In 2012, he starred in "Movie 43" in the segment 'Happy Birthday'. In April 2012, Scott received an honorary medal from Trinity College’s Philosophical Society. In October 2013, Scott guest-starred in an episode of the FX television series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia", playing Mac's cousin named Country Mac.


title: Seann William Scott

text: Scott expressed his interest to shift from comedic roles into more serious roles and portrayed Ted Morgan in the comedy-drama film, "Just Before I Go" (2015). "It was rewarding to play pretty much the antithesis of what I've done in the past. To get a chance to play a totally different character—because he's just a good, average, relatable guy going through obviously an awful moment in his life—was great," Scott told "Variety". He reprised his roles as Crash in "" (2016) and as Doug 'The Thug' Glatt in "" (2017). Scott made a cameo appearance as a Vermont State Trooper in the 2018 film sequel, "Super Troopers 2."


title: Seann William Scott

text: Scott portrayed the lead role of Evan in horror film "Bloodline" (2018). Executive producer of "Bloodline" Emma Tammi praised Scott's performance and acting skills by saying: "He has an amazing theater background and is a very versatile actor, and I don’t think most of the world has seen that yet. He was excited to approach this character in a way that would surprise people, and he really nails it." In May 2018, it was announced that Scott was cast as the new series lead in Fox's "Lethal Weapon" as a new character named Wesley Cole, replacing Clayne Crawford as Martin Riggs, who was fired amidst reports of bad behavior and incidents of hostility. Darren Franich of "Entertainment Weekly" praised Scott's addition to the cast and called his performance "charming". On May 10, 2019, Fox canceled the show after three seasons. Scott portrayed abusive stepfather Martin in the coming-of-age road film "Already Gone" (2019), which was executive produced by Keanu Reeves.


title: Seann William Scott

text: In February 2020, Scott landed the role of Father Joe in the Fox comedy pilot "Welcome to Flatch", written by Jenny Bicks and based on the British television series "This Country".


title: Seann William Scott

text: In interviews, Scott rarely talks about his personal life, and he has described himself as "a private guy".


title: Seann William Scott

text: Media outlets reported that Scott dated former Victoria's Secret fashion model Deanna Miller from 2005 to 2008.


