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Chinese Gordon and the Taiping Rebellion: His Forgotten War in China

The History Chap

69,766 views

Charles "Chinese" Gordon, one of the great Victorian British military heroes, famously killed defending Khartoum against the Mahdi.
But, how did he get the nickname "Chinese" Gordon?

Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.

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Charles "Chinese" Gordon, one of the great Victorian British military heroes, famously killed defending Khartoum against the Mahdi.
But, how did he get the nickname "Chinese" Gordon?

This is the story of his forgotten war in China, and the legendary Ever Victorious Army he led against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.In the 1860s, Qing China was tearing itself apart. The Taiping Rebellion — one of the deadliest conflicts in human history — which cost over 20 million lives.

Into this catastrophe stepped a young British officer, Charles George Gordon, who inherited command of a mercenary force first raised by the American adventurer Frederick Townsend Ward: the Ever Victorious Army.

What followed would make Gordon a household name across Victorian Britain and earn him the nickname that stuck for life — "Chinese" Gordon.

Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:58 Taiping Rebellion
2:12 Second Opium War
4:32 British Takes On Taipings
6:11 Frederick Townsend Ward
7:09 Gordon Takes Command
8:39 Charles Gordon
10:39 Ever Victorious Army
13:00 Mutiny
15:18 Tensions and Victory
17:51 Chinese Gordon
19:22 Gordon of Khartoum

#taipingrebellion #chinesegordon #historydocumentary
#britishhistory

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thehistorychap

My name is Chris Green and I love to share stories from British history. Not just because they are interesting but because, good or bad, they have shaped the world we live in today.

History should not be stuffy or a long list of dates or kings & queens.
So rather than lectures or Youtube animations, I tell stories that bring the past to life.

My aim is to be chat as if I were having a coffee or meal with you. Jean in Maryland, USA recently wrote: "Chris, is the history teacher I wish I had at school!"

Just for the record, I do have a history degree in Medieval & Modern history from the University of Birmingham and am a member of the Royal Historical Society.
I am also a member of the Victorian Military Society, the Anglo Zulu War Society and the Military Historical Society.

Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.

The History Chap is a trading name of Chris Green Communication Ltd, a company registered in England & Wales (Co No: 05025587)

20 Comments

@GrzegorzKról-b7g 3 months ago

I have watched most of your videos for the last 3/4 months. Superb, human narrating voice, interesting topics with no CGI or AI, just normal pictures and maps to focus on.

@MarkGould-y8y 3 months ago

Thanks Chris I knew about Gordon's death but not about his career in China. You tell your tales of British history so well.

@AndrewTheMandrew531 3 months ago

Charles Gordon was in China? The same one who died in Khartoum against the Mahdists? That’s incredible! It’s a small world, and the British Empire made it all the more connected. Thank you for this story from British history!

@grandadmiralzaarin4962 3 months ago

In an era of paper heroes, Gordon was the real thing!

@John_Pace 3 months ago (edited)

In a way the Taiping Rebellion (preaching land rights, social equality, etc.) was a precursor for the successful Chinese Communists 1949. Until 1949, Chinese history was riddled with peasant uprisings against corrupt officials, Taiping had the added bite of nationalism of Han Chinese against the Manchu Qing.

@Lee-vk1xy 3 months ago

I was aware of some of this but there was a lot that I wasn't. Gordon was certainly a remarkable man. Thanks.

@michaelsinger4638 3 months ago

He was a fascinating, complex man.

@HamanKarn567 3 months ago

Glad to see Frederick Townsend Ward. I always found him interesting when USA was having it's own civil war he was over in China fighting there.

@DarrenMarsh-kx8hd 3 months ago

Thankyou for sharing yet another chapter in the life of Charles Gordon. What an incredible fellow he was.
Your Soudan series is truly amazing, keep up the good work.

@alanlee8590 3 months ago (edited)

Fantastic video. But let me add a fun fact here: during the Taiping Rebellion, there were actually westerners fighting on both sides. Among them was former British naval officer Augustus F. Lindley, who fought alongside the Taiping elite units under the "Prince of Loyalty" Li Xiucheng, one of the best field commanders of the emtire Taiping Kingdom in the early 1860s.

Lindley would later go back to Britain and publish an autobiography in 1866 titled "The History of the Taiping Revolution, including a narrative of the author's personal adventures". This book has been highly regarded by historians as a very important and rare piece of first-hand accounts of the war from a westerner's perspective.

@harryshriver6223 3 months ago (edited)

The Gordon family is all over the place, artillery and engineering, with their careers in the military. I agree with his assessment about his heart was sore to have participated in the looting and pillaging of the palace. It appears that the number 13 is unlucky for Gordon too, well for this campaign anyways. Well done production 👏 Bravo, amigo y nos vemos pronto.

@66marshallandrew 3 months ago

I don't think that we have men like Charles Gordon today. His life seems to have been the stuff of a Boy's Own Adventure. Thank you Chris

@simonnoble7589 2 months ago (edited)

HI CHRIS , enjoyed this story very much . I was in Egypt when you put it on YouTube, so just catching up . So many people where killed in the opium war's, not good 😮 Thank you for your hard work . Cheers Simon

@GeneralCapstick24 3 months ago

Great video Chris

@HistorywithTy 3 months ago

If only Charleston Hetson had made a double feature of him playing Gordan with the second film being a prequel portraying his time in China 🔥

@formwiz7096 3 months ago

Given Gordon's high standards, it's hard to see him in such a dodgy enterprise as the Arrow War.

@beverlyhills7883 3 months ago

Always fair and impartial commentary. Thank you for telling the truth about what really happened.

@MichaelDowd-kz6wz 3 months ago

Another marvelous program, detailing the exploits of ‘Chinese’ Gordon. Thank you so much!

@keithlloyd4509 3 months ago

Chris, thanks for the awesome video on ‘Chinese’ Gordon and the Taiping Rebellion! I really enjoyed it, just like all your other history videos. You always make these stories so interesting. Looking forward to the next one!

@jackcro8825 3 months ago

Very interesting, I lived in China where Gordon is still known, in Wuhan for 10 years, some people called him Butcher Gordon, I later went working in Sudan where also he’s remembered