Empress Xiao Qin Xian
Empress of China
Reign	As Concubine (elevated several times through the Xianfeng Emperor's reign) September, 1851 - August 22, 1861, As Empress Dowager until November 15, 1908
Born	November 29, 1835(1835-11-29)
Died	November 15, 1908 (aged 72)
Issue	The Tongzhi Emperor

Empress Dowager Cixi¹ (Chinese: 慈禧太后; pinyin: Cíxǐ Tàihòu; Wade-Giles: Tz'u-Hsi T'ai-hou) (November 29, 1835 – November 15, 1908), popularly known in China as the West Dowager Empress (Chinese: 西太后), was from the Manchu Yehe Nara Clan. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 1835 ( MDCCCXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The Tongzhi Emperor, born Zaichun ( April 27, 1856 &ndash January 12, 1875) was the ninth emperor of the Manchu Empress Dowager Cixi 1 ( ( November 29 1835 – November 15 1908) popularly known in China as the Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Wade-Giles (ˌweɪdˈʤaɪlz) sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization system (phonetic notation and Transcription) for the Mandarin Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 1835 ( MDCCCXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Yehe Nara (or Yehenara) originally a Mongol clan were a Manchu clan who ruled Yehe, one of the Hūlun Four States She was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, ruling over China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908. The Manchu people ( Manchu: Manju;, Mongolian: Манж Russian: Маньчжуры are a Tungusic people who originated in Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China Coming from an ordinary Manchu family and having been selected by the Xianfeng Emperor as a concubine, she exercised almost total control over the court under the nominal rule of her son the Tongzhi Emperor and her nephew the Guangxu Emperor, both of whom unsuccessfully attempted to rule in their own right. The Manchu people ( Manchu: Manju;, Mongolian: Манж Russian: Маньчжуры are a Tungusic people who originated in The Xianfeng Emperor, born Yizhu, ( July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eighth Emperor of the Manchu Concubinage is the state of a woman or youth in an ongoing quasi-matrimonial relationship with a man of higher social status The Tongzhi Emperor, born Zaichun ( April 27, 1856 &ndash January 12, 1875) was the ninth emperor of the Manchu The Guangxu Emperor (光緒帝 (14 August 1871&ndash14 November 1908 born Zaitian (載湉 was the tenth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty She was largely conservative during her rule, and many historians considered her reign despotism, and attribute the fall of the Qing Dynasty, and therefore Imperial China, as a result of Cixi's rule. Despotism is a Form of government by a single authority either an individual or tightly knit group, which rules with absolute political power Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China

Early Years

Noble Consort Yi's portrait

The exact origins of Empress Dowager Cixi are unclear, but most biographies claim that she was the daughter of a low-ranking Manchu official named Huizheng (Chinese: 惠征) of the Manchu Yehenara clan, and his principal wife, who belonged to the Manchu Fucha (Chinese: 富察) clan. The Manchu people ( Manchu: Manju;, Mongolian: Манж Russian: Маньчжуры are a Tungusic people who originated in The Manchu people ( Manchu: Manju;, Mongolian: Манж Russian: Маньчжуры are a Tungusic people who originated in The Manchu people ( Manchu: Manju;, Mongolian: Манж Russian: Маньчжуры are a Tungusic people who originated in

Huizheng was a member of the Bordered Blue Banner of the Eight Banners, who served in the Shanxi Province and later became Commissioner of Anhui Province. The Eight Banners (In Manchu: jakūn gūsa, In Chinese: 八旗 baqí were administrative divisions into which all Manchu families were placed ( Postal map spelling: Shansi) is a province in the northern part of the People's Republic of China. Anhui (in Chinese: 安徽 Ānhuī) is a province of the People's Republic of China. Edward Behr suggests that Cixi was born in 1835 as Lan Kueu (Little Orchid)^[1], while Genzheng Yehenara, one of Cixi's brother's descendants, insists the name was Xing'er, and the name she used during schooling was Xingzhen. There are various stories about the early background of Cixi, none of which are in historical records. In the most popularly circulated tales, some of which have made their way into Chinese historical fiction, suggests Cixi is from one of four places: the Yangtze Region; Changzhi, Shanxi (this version says Cixi is actually a Han Chinese adopted by a Manchu family); Suiyuan (now Hohhot), Inner Mongolia; and Beijing. Changzhi ( is a Prefecture-level city in the province of Shanxi of the People's Republic of China. ( Postal map spelling: Shansi) is a province in the northern part of the People's Republic of China. Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. Hohhot ( Mongolian:, Kökeqota; lit "Blue Town") occasionally spelled Huhehot or Huhhot, is a city in North-central China and the Inner Mongolia ( Mongolian:, Öbür mongɣul; occasionally romanized to Nei Mongol is the Mongol It is generally accepted that she spent most of her early life in the Anhui Province before moving to Beijing sometime between her third and fifteenth birthday. Anhui (in Chinese: 安徽 Ānhuī) is a province of the People's Republic of China. According to biographers, her father was dismissed from the civil service in 1853, two years after Cixi entered the Forbidden City, for allegedly not resisting the Taiping Rebellion in Anhui Province and deserting his post. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial Palace from the mid- Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. The Taiping Rebellion or Rebellion of Great Peace was a large-scale Revolt against the authority and forces of the Qing Government in China Anhui (in Chinese: 安徽 Ānhuī) is a province of the People's Republic of China. ^[2] Some biographers even claim that he was beheaded for his crime.

In September, 1851, Cixi participated, with sixty other Manchu girls, in the selection process for concubines for the new Xianfeng Emperor. The Xianfeng Emperor, born Yizhu, ( July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eighth Emperor of the Manchu This process was supervised by the Kang Ci Imperial Dowager Consort, and Cixi was one of the few girls selected on that occasion and was appointed Noble Person, concubine of the Fifth Rank. Empress Xiao Jing Cheng (孝静成皇后博尔吉济特氏 1812 - 1855 was the daughter of Hualianga of the Mongolian Borjigit clan She moved into the Emperor's Old Imperial Summer Palace Complex, and was soon granted the title "Worthy Lady Yi", which was a consort of the second-lowest rank. The Old Summer Palace, known in China as the Gardens of Perfect Brightness ( and originally called the Imperial Gardens ( was a complex of palaces and gardens

In 1855, the Lady Yehenara (as Cixi's name was recorded upon entering the Forbidden City) fell pregnant, and on April 27, 1856, she gave birth to Zaichun, the only male heir of the Xianfeng Emperor, obtaining an elevation to Imperial Consort Yi, which was a consort of the fourth rank. Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The Tongzhi Emperor, born Zaichun ( April 27, 1856 &ndash January 12, 1875) was the ninth emperor of the Manchu The Xianfeng Emperor, born Yizhu, ( July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eighth Emperor of the Manchu ^[3] When her son reached his first birthday, Yehenara was elevated to a Noble Consort Yi. This rank is an imperial consort of the third degree (after Empress Consort and Imperial Noble Consort). Because the rank Imperial Noble Consort was empty at that time, the rank Noble Consort placed Yehenara second only to the Empress Consort Zhen (who later became the Empress Dowager Ci'an). The Empress Dowager Ci'an (慈安皇太后 1837 - April 8, 1881, popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager (东太后 The Empress Dowager Ci'an (慈安皇太后 1837 - April 8, 1881, popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager (东太后 (See the section on "Names of Empress Dowager Cixi" for more detail. )

