1856 in China

Events from the year 1856 in China.

Incumbents

• Xianfeng Emperor (6th year)

Viceroys

• Viceroy of Zhili — Guiliang
• Viceroy of Min-Zhe — Wang Yide
• Viceroy of Huguang — Guanwen
• Viceroy of Shaan-Gan — Yi Tang then Yue Bin
• Viceroy of Liangguang — Ye Mingchen
• Viceroy of Yun-Gui — Hengchun
• Viceroy of Sichuan — Huang Zonghan then Wu Zhenyu
• Viceroy of Liangjiang — Yiliang

Events

• Nian Rebellion
• several Nian bands formed an alliance led by Zhang Lexing, organizing themselves into a loose confederation of five armies
• Second Opium War begins
• Authorities in Canton order attacks on Thirteen Factories, which are subsequently destroyed in a fire
• Merchant ship Arrow seized by Qing authorities
• Battle of Canton (1856)
• Capture of the French Folly Fort
• Battle of the Bogue (1856)
• November — Battle of the Barrier Forts
• Taiping Rebellion
• Battle of Jiangnan (1856), Qing forces twice fail to re-take Nanjing
• Tianjing incident, internal conflict within the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
• Miao Rebellion (1854–73)
• Panthay Rebellion
• a massacre of at least 4,000 Muslims organized by a Qing Manchu official responsible for suppressing the revolt in the provincial capital of Kunming sparked a province-wide multi-ethnic insurgency.
• Red Turban Rebellion (1854–1856) ends

Deaths

• Yang Xiuqing in Tianjing
• Jirhangga, Qing commander in Battle of Jiangnan (1860)
• Xiang Rong, Qing commander in Battle of Jiangnan (1860)
• Hu Jiumei, Chinese rebel in the Taiping Rebellion

References