title: Seann William Scott

text: In March 2012, Scott confirmed that he had proposed on Valentine's Day and became engaged to fashion model Lindsay Frimodt. In January 2013, "Us Weekly" reported that this engagement had ended and that the two had split, but would remain friends.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The Taiping Rebellion, also known as the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Revolution, was a massive rebellion and civil war that was waged in China between the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and the Han, Hakka-led Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It lasted from 1850 to 1864, although following the fall of Tianjing (now Nanjing) the last rebel army was not wiped out until August 1871. After fighting the bloodiest civil war in world history, with over 20 million dead, the established Qing government won decisively, although at a great price to its fiscal and political structure.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The uprising was commanded by Hong Xiuquan, an ethnic Hakka (a Han subgroup) and the self-proclaimed brother of Jesus Christ. Its goals were religious, nationalist, and political in nature; Hong sought the conversion of the Han people to the Taiping's syncretic version of Christianity, to overthrow the Qing dynasty, and a state transformation. Rather than supplanting the ruling class, the Taipings sought to upend the moral and social order of China. The Taipings established the Heavenly Kingdom as an oppositional state based in Tianjing and gained control of a significant part of southern China, eventually expanding to command a population base of nearly 30 million people.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: For more than a decade, Taiping armies occupied and fought across much of the mid and lower Yangtze valley, ultimately devolving into total civil war. It was the largest war in China since the Ming–Qing transition, involving most of Central and Southern China. It ranks as one of the bloodiest wars in human history, the bloodiest civil war, and the largest conflict of the 19th century. In terms of deaths, the civil war is comparable to World War I. 30 million people fled the conquered regions to foreign settlements or other parts of China. The war was characterized by extreme brutality on both sides. Taiping soldiers carried out widespread massacres of Manchus, the ethnic minority of the ruling Imperial House of Aisin-Gioro. Meanwhile, the Qing government also engaged in massacres, most notably against the civilian population of the Taiping capital, Tianjing.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Weakened severely by internal conflict, an attempted coup, and the failure of the siege of Beijing, the Taipings were defeated by decentralized, provincial armies such as the Xiang Army organized and commanded by Zeng Guofan. After moving down the Yangtze River and recapturing the strategic city of Anqing, Zeng's forces besieged Nanjing during May, 1862. After two more years, on June 1, 1864, Hong Xiuquan died and Nanking fell barely a month later. The 14-year civil war combined with other internal and external wars weakened the dynasty but provided incentive for an initially successful period of reform and self-strengthening. It exacerbated ethnic disputes and accelerated the rise of provincial power. Historians debate whether these developments foreshadowed the Warlord Era, the loss of central control after the establishment of Republic of China in 1912.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The terms which writers use for the conflict and its participants often represent their different opinions. During the 19th century, the Qing did not describe the conflict as either a civil war or a movement because doing so would have lent credibility to the Taiping. Instead, they referred to the tumultuous civil war as a period of chaos (), rebellion () or military ascendancy (). They often referred to it as the Hong-Yang Rebellion (), referring to the two most prominent leaders. It was also dismissively referred to as the Red Sheep Rebellion () because "Hong-Yang" sounds like "Red Sheep" in Chinese.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: In modern China, the war is often referred to as the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, due to the fact that the Taiping espoused a doctrine which was both nationalist and communist, and the Taiping represented a popular ideology which was based on either Han nationalism or protocommunist values. The scholar Jian Youwen is among those who refer to the rebellion as the "Taiping Revolutionary Movement" on the grounds that it worked towards a complete change in the political and social system, rather than working towards the replacement of one dynasty with another.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Many Western historians refer to the conflict in general as the "Taiping Rebellion". Recently, however, scholars such as Tobie Meyer-Fong and Stephen Platt have argued that the term "Taiping Rebellion" is biased because it insinuates that the Qing government was a legitimate government which was fighting against the illegitimate Taiping rebels. Instead, they argue that the conflict should be called a "civil war". Other historians such as Jürgen Osterhammel term the conflict "Taiping Revolution" because of the rebels' radical transformational objectives and the social revolution that they initiated.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Little is known about how the Taiping referred to the war, but the Taiping often referred to the Qing in general and the Manchus in particular as some variant of demons or monsters (), representing Hong's proclamation that they were fighting a holy war to rid the world of demons and establish paradise on earth. The Qing referred to the Taiping as Yue Bandits ( or ) in official sources, a reference to their origins in the southeastern province of Guangdong.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: More colloquially, the Chinese called the Taiping some variant of Long-Hairs (), because they did not shave their foreheads and braid their hair into a queue as Qing subjects were obligated to do, allowing their hair to grow long. In the 19th century, Western observers, depending on their ideology, referred to the Taiping as the "revolutionaries", "insurgents" or "rebels". In English, the Heavenly Kingdom of Peace has often been shortened to simply the Taipings, from the word "Peace" in the Heavenly Kingdom of Peace, but it was never a term that either the Taipings or their enemies used to refer to them.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: During the 19th century, the Qing dynasty experienced a series of famines, natural disasters, economic problems and defeats at the hands of foreign powers. Farmers were heavily overtaxed, rents rose dramatically, and peasants started to desert their lands in droves. The Qing military had recently suffered a disastrous defeat in the First Opium War, while the Chinese economy was severely impacted by a trade imbalance caused by the large-scale and illicit importation of opium. Banditry became common, and numerous secret societies and self-defense units formed, all of which led to an increase in small-scale warfare.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Meanwhile, the population of China had increased rapidly, nearly doubling between 1766 and 1833, while the amount of cultivated land was stable. The government, commanded by ethnic Manchus, had become increasingly corrupt. It was weak in the southern regions where local clans dominated. Anti-Manchu sentiments were strongest in southern China among the Hakka community, a Han Chinese subgroup. Meanwhile, Christian missionaries were active.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: In 1837 Hong Huoxiu, a Hakka from a poor village in Guangdong, failed the imperial examination for the third time, frustrating his ambition to become a scholar-official in the civil service and leading him to a nervous breakdown. While convalescing, Hong dreamed of visiting Heaven, where he discovered that he possessed a celestial family distinct from his earthly family. His heavenly father lamented that men were worshiping demons rather than himself and informed Hong that his given name violated taboos and had to be changed, suggesting as one option the "Hong Xiuquan" moniker ultimately adopted by Hong. In later embellishments, Hong would declare that he also saw Confucius being punished by his celestial father for leading the people astray. In 1843, Hong failed the imperial examinations for the fourth and final time. It was only then, prompted by a visit by his cousin, that Hong took time to carefully examine Christian pamphlets he had received from a Protestant Christian missionary several years earlier. After reading these pamphlets, Hong came to believe that they had given him the key to interpreting his visions: his celestial father was God the Father (whom he identified with Shangdi from Chinese tradition), the elder brother that he had also seen was Jesus Christ, and he had been directed to rid the world of demons, including the corrupt Qing government and Confucian teachings. In 1847 Hong went to Guangzhou, where he studied the Bible with Issachar Jacox Roberts, an American Baptist missionary. Roberts refused to baptize him and later stated that Hong's followers were "bent on making their burlesque religious pretensions serve their political purpose".