Death of the Xianfeng Emperor

In September 1860, British and French troops attacked Beijing during the closing stages of the Second Opium War, and by the following month had burned the Emperor's exquisite Imperial Summer Palace Complex to the ground. The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war of the United Kingdom The Old Summer Palace, known in China as the Gardens of Perfect Brightness ( and originally called the Imperial Gardens ( was a complex of palaces and gardens The attack, under the command of Lord Elgin, was in retaliation for the arrest on September 18 of British diplomatic envoy Harry Parkes. James Bruce 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, KT, GCB, PC ( 20 July 1811 &ndash 20 November 1863 For the footballer and Chesterfield FC manager of the same name see Harry Parkes (footballer. The Xianfeng Emperor and his entourage, including Cixi, fled Beijing for the safety of Rehe in Manchuria. The Xianfeng Emperor, born Yizhu, ( July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eighth Emperor of the Manchu Chengde ( is a Prefecture-level city in Hebei province People's Republic of China, situated northeast of Beijing. ^[4] On hearing the news of the destruction of the Summer Palace, the Xianfeng Emperor (who was already showing signs of dementia) fell into a depression, turning heavily to alcohol and drugs and becoming seriously ill. ^[5]

On August 22, 1861, the Xianfeng Emperor died at the Rehe Palace in the City of Rehe (now Chengde, Hebei). Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Xianfeng Emperor, born Yizhu, ( July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eighth Emperor of the Manchu Chengde ( is a Prefecture-level city in Hebei province People's Republic of China, situated northeast of Beijing. Chengde ( is a Prefecture-level city in Hebei province People's Republic of China, situated northeast of Beijing. ( Postal map spelling: Hopeh) is a northern province of the People's Republic of China. Before his death, the Xianfeng Emperor summoned eight of his most prestigious ministers, headed by Sushun, Zaiyuan, and Duanhua, and named them as the "Eight Regent Ministers" to direct and support the future Emperor. Sushun ( Styled: Yuting ( (26 November 1816– 1861 was born in the Manchu Aisin-Gioro Clan as the sixth son of Wurgongga Zaiyuan (載垣 6th Prince Yi (died 1861 of the Manchu imperial Aisin-Gioro clan Duanhua ( Manchu: Duwanhūwa;; ?-- 1861) was a Manchu noble of the Bordered Blue Banner from the Aisin-Gioro clan His heir, the son of Noble Consort Yi (future Empress Dowager Cixi), was only five years old. On his deathbed, the Xianfeng Emperor summoned his Empress and Noble Consort Yi, and gave each of them a stamp. He hoped that when his son ascended the throne, his Empress and Noble Consort Yi would cooperate in harmony and, together, help the young emperor to grow and mature. It was also meant as a check on the power of the eight regents ^[6]. Upon the death of the Xianfeng Emperor, his Empress Consort, aged 25, was elevated to the Empress Dowager Ci'an (popularly known as the East Empress Dowager because she lived in the Eastern Zhong-Cui Palace), and Noble Consort Yi, aged 27, was elevated to the Empress Dowager Cixi (popularly known as the West Empress Dowager because she lived inside the Western Chuxiu Palace). The Empress Dowager Ci'an (慈安皇太后 1837 - April 8, 1881, popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager (东太后 The Empress Dowager Ci'an (慈安皇太后 1837 - April 8, 1881, popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager (东太后

Xinyou Coup: Ousting Sushun

Empress Dowager Cixi standing in front of her seat inside her bedroom chamber, the Hall of Happiness and Longevity of the Summer Palace

By the time of Xianfeng Emperor's death, Empress Dowager Cixi had become a brilliant manipulator. The Xianfeng Emperor, born Yizhu, ( July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eighth Emperor of the Manchu In Rehe, while waiting for an astrologically favorable time to transport the coffin back to Peking, Empress Dowager Cixi plotted to grab power. Chengde ( is a Prefecture-level city in Hebei province People's Republic of China, situated northeast of Beijing. Cixi's position as the lower Empress Dowager was neither convenient nor legitimate when it came to political power. In addition, the young emperor was not yet enough of a factor to be taken into political consideration. As a result, it became necessary for her to ally herself with other power figures. Taking advantage of the late emperor's principal wife, the Empress Dowager Ci'an's naivete and good nature, Cixi suggested that they become co-reigning Empress Dowagers, with powers exceeding the Eight Regent Ministers. The Empress Dowager Ci'an (慈安皇太后 1837 - April 8, 1881, popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager (东太后 ^[7]

Tensions grew between the Eight Regent Ministers, headed by Sushun, and the Empress Dowagers. Sushun ( Styled: Yuting ( (26 November 1816– 1861 was born in the Manchu Aisin-Gioro Clan as the sixth son of Wurgongga The ministers did not enjoy Cixi's interference in political matters, and the frequent confrontations left the Empress Dowager Ci'an in an angry state, to the point where she refused to come to court audiences, leaving Empress Dowager Cixi alone to deal with the ministers. The Empress Dowager Ci'an (慈安皇太后 1837 - April 8, 1881, popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager (东太后 Secretly, Empress Dowager Cixi began collecting the support of talented ministers, soldiers and others who were ignored or hated by the eight regent ministers. Among them was Prince Gong, who had great ambitions and was at that time excluded from the power circle, and the Prince Chun, the 6th and 7th sons of the Daoguang Emperor, respectively. The 1st Prince Gong ( Wade-Giles: Prince Kung ( January 11, 1833 - May 29, 1898) commonly known in his days as the Lord Sixth The 1st Prince Chun ( officially Prince of the First Rank Chun Xian) ( October 16, 1840 - January 1, 1891) commonly known in his While she aligned herself with the Princes, a memorial came from Shandong asking for Cixi to "Listen to politics behind the Curtains", i. A petition is a request to change some thing most commonly made to a government official or public entity ( is a coastal province of eastern People's Republic of China. e. , asking Cixi to become the ruler. The same memorial also asked Prince Gong to enter the political arena as a principal "aide to the Emperor".

