Evaluate the consequences of the Taiping Rebellion for Chinese society.

The question requires that candidates make an appraisal of the consequences of the Taiping Rebellion, weighing up the strengths and limitations of the results for Chinese society. Consequences may extend beyond the timeframe, but they must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may offer equal coverage of strengths and limitations, or they may prioritize their evaluation of one of these aspects. However, both aspects will be a feature of the response. Candidates may refer to the growth of ideas of equality, changes in social and economic structure, the Hundred Days’ Reform movement and the weakening of the Qing dynasty. Limitations may include loss of lives, destruction of fertile lands, the drain of resources and the fact that China was becoming an easy target for colonization. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

The question required that candidates make an appraisal of the consequences of the Taiping Rebellion weighing up the strengths and limitations of the results for Chinese society. This was a relatively popular question and there were some good responses to it that demonstrated a high level of understanding. However, many responses went way beyond the timeframe of the question by writing in depth about how the Taiping Rebellion was responsible for the Boxer Rebellion and the 1911 Revolution.