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Soon after Hong began preaching across Guangxi in 1844, his follower Feng Yunshan founded the God Worshipping Society, a movement which followed Hong's fusion of Christianity, Daoism, Confucianism and indigenous millenarianism, which Hong presented as a restoration of the ancient Chinese faith in Shangdi. The Taiping faith, says one historian, "developed into a dynamic new Chinese religion ... Taiping Christianity".


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The movement at first grew by suppressing groups of bandits and pirates in southern China in the late 1840s, then suppression by Qing authorities led it to evolve into guerrilla warfare and subsequently a widespread civil war. Eventually, two other God Worshippers claimed to possess the ability to speak as members of the "Celestial Family", the Father in the case of Yang Xiuqing and Jesus Christ in the case of Xiao Chaogui.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The Taiping Rebellion began in the southern province of Guangxi when local officials launched a campaign of religious persecution against the God Worshipping Society. In early January 1851, following a small-scale battle in late December 1850, a 10,000-strong rebel army organized by Feng Yunshan and Wei Changhui routed Qing forces stationed in Jintian (present-day Guiping, Guangxi). Taiping forces successfully repulsed an attempted imperial reprisal by the Green Standard Army against the Jintian uprising.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: On January 11, 1851, Hong declared himself the Heavenly King of the Heavenly Kingdom of Peace (or Taiping Heavenly Kingdom), from which comes the term "Taipings" commonly used for them in English language studies. The Taipings began marching north in September 1851 to escape Qing forces closing in on them. The Taiping army pressed north into Hunan following the Xiang River, besieging Changsha, occupying Yuezhou, and then capturing Wuchang in December 1852 after reaching the Yangtze River. At this point the Taiping leadership decided to move east along the Yangtze River. Anqing was captured in February 1853.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Taiping leaders may have reached out to Triad organizations, which had many cells in South China and among government troops. Taiping titles echoed Triad usage, whether consciously or not, which made it more attractive for Triads to join the movement. In 1852, Qing government troops captured Hong Daquan, a rebel who had assumed the title "Tian De Wang" (King of Heavenly Virtue). Hong Daquan's confession claimed that Hong Xiuquan had made him co-sovereign of the Heavenly Kingdom and given him that title, but was more likely an echo of an earlier but unconnected White Lotus Rebellion. However, the capture of Nanjing in that year led to a deterioration of relations between the Taiping rebels and the triads.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: On March 19, 1853, the Taipings captured the city of Nanjing and Hong declared it the Heavenly Capital of his kingdom. Since the Taipings considered the Manchus to be demons, they first killed all the Manchu men, then forced the Manchu women outside the city and burned them to death. Shortly thereafter, the Taiping launched concurrent Northern and Western expeditions, in an effort to relieve pressure on Nanjing and achieve significant territorial gains. The former expedition was a complete failure but the latter achieved limited success.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: In 1853 Hong Xiuquan withdrew from active control of policies and administration to rule exclusively by written proclamations. He lived in luxury and had many women in his inner chamber, and often issued religious strictures. He clashed with Yang Xiuqing, who challenged his often impractical policies, and became suspicious of Yang's ambitions, his extensive network of spies and his claims of authority when "speaking as God". This tension culminated in the 1856 Tianjing Incident, wherein Yang and his followers were slaughtered by Wei Changhui, Qin Rigang, and their troops on Hong Xiuquan's orders.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Shi Dakai's objection to the bloodshed led to his family and retinue being killed by Wei and Qin with Wei ultimately planning to imprison Hong. Wei's plans were ultimately thwarted and he and Qin were executed by Hong. Shi Dakai was given control of five Taiping armies, which were consolidated into one. But fearing for his life, he departed from Tianjing and headed west towards Sichuan.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: With Hong withdrawn from view and Yang out of the picture, the remaining Taiping leaders tried to widen their popular support and forge alliances with European powers, but failed on both counts. The Europeans decided to stay officially neutral, though European military advisors served with the Qing army.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Inside China, the rebellion faced resistance from the traditionalist rural classes because of hostility to Chinese customs and Confucian values. The landowning upper class, unsettled by the Taiping ideology and the policy of strict separation of the sexes, even for married couples, sided with government forces.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: In Hunan, a local irregular army called the Xiang Army or Hunan Army, under the personal leadership of Zeng Guofan, became the main armed force fighting for the Qing against the Taiping. Zeng's Xiang Army proved effective in gradually turning back the Taiping advance in the western theater of the war and ultimately retaking much of Hubei and Jiangxi provinces. In December 1856 Qing forces retook Wuchang for the final time. The Xiang Army captured Jiujiang in May 1858 and then the rest of Jiangxi province by September.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: In 1859 Hong Rengan, Hong Xiuquan's cousin, joined the Taiping forces in Nanjing and was given considerable power by Hong. Hong Rengan developed an ambitious plan to expand the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's boundaries.