When the funeral procession started for Beijing, Cixi fully used her alliance with Prince Gong and Prince Chun. The 1st Prince Gong ( Wade-Giles: Prince Kung ( January 11, 1833 - May 29, 1898) commonly known in his days as the Lord Sixth The 1st Prince Chun ( officially Prince of the First Rank Chun Xian) ( October 16, 1840 - January 1, 1891) commonly known in his She and the boy Emperor returned to the capital before the rest of the party, along with Zaiyuan and Duanhua, two of the principle regents, while Sushun was left to accompany the deceased Emperor's procession. Cixi's early return to Beijing meant that she could plot further with Prince Gong, and ensured that the power base of the Eight Ministers were divided between Sushun and his allies, Zaiyuan and Duanhua. Zaiyuan (載垣 6th Prince Yi (died 1861 of the Manchu imperial Aisin-Gioro clan Duanhua ( Manchu: Duwanhūwa;; ?-- 1861) was a Manchu noble of the Bordered Blue Banner from the Aisin-Gioro clan History was re-written and the Regents were dismissed for having carried out incompetent negotiations with the "barbarians" which had caused Xianfeng Emperor to flee to Rehe "greatly against his will", among other charges. The Xianfeng Emperor, born Yizhu, ( July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eighth Emperor of the Manchu Chengde ( is a Prefecture-level city in Hebei province People's Republic of China, situated northeast of Beijing. ^[8] Empress Dowager Cixi and Prince Gong produced a document called the "Eight Guilts of Regent Ministers", which included allegations such as altering the late Xianfeng Emperor's wills, causing his death, and stealing power from the two Empress Dowagers. The 1st Prince Gong ( Wade-Giles: Prince Kung ( January 11, 1833 - May 29, 1898) commonly known in his days as the Lord Sixth The Xianfeng Emperor, born Yizhu, ( July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eighth Emperor of the Manchu

To show the world that she had high moral standards, Empress Dowager Cixi only executed three of the eight regent ministers. Prince Gong had suggested that Sushun and others be executed by the most painful method, known as slow slicing, but Dowager Cixi declined the suggestion and decided that Sushun be beheaded, while the other two, Zaiyuan and Duanhua, marked for execution be given white silks to allow them to commit suicide. For the Belgian grindcore band see Leng Tch'e. For the Naked City album see Leng Tch'e (album. In addition, Cixi outright refused the idea of executing the family members of the ministers, as would be done in accordance with Imperial tradition of an alleged usurper. Ironically, Qing Imperial tradition also dictated that women and Princes were never to engage in politics. In breaking with tradition, Cixi became the first and only Qing Dynasty Empress to rule from "behind the curtains" (垂帘听政).

This palace coup is known as the "Xinyou Palace Coup" (Chinese: 辛酉政變) in China after the name of the year 1861 in the Sexagenary cycle. The Chinese sexagenary cycle ( is a cyclic numeral system of 60 combinations of the two basic cycles the ten Heavenly Stems (天干 tiāngān

Behind the Curtains

New era

In November 1861, a few days following the coup, Cixi was quick to reward Yixin, the Prince Gong, for his help. Zhejiang ( is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Zuǒ Zōngtáng 1st Marquess Kejing of the Second Class ( Courtesy name: Jigao) ( November 10, 1812 - September 5, 1885) spelled Henan ( is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country Anhui (in Chinese: 安徽 Ānhuī) is a province of the People's Republic of China. ( Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a central province of the People's Republic of China. ( Postal map spelling: Kiangsi is a southern province of the People's Republic of China, spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River Shen Baozhen ( Chinese: 沈葆禎 Pinyin: Shěn Bǎozhēn 1820-1879 was a Chinese official during the Qing dynasty ( Postal map spelling: Kiangsu) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country Li Hongzhang, Marquis Suyi of the First Class, GCVO, ( February 15, 1823 &ndash November 7, 1901) was a Chinese Guangxi (or Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region;) is a Zhuang autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. ( is a province of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting (hence the name Hunan, meaning He was made head of the General Affairs Office and the Internal Affairs Office, and his daughter was made a Gurun Princess, a title usually only bestowed upon the Empress' first-born daughter. Yixin's allowance also increased two-fold. However, Cixi avoided giving Yixin the absolute political power princes such as Dorgon exercised during the Shunzhi Emperor's reign. Dorgon ( Manchu:;) ( November 17, 1612 &ndash December 31, 1650) also known as Hošoi Mergen Cin Wang, the Prince The Shunzhi Emperor ( March 15, 1638 &ndash February 5, 1661) was the second emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty As one of the first acts from behind the curtains, Cixi (nominally along with Ci'an) issued two important Imperial Edicts on behalf of the Emperor. The first stated that the two Empresses Dowager were to be the sole decision makers "without interference", and the second changed the boy Emperor's era name from Qixiang (祺祥; "Auspicious") to Tongzhi (同治; "collective rule").

Cleaning up the Bureaucracy

Cixi's entrance as the absolute power figure in China came at a time of internal chaos and foreign challenges. The effects of the Second Opium War was still hovering over the country, as the Taiping Rebellion continued their seemingly unstoppable advance through China's south, eating up the Qing Empire bit by bit. The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war of the United Kingdom The Taiping Rebellion or Rebellion of Great Peace was a large-scale Revolt against the authority and forces of the Qing Government in China Internally, both the national bureaucracy and regional authorities were infested with rampant corruption. 1861 happened to be the year of official examinations, whereby officials of all levels presented their political reports from the previous three years. Cixi decided that the time was ripe for a bureaucratic overhaul, where she personally sought audience with all officials above the level of provincial governor, who had to report to her personally. Cixi took on part of the role usually given to the Bureacratic Affairs Department (吏部). Cixi also executed two prominent officials to serve as examples as a more immediate solution. Qingying, a military shilang who had tried to bribe his way out of demotion, and He Guiqing, then Viceroy of Liangjiang, who fled Changzhou in the wake of an incoming Taiping army as opposed to trying to defend the city. The Viceroy of Liangjiang (两江总督 fully referred to as the Governor General of the two Yangtze Provinces and surrounding areas Overseeing Military Affairs Food Changzhou ( formerly known as Chang-chou Changchow is a Prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China.

Another significant challenge Cixi faced was the increasingly decrepit state of the country's Manchu elite. The Manchu people ( Manchu: Manju;, Mongolian: Манж Russian: Маньчжуры are a Tungusic people who originated in Since the beginning of the dynasty most major positions at court had been held by Manchus, and Emperors had generally shown contempt for powerful Han Chinese. Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. Cixi, again in a reversal of Imperial tradition, entrusted the country's most powerful military unit against the Taiping army into the hands of a Han Chinese, Zeng Guofan. Zeng Guofan ( Pinyin: Zēng Guófán Wade-Giles: Tseng Kuo-fan Styled Bóhán 伯函 and variably Díshēng 滌生 Posthumous Additionally, in the next three years, Cixi appointed Han Chinese officials to become governors of all southern Chinese provinces, raising alarm bells in an administration traditionally fond of Manchu dominance.

