The Heavenly Kingdom's Policies
Within the land that it controlled, the Taiping Heavenly Army established a theocratic and highly militarized rule.
- The subject of study for the examinations for officials (formerly civil service exams) changed from the Confucian classics to the Bible.
- Private property ownership was abolished and all land was held and distributed by the state.
- A solar calendar replaced the lunar calendar.
- Foot binding was banned. (The Hakka people had never followed this tradition, and consequently the Hakka women had always been able to work the fields.)
- The society was declared classless and the sexes were declared equal.
- The sexes were rigorously separated. There were separate army units consisting of women only; until 1855, not even married couples were allowed to live together or have sexual relations.
- The Qing-dictated queue hairstyle was abandoned in favor of wearing the hair long.
- Other new laws were promulgated including the prohibition of opium, gambling, tobacco, alcohol, polygamy (including concubinage), slavery, and prostitution. These all carried death penalties.
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