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: In May 1860 the Taiping defeated the imperial forces that had been besieging Nanjing since 1853, eliminating them from the region and opening the way for a successful invasion of southern Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, the wealthiest region of the Qing Empire. The Taiping rebels were successful in taking Hangzhou on March 19, 1860, Changzhou on May 26, and Suzhou on June 2 to the east. While Taiping forces were preoccupied in Jiangsu, Zeng's forces moved down the Yangtze River.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: An attempt to take Shanghai in August 1860 was repulsed by an army of Qing troops supported by European officers under the command of Frederick Townsend Ward. This army would become known as the "Ever Victorious Army", a seasoned and well trained Qing military force commanded by Charles George Gordon, and would be instrumental in the defeat of the Taiping rebels.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: In 1861, around the time of the death of the Xianfeng Emperor and ascension of the Tongzhi Emperor, Zeng Guofan's Xiang Army captured Anqing with help from a naval blockade imposed by the Royal Navy on the city. Near the end of 1861 the Taipings launched a final Eastern Expedition. Ningbo was easily captured on December 9, and Hangzhou was besieged and finally captured on December 31, 1861. Taiping troops surrounded Shanghai in January 1862, but were unable to capture it.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The Ever-Victorious Army repulsed another attack on Shanghai in 1862 and helped to defend other treaty ports such as Ningbo, reclaimed on May 10. They also aided imperial troops in reconquering Taiping strongholds along the Yangtze River.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: In 1863, Shi Dakai surrendered to the Qing near the Sichuan capital Chengdu and was executed by slow-slicing. Some of his followers escaped or were released and continued the fight against the Qing.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Qing forces were reorganised under the command of Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang and Li Hongzhang, and the Qing reconquest began in earnest. Zeng Guofan had initially failed so badly that he attempted suicide, but he then adopted the teachings of the 16th century Ming-dynasty general Qi Jiguang. He bypassed the professional regular armies and recruited from local villages, paying and drilling them well. Zeng, Zuo, and Li led personally loyal soldiers By early 1864, Qing control in most areas had been reestablished.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: In May 1862, the Xiang Army began directly besieging Nanjing and managed to hold firm despite numerous attempts by the numerically superior Taiping Army to dislodge them. Hong Xiuquan declared that God would defend Nanjing, but in June 1864, with Qing forces approaching, he died of food poisoning as a consequence of eating wild vegetables when the city ran low on food supplies. He was sick for 20 days before succumbing and a few days after his death, Qing forces took the city. Although Hong likely died of his illness, suicide by poison has also been suggested. His body was buried in the former Ming Imperial Palace, and was later exhumed on orders of Zeng Guofan to verify his death, and then cremated. Hong's ashes were later blasted out of a cannon in order to ensure that his remains had no resting place as eternal punishment for the uprising.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Four months before the fall of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Hong Xiuquan abdicated in favor of his eldest son, Hong Tianguifu, who was 15 years old. The younger Hong was inexperienced and powerless, so the kingdom was quickly destroyed when Nanjing fell in July 1864 to the imperial armies after protracted street-by-street fighting. Tianguifu and few others escaped but were soon caught and executed. Most of the Taiping princes were executed.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: A small remainder of loyal Taiping forces had continued to fight in northern Zhejiang, rallying around Tianguifu. But after Tianguifu's capture on October 25, 1864, Taiping resistance was gradually pushed into the highlands of Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian and finally Guangdong, where one of the last Taiping loyalists, Wang Haiyang, was defeated on January 29, 1866.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Although the fall of Nanjing in 1864 marked the destruction of the Taiping regime, the fight was not yet over. There were still several hundred thousand Taiping troops continuing the fight, with more than a quarter-million fighting in the border regions of Jiangxi and Fujian alone. It was not until August 1871 that the last Taiping army led by Shi Dakai's commander, Li Fuzhong (), was completely wiped out by government forces in the border region of Hunan, Guizhou and Guangxi.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Taiping wars also spilled over into Vietnam with devastating effects. In 1860, Wu Lingyun (), an ethnic Zhuang Taiping leader, proclaimed himself King of Dingling () in the Sino-Vietnamese border regions. Dingling was destroyed during a Qing campaign in 1868. His son Wu Yazhong, also called Wu Kun (), fled to Vietnam but was killed in 1869 in Bắc Ninh by a Qing-Vietnamese coalition.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Wu Kun's troops broke up and became marauding armies such as the Yellow Flag Army led by Huang Chongying () and the Black Flag Army (; ) led by Liu Yongfu. The latter would become a prominent warlord in Upper Tonkin and would later help the Nguyễn dynasty to engage against the French during the Sino-French War in the 1880s. He later became the second and last leader of the short-lived Republic of Formosa (5 June–21 October 1895).


