Death
Some sources say Hong committed suicide by taking poison on 1 June 1864 at the age of 52 after Qing authorities finally gained a decisive military advantage and all hope of maintaining his kingdom was lost. However, in other sources, he was said to have died of illness. Hong Rengan, Hong Xiuquan's cousin, said his illness was caused by "eating manna" - a command taken from the Bible that Hong had given to his people as they starved.
On 30 July 1864, Qing general Li Chendian found Hong's badly decomposed body in the palace of Nanjing.
Hong was succeeded by his teenage son, Hong Tianguifu. The Taiping Rebellion was suppressed by Qing forces later in 1864.
Read more about this topic: Hong Xiuquan
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