Hong Rengan (Chinese: 洪仁玕; pinyin: Hóng Réngān; Wade–Giles: Hung Jen-kan; 20 February 1822 – 23 November 1864) was an important leader of the Taiping Rebellion.
The powerbase of the movement had largely become split between the devout Taiping religious followers in Nanjing and the generals commanding the armies outside the city.
[citation needed] However, most of Hong's energy was dedicated to centralizing the authority of Taiping administration and revitalizing its military successes.
This interest would wane as Taiping troops moved closer to Shanghai and actively enforced their ban on opium within their realm.
Though he had shown strategic talent in the few campaigns he commanded, his ideas clashed with the pre-eminent military prince of the Taipings, Li Xiucheng.
In a large mission to retake the upper Yangtze River, Li refused the orders of Hong and returned to Nanjing.
The failure of this mission allowed Qing troops to mount a massive blockade of the Taiping area of control and eventually led to the collapse of the rebellion.
As seen in his confession before execution, Hong Rengan was the only prince of the Taiping rebellion to maintain his loyalty to the movement and never recant.