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Other "Flag Gangs" armed with the latest weapons, disintegrated into bandit groups that plundered remnants of the Lan Xang kingdom. They were then engaged in combat against the incompetent forces of King Rama V (r. 1868–1910) until 1890, when the last of the groups eventually disbanded. Their victims did not know where the bandits had come from and, when they plundered Buddhist temples, they were mistaken for Chinese Muslims from Yunnan called "Hui" in Mandarin and "Haw" in the Lao language (.) This resulted in the protracted series of conflicts being misnamed the Haw wars.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: With no reliable census at the time, estimates of the death toll of the Taiping Rebellion are speculative. The most widely cited sources estimate the total number of deaths during the almost 14 years of the rebellion to be approximately 20–30 million civilians and soldiers. Most of the deaths were attributed to plague and famine. Some analysts have claimed that the death toll may have reached 100 million.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The Nian Rebellion (1853–1868), and several Chinese Muslim rebellions in the southwest (the Panthay Rebellion, 1855–1873) and the northwest (Dungan revolt, 1862–1877) continued to pose considerable problems for the Qing dynasty.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Occasionally, the Nian rebels collaborated with Taiping forces, for instance, they collaborated during the Northern Expedition. As the Taiping rebellion lost ground, particularly after the fall of Nanjing in 1864, former Taiping soldiers and commanders like Lai Wenguang were incorporated into Nian ranks.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: After the failure of the Red Turban Rebellion (1854–1856) to capture Guangzhou, their soldiers retreated north into Jiangxi and joined forces with Shi Dakai. After the defeat of the Li Yonghe and Lan Chaoding rebellion in Sichuan, remnants combined with Taiping forces in Shaanxi. Remnant forces of the Small Swords Society uprising in Shanghai regrouped with the Taiping army.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Du Wenxiu, who led the Panthay Rebellion in Yunnan, was in contact with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. He was not waging his rebellion against Han Chinese, instead, he was anti-Qing and he wanted to destroy the Qing government. Du's forces led many non-Muslim forces, including Han Chinese, Li, Bai, and Hani peoples. They were assisted by non-Muslim Shan and Kakhyen and other hill tribes in the revolt.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The other Muslim rebellion, the Dungan revolt, was the reverse: it was not aiming to overthrow the Qing dynasty because its leader Ma Hualong had accepted an imperial title. Instead, it erupted as a result of intersectional fighting between Muslim factions and Han Chinese. During the Dungan revolt, various groups fought against each other without any coherent goal. According to modern researchers, the Dungan rebellion began in 1862, not as a planned uprising but as a coalescence of many local brawls and riots which were triggered by trivial causes, among these causes were false rumors that the Hui Muslims were aiding the Taiping rebels. The Hui Ma Xiaoshi claimed that the Shaanxi Muslim rebellion was connected to the Taiping. Jonathan Spence claimed that a key reason for the Taiping's defeat was its inability to coordinate its rebellion with other rebellions.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The rebels announced social reforms, including strict separation of the sexes, abolition of foot binding, land socialisation, and "suppression" of private trade. They also outlawed the importation of opium into all Taiping territories. In regards to religion, the Kingdom established as official religion Hong's Shenism, which held that Hong Xiuquan was the younger brother of Jesus and second son of the Emperor. Hong saw Confucianism was a shadow of its noble origin, being now a tool of the Qing to tyrannize Han people, libraries of the Confucian monasteries were destroyed (almost completely in the case of the Yangtze Delta area), and the temples were often defaced or turned into temples of his new religion or hospitals and libraries.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Traditionalist works like those of Confucius were burned and their sellers executed. The Taiping were especially opposed to idolatry, destroying idols wherever found with great prejudice. Though the destruction of idols was initially welcomed by foreign missionaries, missionaries eventually came to fear the zealotry of the Taiping that they had a hand in creating.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Separation of the sexes was strictly enforced in the first few years, although it tapered off in later years. Part of the extremeness came from a mistranslation of the Ten Commandments, which led to the seventh commandment also forbidding "licentiousness" as well as adultery. It was so severe that parents and children of the opposite sex could not interact, and even married couples were discouraged from having sex.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The rebels used brilliant unorthodox strategies that nearly toppled the dynasty but inspired it to adopt what one historian calls "the most significant military experimentation since the seventeenth century." The Taiping army was the rebellion's key strength. It was marked by a high level of discipline and fanaticism. They typically wore a uniform of red jackets with blue trousers, and grew their hair long so in China they were nicknamed "long hair". In the beginning of the rebellion, the large numbers of women serving in the Taiping army also distinguished it from other 19th-century armies. However, after 1853 there ceased being many women in the Taiping army. Hong Xuanjiao, Su Sanniang and Qiu Ersao are examples of women who became leaders of the Taiping army's female soldiers.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Combat was always bloody and extremely brutal, with little artillery but huge forces equipped with small arms. Both armies would attempt to push each other off of the battlefield, and though casualties were high, few battles were decisively won. The Taiping army's main strategy of conquest was to take major cities, consolidate their hold on the cities, then march out into the surrounding countryside to recruit local farmers and battle government forces.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Estimates of the overall size of the Taiping army are around 2,000,000 soldiers. The army's organization was allegedly inspired by that of the Qin dynasty. Each army corps consisted of roughly 13,000 men. These corps were placed into armies of varying sizes. In addition to the main Taiping forces organised along the above lines, there were also thousands of pro-Taiping groups fielding their own forces of irregulars.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The rebels were relatively well-equipped with modern weapons. They were not supported by foreign governments, but they bought modern munitions – including firearms, artillery, and ammunition – from foreign suppliers. The rebels were buying weapons by 1853. Munitions – partially sourced from Western manufacturers and military stores – were smuggled into China, mainly by English and Americans. An April 1862 shipment from an American dealer "well known for their dealings with rebels" included 2,783 (percussion cap) muskets, 66 carbines, 4 rifles, and 895 field artillery guns; the dealer carried passports signed by the Loyal King.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The rebels also manufactured weapons, and imported manufacturing equipment. In the summer of 1862, a Western observer noted that rebel factories in Nanjing were producing superior guns – including heavy cannon – than the Qing. The rebels augmented their modern arsenal with captured equipment. Just before his execution, Taiping Loyal King Li Xiucheng advised the Qing to buy, and to learn how to replicate, the best foreign cannon and gun carriages to prepare for war with foreign powers.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: As early as 1853, foreigners from various countries joined the rebels in combat and administrative roles, and were in a position to observe the Taiping in battle. The rebels were courageous under fire, erected defensive works quickly, and used mobile pontoon bridges. One tactic was to ring a Qing emplacement in fire and kill the fleeing Qing troops as they emerged individually.