Taiping Victory and Prince Gong

Under the command of Gen. Zeng Guofan, his victorious Xiang Army defeated the Taiping Army in a hard-fought battle at Tianjing (present-day Nanjing) in July 1864. Zeng Guofan ( Pinyin: Zēng Guófán Wade-Giles: Tseng Kuo-fan Styled Bóhán 伯函 and variably Díshēng 滌生 Posthumous ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles Zeng Guofan was rewarded with the title of Marquess Yiyong, First Class, and his brother Zeng Guoquan along with Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang, all Han Chinese generals from the war, were rewarded respectively with their decorations and titles. Li Hongzhang, Marquis Suyi of the First Class, GCVO, ( February 15, 1823 &ndash November 7, 1901) was a Chinese Zuǒ Zōngtáng 1st Marquess Kejing of the Second Class ( Courtesy name: Jigao) ( November 10, 1812 - September 5, 1885) spelled With the Taiping threat receding, Cixi was focused on new internal threats to her power. Of special concern was the position of Yixin, the Prince Gong, and the Chief Policy Advisor (议政王) at Court. The 1st Prince Gong ( Wade-Giles: Prince Kung ( January 11, 1833 - May 29, 1898) commonly known in his days as the Lord Sixth Yixin, whose loyalties stretched at least half of the country, also had effectively gathered under his command the support of all outstanding Han Chinese armies. In addition, Yixin controlled daily court affairs as the first-in-charge at the Grand Council as well as the Zongli Yamen, the de facto ministry of foreign affairs. The Grand Council or Junjichu ( Manchu: coohai nashūn i ba; literally "Office of Military Secrets" was an important policy-making body Zongli Yamen ( was the name of the government office/department of foreign relations (or Foreign Office) of imperial China during the Qing dynasty With his increasing stature, Yixin was considered a serious threat to Cixi and her power.

Although the Prince was rewarded for his conduct and recommendation of Zeng Guofan before the Taiping defeat, Cixi was quick to move after Cai Shaoqi, a little-known official who was the recorder at Court, filed a memorial asking for Yixin's resignation. A petition is a request to change some thing most commonly made to a government official or public entity Having built up a powerful base and a network of allies at court, Yixin considered the memorial insignificant. Cixi, however, took the memorial as a stepping stone to Yixin's removal. In April 1865, under the pretext that Yixin had "improper court conduct before the two Empresses", among a series of other charges, Yixin was dismissed from all his positions but was allowed to keep his title. ^[9] The dismissal, however, surprised the nobility and court officials, and brought about numerous petitions for his return. Yicong, Prince Tun, as well as Yixuan, the Prince Chun, both sought their brother's reinstatement. Yicong 2nd Prince Tun (惇親王奕誴(1831-1889 was the fifth son of Daoguang Emperor and Xiang Fei Prince Chun ( was the title created in 1850 by the Xianfeng Emperor for his seventh brother Yixuan. Yixin himself, in an audience with the two Empresses, burst into tears ^[10]. Bowing to popular pressure, Cixi allowed Yixin to return to his position as the head of the foreign ministry, but rid Yixin of his title of Chief Policy Advisor. Yixin would never return to political prominence again, and neither would the liberal and pro-reform policies of his time. Yixin's demotion showed Cixi's iron grip on Qing politics, and her lack of willingness to give up absolute power to anyone, including her most important ally in the Xinyou Coup, Prince Gong.

Foreign influence

China's loss in the Second Opium War was undoubtedly a wake-up call for its imperial rulers. The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war of the United Kingdom Cixi presided over a country whose military strategies, both on land and sea, and in terms of weaponry, were vastly outdated. In addition, there were significant difficulties in communications between China and the Western powers. Sensing an immediate threat from foreigners and realizing that China's agricultural-based economy could not hope to compete with the industrial prowess of the West, Cixi made a decision that for the first time in Imperial Chinese history, China would learn from Western powers and import their knowledge and technology. At the time, three prominent Han Chinese officials, Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang, had all begun industrial programs in the country's southern regions. Zeng Guofan ( Pinyin: Zēng Guófán Wade-Giles: Tseng Kuo-fan Styled Bóhán 伯函 and variably Díshēng 滌生 Posthumous Li Hongzhang, Marquis Suyi of the First Class, GCVO, ( February 15, 1823 &ndash November 7, 1901) was a Chinese Zuǒ Zōngtáng 1st Marquess Kejing of the Second Class ( Courtesy name: Jigao) ( November 10, 1812 - September 5, 1885) spelled In supporting these programs, Cixi also decreed the opening of Tongwen Guan in 1862, a university-like institution in Beijing that hired foreigners as teachers and specialized in new-age topics such as astronomy and mathematics, as well as the English, French, and Russian languages. Tongwen Guan ( or the School of Combined Learning was a government school for teaching Western languages (and later scientific subjects founded at Beijing Groups of young boys were also sent abroad to the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

China's "learn from foreigners" program quickly met impediments. China's military institutions were in desperate need of reform, and Cixi's solution, under the advice of officials at court, was to purchase seven British warships. When the warships arrived in China, however, they carried with them boatloads of British sailors all under British command. The Chinese were enraged at this "international joke", negotiations broke down between the two parties, and China returned the warships to Britain, where they were to be auctioned off. Scholars sometimes contribute the failure of China's foreign programs to Cixi's conservative attitude and old methods of thinking, and contend that Cixi would learn only so much from the foreigners, provided it did not infringe upon her own power. Under the pretext that a railway was too loud and would "disturb the Emperor's tombs", Cixi forbade its construction. When construction went ahead anyway in 1877 under Li Hongzhang's recommendation, Cixi asked that they be pulled by horse-drawn carts^[11]. Cixi was especially alarmed at the liberal thinking of people who had studied abroad, and saw that it posed a new threat to her power. In 1881, Cixi put a halt to sending children abroad to study, and withdrew her formerly open attitude towards foreigners.

Tongzhi's Marriage and Rule

In 1872, when the Emperor was 17, under the guidance of the Empress Dowager Ci'an, the Tongzhi Emperor was married to Lady Alute (the Jiashun Empress). The Empress Dowager Ci'an (慈安皇太后 1837 - April 8, 1881, popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager (东太后 The Tongzhi Emperor, born Zaichun ( April 27, 1856 &ndash January 12, 1875) was the ninth emperor of the Manchu Empress Xiao Zhe Yi (孝哲毅皇后阿鲁特氏 1854 - 1875 also known as the Jia Shun Empress (嘉顺皇后 was the Empress Consort of the Tong Zhi Empress Jiashun's grandfather had been an enemy of Empress Dowager Cixi during the Xinyou Coup. From the beginning, the relationship between Empress Dowager Cixi and the Jiashun Empress was tense and often a source of irritation to Cixi.

The Tongzhi Emperor proceeded to spend most of his time with his new Empress, at the expense of his four Imperial Consorts and Concubines, including the Lady Fucha, Noble Consort Gui, who was chosen by Cixi. Empress Dowager Cixi became hostile to the Jiashun Empress and told them that they were both still young and should spend more time studying how to effectively manage the country. Cixi also spied on Tongzhi using eunuchs. A eunuch (ˈjuːnək is a Castrated man in particular one castrated early enough to have major hormonal consequences the term usually refers to those castrated in order to After her warning was ignored, Empress Dowager Cixi ordered Tongzhi to concentrate on ruling the country. Tongzhi purportedly spent several months following Cixi's order in isolation at Qianqing Palace.

