The primary cause of the Taiping Rebellion in China was widespread social unrest due to food scarcity, economic hardship, and dissatisfaction with the ruling Qing dynasty. Sparked in 1850, the rebellion was led by Hong Xiuquan, who believed he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ and sought to establish a "Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace." The movement appealed to many who were unhappy with the existing conditions, including peasants and marginalized groups. The Taiping Rebellion erupted into a brutal civil war that lasted until 1864, resulting in millions of deaths and significant changes to China’s social and political fabric.