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: There was also a small Taiping Navy, composed of captured boats, that operated along the Yangtze and its tributaries. Among the Navy's commanders was the Hang King Tang Zhengcai.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Ethnically, the Taiping army was at the outset formed largely from these groups: the Hakka, a Han Chinese subgroup; the Cantonese, local residents of Guangdong province; and the Zhuang (a non-Han ethnic group). It is no coincidence that Hong Xiuquan and the other Taiping royals were Hakka.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: As a Han subgroup, the Hakka were frequently marginalised economically and politically, having migrated to the regions which their descendants presently inhabit only after other Han groups were already established there. For example, when the Hakka settled in Guangdong and parts of Guangxi, speakers of Yue Chinese (Cantonese) were already the dominant regional Han group there and they had been so for some time, just as speakers of various dialects of Min are locally dominant in Fujian province.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The Hakka settled throughout southern China and beyond, but as latecomers they generally had to establish their communities on rugged, less fertile land scattered on the fringes of the local majority group's settlements. As their name ("guest households") suggests, the Hakka were generally treated as migrant newcomers, and often subjected to hostility and derision from the local majority Han populations. Consequently, the Hakka, to a greater extent than other Han Chinese, have been historically associated with popular unrest and rebellion.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The other significant ethnic group in the Taiping army was the Zhuang, an indigenous people of Tai origin and China's largest non-Han ethnic minority group. Over the centuries, Zhuang communities had been adopting Han Chinese culture. This was possible because Han culture in the region accommodates a great deal of linguistic diversity, so the Zhuang could be absorbed as if the Zhuang language were just another Han Chinese dialect (which it is not). Because Zhuang communities were integrating with the Han at different rates, a certain amount of friction between the Han and the Zhuang was inevitable, with Zhuang unrest leading to armed uprisings on occasion.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Socially and economically, the Taiping rebels came almost exclusively from the lowest classes. Many of the southern Taiping troops were former miners, especially those coming from the Zhuang. Very few Taiping rebels, even in the leadership caste, came from the imperial bureaucracy. Almost none were landlords and in occupied territories landlords were often executed.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Opposing the rebellion was an imperial army with over a million regulars and unknown thousands of regional militias and foreign mercenaries operating in support. Among the imperial forces was the elite Ever Victorious Army, consisting of Chinese soldiers led by a Western officer corps (see Frederick Townsend Ward and Charles Gordon) and supplied by European arms companies like Willoughbe & Ponsonby.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: A particularly famous imperial force was Zeng Guofan's Xiang Army. Zuo Zongtang from Hunan province was another important Qing general who contributed in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion. Where the armies under the control of dynasty itself were unable to defeat the Taiping, these gentry-led Yong Ying armies were able to succeed.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Although keeping accurate records was something imperial China traditionally did very well, the decentralized nature of the imperial war effort (relying on regional forces) and the fact that the war was a civil war and therefore very chaotic, meant that reliable figures are impossible to find. The destruction of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom also meant that the majority of any records it possessed were destroyed, the percentage of records said to have survived is around 10%.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Over the course of the conflict, around 90% of recruits to the Taiping side would be killed or defect.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The Taiping Rebellion was a total war. Almost every citizen who had not fled the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was given military training and conscripted into the army to fight against Qing imperial forces. Under the Taiping household registration system, one adult male from each household was to be conscripted into the Army.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: During this conflict, both sides tried to deprive each other of the resources which they needed in order to continue the war and it became standard practice for each to destroy the opposing side's agricultural areas, butcher the populations of cities and generally exact a brutal price from the inhabitants of captured enemy lands in order to drastically weaken the opposition's war effort. This war was total in the sense that civilians on both sides participated in the war effort to a significant extent and the armies on both sides waged war against both the civilian population and military forces. Contemporary accounts describe the amount of desolation which befell rural areas as a result of the conflict.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: In every area which they captured, the Taiping immediately exterminated the entire Manchu population. In the province of Hunan one Qing loyalist who observed the genocidal massacres which the Taiping forces committed against the Manchus wrote that the "pitiful Manchus", the Manchu men, women and children were executed by the Taiping forces. The Taiping rebels were seen chanting while slaughtering the Manchus in Hefei. After capturing Nanjing, Taiping forces killed about 40,000 Manchu civilians. On 27 October 1853 they crossed the Yellow River in T'sang-chou and murdered 10,000 Manchus.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Since the rebellion began in Guangxi, Qing forces allowed no rebels speaking its dialect to surrender. Reportedly in the province of Guangdong, it is written that 1,000,000 were executed because after the collapse of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the Qing dynasty launched waves of massacres against the Hakkas, that at their height killed up to 30,000 each day. These policies of mass murder of civilians occurred elsewhere in China, including Anhui, and Nanjing. This resulted in a massive civilian flight and death toll with some 600 towns destroyed and other bloody policies resulting.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Beyond staggering human and economic devastation, the Taiping Rebellion left changes within the late Qing dynasty. Power was, to a limited extent, decentralized, and ethnic Han Chinese officials were more widely employed in high positions than they had previously been. The traditional Manchu banner forces upon which the Qing dynasty depended failed and were gradually replaced with gentry-organized local armies. Franz H. Michael, wrote that these armies evolved into armies used by local warlords who dominated China after the fall of the Qing dynasty. Diana Lary, however, in a review-of-the-field article, cited studies that were skeptical of these claims, since the armies created to put down the Taiping operated in a different context from later regional armies.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The Taiping example of insurgent organization and its mix of Christianity and radical social equality influenced Sun Yat-sen and other future revolutionaries. Some Taiping veterans joined the Revive China Society, whose Christian members organized short-lived Heavenly Kingdom of the Great Mingshun in 1903. Although Karl Marx wrote several articles about the Taipings, he did not perceive a social program or agenda for change, only violence and destruction. The Chinese Communist, historians, following the lead of Mao Zedong, however, characterised the rebellion as a proto-communist uprising. Both Communist and Chinese Nationalist commanders studied Taiping organization and strategy during the Chinese Civil War. American General Joseph Stilwell, who commanded Chinese troops during World War Two in China, praised Zeng Guofan's campaigns for combining "caution with daring' and "initiative with perseverance."


