150 years ago today, on August 6, 1863, Shi Dakai, a general of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, was killed.
Shi Dakai (born in 1830), a Hakka family in Guixian County, Guangxi, was born as a landlord. Since childhood, he likes to read and has great ambitions. Because he was ostracized by the indigenous landlords, he joined the Church of God and became the head of the congregation in your county. After the Jintian Uprising, the commander of the left army was crowned the king of wings in Yong'an. The Taiping Army went east from Wuchang and served as the commander of the front, with Dieke Jiujiang, Anqing, and Nanjing. After setting the capital Tianjing, he went out to patrol Anqing, set up officials and people, and his political achievements were quite good.
On August 6, 1863, Shi Dakai, a general of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, a military wizard who was once known as the "Wing King", encountered the last battle of his life on the bank of the Dadu River in Sichuan, and finally died heroically, and his tragic life drew an embarrassing end. Today, let's travel back to that stormy era and explore the undying faith and loyalty behind the end of this hero.
Shi Dakai, a young man from a poor background but with great ambitions, has shown extraordinary intelligence and courage since he was a child. In the wave of the Taiping Rebellion, he rose rapidly, and won the support of the masses with his outstanding military talents and profound people-oriented thinking. In the early period of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Shi Dakai repeatedly performed miraculous feats, transferred from Guangxi to the south of the Yangtze River, repeatedly defeated the Qing army, and was known as "Shi Dangdang", whose prestige spread far and wide, and became the mainstay of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
However, the good times were short-lived, and as the power struggle for the leadership of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom became increasingly fierce, Shi Dakai was not spared. Faced with a complex political situation and internal suspicions, he chose to leave Tianjing and lead an expedition in order to find a new way out. This decision, although it shows his responsibility and courage as a general, also indicates that he will embark on a more difficult road.
In 1863, Shi Dakai led his army into Sichuan, intending to establish a base here. However, heaven did not fulfill people's wishes, and on the banks of the Dadu River, he encountered an unprecedented predicament. Faced with the heavy encirclement of the Qing army and the treacherous natural environment, Shi Dakaibu fell into a desperate situation. In order to save all the people, he resolutely decided to sacrifice himself and put forward the condition of "sacrificing his life for the whole three armies" to the Qing army, and was finally unfortunately arrested. In prison, Shi Dakai faced torture and temptation, but he remained loyal and unyielding, showing true heroism.
Shi Dakai's tragedy is not only his personal misfortune, but also a tragic chapter in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and even the entire modern history of China. His life was a commitment to his beliefs, his pursuit of ideals, and even in the darkest moments, he never gave up his desire for light. His story inspires future generations to keep moving forward, to find hope in the face of adversity, and to hold on to faith in the face of despair.
Today, when we look back at that period of history again, Shi Dakai's image is still as vivid as ever. He was not only an outstanding general of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, but also a symbol of the indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation. August 6, 1863, although it was the end of his life, his spirit was like a bright star, forever illuminating the way forward for future generations. Let us remember this hero and let his story be a source of strength that inspires us to keep moving forward.