The young Emperor, who could no longer cope with his grievance and loneliness, grew more and more ill-tempered. He began to treat his servants badly and to beat them for minor offenses. Under the combined influence of court eunuchs and Zaicheng, the eldest son of the Prince Gong, who was also Tongzhi's contemporary and best friend, Tongzhi would get out of the palace to seek for pleasure in the rest of Beijing. For several evenings the Emperor disguised himself as a commoner and secretly spent the nights in the brothels of Beijing. For the 2008 film of this name see The Brothel. For the television series of this name see Cathouse The Series. The Emperor's sexual habits became common talk amongst court officials and commoners, and there are many records of Tongzhi's escapades and acts.

Having been under control of his mother for most of his life, Tongzhi received a rigorous education from four famous teachers of Cixi's own choosing, in addition to making Mianyu his supervisor. Namely, Li Hongzao, Qi Junzao, Weng Xincun (later his son Weng Tonghe, and Woren) were all Imperial teachers who taught the Emperor in the classics and various old texts for which the Emperor displayed little or no interest. Weng Tonghe (翁同龢 1830—1904 Styled Shuping 叔平 Chinese Confucian scholar and imperial tutor during the Qing dynasty The pressure and stress put upon the young Emperor made him despise learning for the majority of his life. According to Weng Tonghe's diary, the Emperor could not read a memorial in full sentences by age sixteen. Worried about her son's inability Cixi only pressured Tongzhi more. When he was given personal rule at age 18, in November 1873, which was four years behind convention, Tongzhi proved to be an incompetent Emperor.

Tongzhi made two important policy decisions during his short stint of rule lasting from 1873 to 1875. First, he decreed for the Imperial Summer Palace, destroyed by the English and French in the Second Opium War, to be completely rebuilt under the pretext that it was a gift to Cixi and Ci'an. The Old Summer Palace, known in China as the Gardens of Perfect Brightness ( and originally called the Imperial Gardens ( was a complex of palaces and gardens Historians also suggest that it was an attempt to drive Cixi from the Forbidden City so he could rightfully rule without intervention in policy or his private affairs. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial Palace from the mid- Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. The Imperial treasury was almost depleted at the time from internal strife and foreign wars, and as a result Tongzhi asked the Board of Finance to forage for the necessary funds, as well as members of the nobility and high officials to donate their share. Once construction began, Tongzhi checked its progress on a monthly basis, and would often spend days away from court, indulging himself in pleasures outside of the Forbidden City.

Feeling unease from the Emperor's neglect for national affairs, Princes Yixin and Yixuan (the 1st Prince Chun), along with the Court's top officials, submitted a joint memorial asking the Emperor to cease the construction of the Summer Palace, among other recommendations. The 1st Prince Chun ( officially Prince of the First Rank Chun Xian) ( October 16, 1840 - January 1, 1891) commonly known in his Tongzhi, unwilling to submit to criticism, issued an Imperial Edict in August 1874 to rid Yixin of his Prince title and be demoted to become a commoner. Two days later, Yicong, Yixuan, Yihui, Jingshou, Yikuang, Wenxiang, Baoju, and Grand Councilors Shen Guifen and Li Hongzao were all to be stripped of their respective titles and jobs. Yicong 2nd Prince Tun (惇親王奕誴(1831-1889 was the fifth son of Daoguang Emperor and Xiang Fei Yìkuāng the Prince Qīng ( Simplified Chinese: 庆亲王奕劻 Wade-Giles:Prince Ch'ing (February 1836 - January 1918 was a Manchu noble of the late Wenxiang ( Manchu:; Wensiyang) born October 16, 1818 in Liaoyang, died May 26, 1876) Seeing the mayhem unfold from behind the scenes, Cixi and Ci'an made an unprecedented appearance at court directly criticizing the Emperor for his wrongful actions, and asked him to withdraw the Edict; Cixi said that "without Prince Gong, the situation today would not exist for you and I. "

Feeling a grand sense of loss at court and unable to assert his authority, the Emperor returned to his former habits. It was rumored that the Emperor caught syphilis and became visibly ill. Syphilis is a Sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochetal Bacterium Treponema pallidum pallidum. The doctors spread a rumor that the Emperor had caught smallpox, and proceeded to give medical treatment accordingly. Within a few weeks, on January 13, 1875, the Emperor died. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Jiashun Empress followed suit in March. Judging from a modern medical perspective however, the onset of syphilis comes in stages, and the Emperor's quick death does not seem to reflect its symptoms. Therefore most historians maintain that Tongzhi did, in fact, die from Smallpox. Regardless, by 1875, Cixi was back onto the helm of imperial power.

Regency over the Guangxu Emperor

New Challenges

Emperor Guangxu (literally Glorious Succession)

Tongzhi died without leaving a male heir, creating an unprecedented succession crisis in the dynastic line. As members of the generation above were considered unfit as they cannot, by definition, be the successor of their nephew, the new Emperor had to be from a generation below or the same generation as Tongzhi. After considerable disagreement between the two Dowagers, Zaitian, the first-born of the 1st Prince Chun Yixuan and Cixi's sister, then aged four, was to become the new Emperor. The 1st Prince Chun ( officially Prince of the First Rank Chun Xian) ( October 16, 1840 - January 1, 1891) commonly known in his 1875 was declared the era of Guangxu, or the reign of Glorious Succession. The Guangxu Emperor (光緒帝 (14 August 1871&ndash14 November 1908 born Zaitian (載湉 was the tenth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty Young Zaitian was taken from his home and for the remainder of his life would be cut completely off from his family. While addressing Ci'an conventionally as Huang O'niang (Empress Mother), Zaitian was forced to address Cixi as Qin Baba (亲爸爸; lit. "Biological Dad"), in order to enforce an image that she was the fatherly power figure in the house ^{(needs reference)}. The Guangxu Emperor began his education when he was aged five, taught by Imperial Tutor Weng Tonghe, with whom he would develop a lasting bond. Weng Tonghe (翁同龢 1830—1904 Styled Shuping 叔平 Chinese Confucian scholar and imperial tutor during the Qing dynasty

The sudden death of Empress Dowager Ci'an in April 1881 brought Cixi a new challenge. The Empress Dowager Ci'an (慈安皇太后 1837 - April 8, 1881, popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager (东太后 Ci'an took little interest in running state business, but was the decision maker in most family affairs. Owing to possible conflict between Cixi and Ci'an over the execution of An Dehai or a possible will from the late Xianfeng Emperor issued exclusively to Ci'an, rumours began circulating at court that Cixi had poisoned Ci'an ^[12]. During March 1881 Ci'an fell ill and Cixi became the only regent at Court, and on the Imperial records, Ci'an appeared sick on the morning of April 11, and was dead by the evening^[13]. The circumstances indeed looked suspicious. Because of a lack of evidence, however, historians are reluctant to believe that Ci'an was poisoned by Cixi, but instead choose to believe that the cause of death was a sudden stroke, as validated by traditional Chinese medicine. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain Traditional Chinese medicine (also known as TCM,) includes a range of traditional medical practices originating in China. Ci'an's death meant that the balanced power structure was now tipped completely in Cixi's favor, and Prince Gong's position was considerably weakened.