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Famine, disease, massacres, and social disruption led to a sharp decline in population, especially in the Yangtze delta region. The result was a shortage in labor supply for the first time in centuries, making labor relatively more valuable than land. The Xiang Army used scorched earth tactics, refusing to take prisoners; Anhui, Southern Jiangsu, Northern Zhejiang and Northern Jiangxi were severely depopulated and had to be repopulated with migrants from Henan. The landed gentry of the Lower Yangtze region were reduced in numbers and concentration of land ownership was reduced.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The defeat of the Taiping Rebellion by military forces from Hunan led to the dramatic increase of Hunanese representation in the government, who played a role in reform efforts. By 1865, five of the eight viceroys were Hunanese. The Hunanese gentry, based on their experience with the Taiping, were more guarded against the influence of Westerners than other provinces.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Merchants in Shanxi and the Huizhou region of Anhui became less prominent because the rebellion disrupted trade in much of the country. However, trade in coastal regions, especially in Guangzhou (Canton) and Ningbo was less affected by violence than trade in inland areas was. Streams of refugees who entered Shanghai contributed to the economic development of the city, which was previously less commercially relevant than other cities in the area were. Only a tenth of Taiping-published records survive to this day because they were mostly destroyed by the Qing in an attempt to rewrite the history of the conflict.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Historian John King Fairbank compares the Taiping rebels with the communists under Mao Zedong who came to power a century later:


