§16§The major focus of this book is on the Red Turban Rebellions (1854-1856), a series of rebellions by the Secret Society in South China. The Red Turban Rebellions did not have nation-wide repercussions, and may appear to be dwarfed in significance by the cataclysmic upheavals that China was undergoing in the mid-nineteenth century. Nevertheless, this is of considerable interest and importance since it provides case studies for the interaction between local societies, rebellions motivated by problems internal to that society, subethnic conflicts especially in the Wuyi region, and influences of local secret societies. This book, therefore, helps anyone who may be interested in knowing the full and rich pictures of economic, political as well as social conditions and history of nineteenth century South China.