The once fierce and determined Prince Gong, frustrated by Cixi's iron grip on power, did little to question Cixi on state affairs, and supported Chinese involvement in the Sino-French War. The Sino-French War ( Chinese:, French: Guerre franco-chinoise, Vietnamese: Chiến tranh Pháp-Thanh) was a limited conflict fought Cixi used China's loss in the war as a pretext for getting rid of Prince Gong and other important decision makers in the Grand Council in 1885. The Grand Council or Junjichu ( Manchu: coohai nashūn i ba; literally "Office of Military Secrets" was an important policy-making body She downgraded him to "advisor", and promoted the more easily influenced Yixuan, Prince Chun. The 1st Prince Chun ( officially Prince of the First Rank Chun Xian) ( October 16, 1840 - January 1, 1891) commonly known in his After being appointed President of the Navy, Prince Chun, in a sign of unswerving loyalty to Cixi, but in reality a move to protect his son, the new Emperor, moved funds from the military to reconstruct the Imperial Summer Palace outside of Beijing as a place for Cixi's retirement. The Summer Palace or Yi he yuan ( is a palace in Beijing, China. Prince Chun did not want Cixi to interfere with his son Guangxu's affairs once he came of age. Cixi showed no opposition to the construction of the palace.

For her sixtieth birthday in 1895, Empress Dowager Cixi was given ten million taels of silver, which many believe was used to furnish her Summer Palace. The Summer Palace or Yi he yuan ( is a palace in Beijing, China. Although the Chinese Navy had recently lost most of its modern warships in the 1894 First Sino-Japanese War, and urgently needed the money to rebuild a high-tech fleet, it is a common misconception that Empress Dowager Cixi instead chose to use the money for her own pleasure. The First Sino-Japanese War ( 日清戦争 Romaji: Nisshin Sensō ( 1 August 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a war fought between In fact, the sum of money would have been used to pay for public events and as gifts to the many favorite princes, courtiers, viceroys, governors, mayors, magistrates, and other officials as payment for their services. And, Empress Dowager Cixi canceled her celebration, which upset many nobles, gentry and others who had expected generous payment.

The Guangxu Emperor's accession

Guangxu technically gained the right to rule at the age of 16 in 1887 after Cixi issued an edict for Guangxu to have his accession to rule ceremony. Because of her prestige and power, however, court officials voiced their opposition to Guangxu's personal rule, citing that the Emperor was too young as the main reason. Shiduo, Yixuan, and Weng Tonghe, each with a different purpose, asked Guangxu's accession to be postponed until a later date. The 1st Prince Chun ( officially Prince of the First Rank Chun Xian) ( October 16, 1840 - January 1, 1891) commonly known in his Weng Tonghe (翁同龢 1830—1904 Styled Shuping 叔平 Chinese Confucian scholar and imperial tutor during the Qing dynasty Cixi, with her reputed reluctance, accepted the "advice" and legitimized her continued rule through a new legal document that allowed her to "aid" the Guangxu Emperor in his rule indefinitely.

Cixi would slowly let go of her iron grip on power as the court prepared for the Guangxu Emperor's wedding ceremony in 1889. By then the Guangxu Emperor was already 18, older than the conventional marital age for Emperors. Prior to the wedding, a large fire engulfed the Gate of Supreme Harmony at the Forbidden City, following a trend of natural disasters in recent years, which according to Chinese political theory meant that the current rulers were losing the "Mandate of Heaven". The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial Palace from the mid- Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. The Mandate of Heaven (天命 Pīnyīn: Tiānmìng is a traditional Chinese philosophical concept concerning the legitimacy of rulers In another political move, Cixi forced Guangxu to choose Jingfen (later the Empress Dowager Longyu), her niece, to become the Empress, against Guangxu's will. Yehenara Empress Xiao Ding Jing (孝定景皇后叶赫那拉氏 is better known as the Empress Dowager Longyu (隆裕皇后 (given name Jingfen 靜芬 (1868 - 1913 In later years, however, Guangxu would prefer to spend more time with Consort Zhen, neglecting his Empress, much to Cixi's dismay. Imperial Consort Zhen (珍妃 ( February 27, 1876 - August 15, 1900) posthumously known as Imperial Noble Consort Ke-Shun (恪顺皇贵妃 In 1894, Cixi, citing intervention in political affairs as the main reason, but in reality fearful that Consort Zhen has become a liberal influence on the Emperor, flogged and punished Consort Zhen. Even after Guangxu began formal rule at age 19, Cixi continued to influence his decisions and actions, despite residing for a period of time at the Imperial Summer Palace which she had ordered Guangxu's father, with the official intention not to intervene in politics. The Summer Palace or Yi he yuan ( is a palace in Beijing, China. Guangxu paid visits to her, along with the entourage of court officials, every second or third day, where major political decisions would be made.

Hundred Days' Reform

Empress Dowager Cixi resumed the role of regent and once again took control of the country.

After taking power, the Guangxu Emperor was more reform-minded than the conservative-leaning Empress Dowager Cixi. The Guangxu Emperor (光緒帝 (14 August 1871&ndash14 November 1908 born Zaitian (載湉 was the tenth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty After experiencing a rather embarrassing defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894, during which China's Beiyang Navy was crushed by the Japanese naval fleet, the Qing government faced numerous unprecedented challenges internally and abroad, with its very existence at stake. The First Sino-Japanese War ( 日清戦争 Romaji: Nisshin Sensō ( 1 August 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a war fought between The term Beiyang ( Chinese: 北洋 Pinyin: Běiyáng Wade-Giles: Peiyang meaning 'Northern Ocean' originated toward the end of the Qing Dynasty Under the influence of reformers Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, Guangxu believed that by learning from constitutional monarchies like Japan and Germany, China would become more powerful politically and economically. > Kang Youwei Liang Qichao ( Chinese: 梁啟超 Liáng Qǐchāo; Courtesy: Zhuoru, 卓如 Pseudonym: Rengong, 任公 ( February For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. In June 1898, the Guangxu Emperor began the Hundred Days' Reform(戊戌变法), aimed at a series of sweeping changes politically, legally, and socially. The Hundred Days' Reform ( or) was a failed 104-day national cultural political and educational reform movement from 11 June to 21 September 1898 undertaken by the young Guangxu For a brief time, after the supposed retirement of the Empress Dowager Cixi, the Guangxu Emperor issued edicts for a massive number of far-reaching modernizing reforms.

The reforms, however, were too sudden for a China still under significant neo-Confucian influence, and displeased Cixi as it served as a serious check on her power. Some government and military officials warned Cixi that the ming-shih (reformation bureau) had been geared toward conspiracy. Allegations of treason against the Emperor, as well as suspected Japanese influence within the reform movement, including a suspicious visit from the Japanese Prime Minister, led Empress Dowager Cixi to resume the role of regent and once again take control of the country.