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The Taiping Rebellion has been treated in historical novels. Robert Elegant's 1983 "Mandarin" depicts the time from the point of view of a Jewish family living in Shanghai. In "Flashman and the Dragon", the fictional Harry Paget Flashman recounts his adventures during the Second Opium War and the Taiping Rebellion. In Lisa See's novel "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" the title character is married to a man who lives in Jintian and the characters get caught up in the action.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: Amy Tan's "The Hundred Secret Senses" takes place in part during the time of the Taiping Rebellion. "Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom" by Katherine Paterson is a young adult novel set during the Taiping Rebellion. Li Bo's "Tienkuo: The Heavenly Kingdom" takes place within the Taiping capital at Nanjing.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The war has also been depicted in television shows and films. In 2000 CCTV produced "The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom", a 46-episode series about the Taiping Rebellion. In 1988 Hong Kong's TVB produced "Twilight of a Nation", a 45-episode drama about the Taiping Rebellion. "The Warlords" is a 2007 historical film set in the 1860s showing Gen. Pang Qinyun, leader of the Shan Regiment, as responsible for the capture of Suzhou and Nanjing.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The Taiping government maintained an ambivalent relationship with the Western powers who were active in China during this period. Due to the religious aspects of the rebellion, the Taiping government perceived Westerners as "brothers and sisters from overseas". The Taiping government proved especially welcoming to Western missionaries. In 1853, Hong Xiuquan invited American missionary Issachar Jacox Roberts to come to Nanking to aid in the administration of his government. After Roberts arrived in Nanking in 1861 and met with Hong, he was commissioned by him as the director of foreign affairs.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: While some missionaries like Roberts were enthusiastic in the first few years about the Taiping rebellion, Western skepticism existed from the inception of the rebellion. According to historian Prescott Clarke, Westerners in China became separated into two different groups in regards to their views on the rebellion, with one side depicting the rebels as mere robbers whose intention was to gather wealth through revolting against the Qing, and the other side depicting the rebel army as religious fanatics provoked by skillful leaders to fight against the Qing to the death.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: The government officials of the Western powers were optimistic about the Taiping government's chance of victory in the early stages. According to historian Eugene P. Boardman, the Qing dynasty's enforcement of the treaty of 1842–1844 was frustrating US and British officials, especially in terms of open trade. According to Boardman the Christian nature of the Taiping opened up the possibility for a more cooperative trade partnership. Many Western officials visited the capital of Taiping between 1863 and 1864, and American commissioner Robert Milligan McLane considered granting official recognition of the Taiping government.


title: Taiping Rebellion

text: According to Clarke the Western missionaries changed their opinions upon further inspections of the rebellion. That change was captured in a letter from the American missionary Divie Bethune McCartee. Upon visiting Nanking, McCartee described the situation in the city as "Dreadful destruction of life." As for the actual practice of Christianity in the city, McCartee said "I saw no signs of anything resembling Christianity in or near Nanking". Similarly to McCartee, Hong's director of foreign affairs I. J. Roberts wrote, "His religious toleration, and multiplicity of chapels turns out to be a farce, of no avail in the spread of Christianity – worse than useless."