The last major engagement of the Taiping Rebellion, in 1864, this battle occurred after the suicide of the king of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Hong Xiuquan. There were probably more than a million troops in the battle and the Taiping army sustained 100,000 dead (and many more wounded) in the three day clash. Following the defeat of the Taiping army the Imperial troops, commanded by Zeng Guofan, slaughtered much of the city's population. Nanking had been the capital of the Heavenly Kingdom and was known by the Taipings as Tianjing (Heavenly Capital - the name shouldn't be confused with Tianjin, China's third largest city). This battle was the effective end of the Taiping army and the last major Taiping city to fall back under Imperial control.