In another coup d'etat carried out by General Ronglu's personnel on September 21, 1898, the Guangxu Emperor was taken to Ocean Terrace, a small palace on an island in the middle of Zhongnanhai linked to the rest of the Forbidden City with only a controlled causeway. Ronglu (荣禄 April 6, 1836 - April 11, 1903) was a Manchu Statesman during the late Qing dynasty. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Zhongnanhai ( is a complex of buildings in Beijing, China adjacent to the Forbidden City which serves as the central headquarters for the The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial Palace from the mid- Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Empress Dowager Cixi would follow with an edict dictating the Guangxu Emperor's total disgrace and "not being fit to be Emperor". The Guangxu Emperor's reign had effectively come to an end.

A crisis followed in the Qing court on the issue of abdication. However, bowing to increasing western pressure and general civil discontent over the issue, Cixi did not forcibly remove Guangxu from the throne, although she attempted crowning Punji, a boy of fourteen who was from a close branch of the Imperial family, as the crown prince. Crown Princess redirects here for the ship see Crown Princess (ship. The Guangxu era nominally continued until 1908, but the Emperor lost all honours, respect, power, and privileges, including his freedom of movement. Most of his supporters, including Kang Youwei, were exiled, while six prominent reformers led by Tan Sitong were executed in public by Empress Dowager Cixi. > Kang Youwei Tan Sitong ( March 10 1865 — September 28 1898) Courtesy name Fusheng 复生 Pseudonym Zhuangfei Kang continued to work for a more progressive Qing Empire while in exile, remaining loyal to the Guangxu Emperor and hoping eventually to restore him to power. His efforts would prove to be in vain.

The Boxer Rebellion

Main Article Boxer Rebellion

In 1900, Empress Dowager Cixi's support of the self-strengthening movement was again called into question when the Boxer Rebellion broke out in northern China. The Boxer Rebellion, or Boxer Movement, was an uprising by members of the Chinese Society of Right and Harmonious Fists against foreign influence Eager to preserve traditional Chinese values, Empress Dowager Cixi threw in her lot with the rebels, making an official announcement of her support for the movement. When the Westerners responded by dispatching the Eight-Nation Alliance, the Chinese military, badly underdeveloped due to Empress Dowager Cixi's habit of filching military funds was unable to prevent the technologically-advanced Allied army from marching on Peking and seizing the Forbidden City. The Eight-Nation Alliance ( was an alliance of 8 nations ( Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial Palace from the mid- Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Cixi, along with the Guangxu Emperor and the Longyu Empress, embarked on a western trek to Xi'an as they fled the Forbidden City. UserEl_C --> Xi'an ( Postal map spelling: Sian is the Capital of the Shaanxi province in the Determined to prevent another Chinese rebellion, the Western powers imposed a humiliating treaty on China, and Empress Dowager Cixi, with no military forces capable of protecting even her own palace, was forced to sign. The treaty demanded the presence of an international military force in China and the payment of £67 million (almost $333 million) in war reparations. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency War reparations refer to the monetary compensation intended to cover damage or injury during a war

Death and final resting place

The Eastern Qing Tomb

Empress Dowager Cixi died in the Middle Sea Hall of Graceful Bird (Chinese: 中海儀鸞殿) on November 15, 1908, after having installed Puyi as the new Emperor of the Qing Dynasty on November 14. Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Puyi ( ( February 7, 1906 &ndash October 17, 1967) of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro ruling family was the last Emperor Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China Her death came only a day after the death of the Guangxu Emperor. The Guangxu Emperor (光緒帝 (14 August 1871&ndash14 November 1908 born Zaitian (載湉 was the tenth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty

Empress Dowager Cixi was interred amidst the Eastern Qing Tombs (Chinese: 清東陵), 125 km (75 miles) east of Beijing, in the Dong Dingling (Chinese: 東定陵), along with Empress Dowager Ci'an. More precisely, Empress Dowager Ci'an lies in the Pu Xiang Yu Ding Dong Ling (Chinese: 普祥峪定東陵) (literally: the "Tomb East of the Ding Ling Tomb in the Vale of Wide Good Omen"), while Empress Dowager Cixi built herself the much larger Pu Tuo Yu Ding Dong Ling (Chinese: 菩陀峪定東陵) (literally: the "Tomb East of the Ding Ling Tomb in the Vale of Putuo"). The Dingling tomb (literally: the "Tomb of quietude") is the tomb of the Xianfeng Emperor, the spouse of Empress Dowager Ci'an and Empress Dowager Cixi, which is located indeed west of the Ding Dong Ling. The Empress Dowager Ci'an (慈安皇太后 1837 - April 8, 1881, popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager (东太后 The Vale of Pu Tuo owes its name to Mount. Pu Tuo (literally: the "Mountain of the Dharani of the Site of the Buddha's Enlightenment"), at the foot of which the Dingdongling is located.

Empress Dowager Cixi, unsatisfied with her tomb, ordered its destruction and reconstruction in 1895. The new tomb was a lavish grandiose complex of temples, gates, and pavilions, covered with gold leaves, and with gold and gilded-bronze ornaments hanging from the beams and the eaves. In July 1928, Empress Dowager Cixi's tomb was occupied by warlord and Kuomintang general Sun Dianying and his army who methodically stripped the complex of its precious ornaments, then dynamited the entrance to the burial chamber, opened Empress Dowager Cixi's coffin, threw her corpse (said to have been found intact) on the floor, and stole all the jewels contained in the coffin, as well as the massive pearl that had been placed in Empress Dowager Cixi's mouth to protect her corpse from decomposing (in accordance with Chinese tradition). Sun Diangying ( Traditional Chinese: 孫殿英 Simplified Chinese: 孙殿英 Pinyin: Sun Dianying Wade-Giles: Sun Tienying (1887 - 1947 was Urban legend states that the large pearl on Empress Dowager Cixi's crown was offered by Sun Dianying to Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek and ended up as an ornament on the gala shoes of Chiang's wife, the famous Soong May-ling. Chiang Kai-shek ( POJ: Chiúⁿ Kài-se̍k Jyutping: zoeng2gaai3sek6 GCB ( October 31, 1887 &ndash Soong May-ling or Soong Mei-ling, also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek ( ca 1897 She was the third of six children she was born in Shanghai

After 1949, the complex of Empress Dowager Cixi's tomb was restored by the People's Republic of China, and it is still today one of the most impressive imperial tombs of China.

Names of Empress Dowager Cixi

The Room of Beautiful Scenery (Part of Empress Dowager Cixi's western Chu-Xiu Palace), inside which the Imperial Concubine Yi (the future Empress Dowager Cixi) gave birth to the future Tongzhi Emperor. The Tongzhi Emperor, born Zaichun ( April 27, 1856 &ndash January 12, 1875) was the ninth emperor of the Manchu

The name by which she is most frequently known and the name used in most modern texts is simply Cixi, which is neither her birth name nor family name. It is an honorific name given to her in 1861 after her son ascended the throne. Empress Dowager Cixi's name at birth is not known, although a recent book published by one of Cixi's brother's descendants seems to suggest that it was Xingzhen (杏贞). The first occurrence of her name is at the time she entered the Forbidden City in September 1851, where she was recorded as "the Lady Yehenara, daughter of Huizheng" (Chinese: 惠征). The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial Palace from the mid- Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Thus, she was called by her clan's name, the Yehe-Nara clan, as was customary for Manchu girls. Yehe Nara (or Yehenara) originally a Mongol clan were a Manchu clan who ruled Yehe, one of the Hūlun Four States On entering the Forbidden City, she was a preparative concubine (Chinese: 秀女). The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial Palace from the mid- Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty.

