Those others usurped titles to fictitious clemency and justice, while prostituting the sacred doctrines of the sages: whom they affected to honour.

They stifled public opinion in the empire in order to force acquiescence in their tyranny.

The Manchu despotism became so thorough and so embracing that they were enabled to prolong their dynasty's existence by cunning wiles.

In Yung Cheng's reign the Hunanese Chang Hsi and Tseng Ching preached sedition against the dynasty in their native province, while in Chia Ch`ing's reign the palace conspiracy of Lin Ching dismayed that monarch in his capital.

These events were followed by rebellions in Ss{u}-ch`uan and Shensi; under Tao Kuang and his successor the T`ai-p`ings started their campaign from a remote Kuangsi village.