After her encounter with the Xianfeng Emperor, Yehenala (Empress Dowager Cixi) was made a concubine of the fifth rank Noble Person, a. The Xianfeng Emperor, born Yizhu, ( July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eighth Emperor of the Manchu k. a. Worthy Lady (Chinese: 貴人), and was given the name Yi (懿，meaning "good", "exemplary", "virtuous"). Her name was thus "Noble Person of Yi", or Worthy Lady Yi (Chinese: 懿貴人). At the end of December 1854 or the beginning of January 1855, she was promoted to concubine of the fourth rank, Imperial Concubine (Chinese: 嬪), so that her new name was Imperial Concubine Yi (Chinese: 懿嬪).

On April 27, 1856, Yehenara gave birth to a son, the only son of Xianfeng, and was immediately made Imperial Consort Yi" (Chinese: 懿妃). Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The Xianfeng Emperor, born Yizhu, ( July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eighth Emperor of the Manchu Finally, in February 1857 she was again elevated and made "Noble Consort Yi" (Chinese: 懿貴妃).

In the end of August 1861, following the death of the Xianfeng Emperor, her five-year-old son became the new Emperor, known as the Tongzhi Emperor. The Tongzhi Emperor, born Zaichun ( April 27, 1856 &ndash January 12, 1875) was the ninth emperor of the Manchu Empress Dowager Cixi, as biological mother of the new emperor, was officially made Divine Mother Empress Dowager (Chinese: 聖母皇太后). She was also given the honorific name Cixi (Chinese: 慈禧), meaning "Motherly and Auspicious". As for the Empress Consort, she was made "Mother Empress Dowager" (Chinese: 母后皇太后), a title giving her precedence over Empress Dowager Cixi, and she was given the honorific name Empress Dowager Ci'an (Chinese: 慈安)， meaning "Motherly and Calm". The Empress Dowager Ci'an (慈安皇太后 1837 - April 8, 1881, popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager (东太后

On 7 occasions after 1861, Empress Dowager Cixi was given additional honorific names (two Chinese characters at a time), as was customary for Emperors and Empresses, until by the end of her reign her name was a long string of 16 characters starting with Cixi (as Empress Dowager she had the right to nine additions, giving a total of 20 characters, had she lived long enough for it). At the end of her reign, her official name was:

• (Chinese: 大清國當今慈禧端佑康頤昭豫莊誠壽恭欽獻崇熙聖母皇太后)

which reads: "The Current Divine Mother Empress Dowager Ci-Xi Duan-You Kang-Yi Zhao-Yu Zhuang-Cheng Shou-Gong Qin-Xian Chong-Xi of the Great Qing Empire".

The short form was The Current Divine Mother Empress Dowager of the Great Qing Empire

(Chinese: 大清國當今聖母皇太后)

At the time, Empress Dowager Cixi was addressed as "Venerable Buddha" (Chinese: 老佛爺)，literally "Master Old Buddha", a term used for all the Emperors of the Qing Dynasty. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China At official and ceremonial occasions, the phrase Long Live the Empress Dowager for ten thousand years (Chinese: 大清國當今聖母皇太后萬歲萬歲萬萬歲), which is by convention, only used by Emperors. The convention for Empress Dowagers of imperial China was usually Long live for one thousand years.

At her death in 1908, Empress Dowager Cixi was given a posthumous name which combines the honorific names that she gained during her lifetime with new names added just after her death. A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty nobles and sometimes others in some cultures after the person's death This is the name that is usually used on official documents to refer to an Empress. This long form of the posthumous name is:

• (Chinese: 孝欽慈禧端佑康頤昭豫莊誠壽恭欽獻崇熙配天興聖顯皇太后),

which reads: Empress Xiao-Qin Ci-Xi Duan-You Kang-Yi Zhao-Yu Zhuang-Cheng Shou-Gong Qin-Xian Chong-Xi Pei-Tian Xing-Sheng Xian. This long name is still the one that can be seen on Cixi's tomb today. The short form of her posthumous name is: Empress Xiao Qin Xian (孝欽顯皇后).

Historical opinions

One of the historical oil paintings by Western artists depicting Empress Dowager Cixi

The traditional view of the Empress Dowager Cixi was that of a devious despot who contributed in no small part to China's slide into corruption, anarchy, and revolution. During Cixi's time, she used her power to accumulate vast quantities of money, bullion, antiques and jewelry, using the revenues of the state as her own. By the end of her reign she had amassed a huge personal fortune, stashing away some eight and a half million pounds sterling in London banks. The lavish palaces, gardens and lakes built by Cixi were hugely extravagant at a time when China was verging on bankruptcy. ^[14]

However, some authors maintain a far more positive view of the Empress Dowager, arguing that she has been unfairly maligned and when seen more closely, her actions were reasonable responses to the difficulties that China faced.

It is argued by some that one must not confuse the traditional Confucian idea widely held in Empress Dowager Cixi's day, that influential women caused trouble and were not to be trusted, with her frequent portrayal as a despot. Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B While other powerful women of Chinese history, e. g. Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty, are generally positively reassessed by modern historians, the negative views on Empress Dowager Cixi largely remain. Wu Zetian ( (625 – December 16, 705 In 705 she was overthrown in a coup and Emperor Zhongzong was returned to the throne The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by

Katherine Carl

Katherine Carl spent some ten months with the Empress Dowager Cixi in 1903 to paint her portrait for the St. Louis Exposition. Katharine Augusta Carl (1865 &ndash 1938 was an American painter and Author who spent 10 months in China in 1903 painting a portrait of the Empress Dowager Two years later she published a book about her experience, titled With the Empress Dowager. In the book's introduction, Katherine Carl says she wrote the book because "After I returned to America, I was constantly seeing in the newspapers (and hearing of) statements ascribed to me which I never made. "

In her book, Katherine Carl describes the Empress Dowager Cixi as a kind and considerate woman for her station. Empress Dowager Cixi, though shrewd, had great presence, charm, and graceful movements resulting in "an unusually attractive personality". Carl wrote of the Dowager's love of dogs and of flowers, as well as boating, Chinese opera and her Chinese water pipes and European cigarettes. Chinese Opera ( Chinese: 戏曲/戲曲 Pinyin: xìqǔ is a popular form of Drama and Musical theatre in China with roots going back Carl also made note of Empress Dowager Cixi's loyalty, describing the case of "a Chinese woman who nursed Her Majesty through a long illness, about twenty-five years since, and saved her life by giving her mother's milk to drink. Her Majesty, who never forgets a favor, has always kept this woman in the Palace. Being a Chinese, she had bound feet. Her Majesty, who cannot bear to see them even, had her feet unbound and carefully treated, until now she can walk comfortably. Her Majesty has educated the son, who was an infant at the time of her illness, and whose natural nourishment she partook of. This young man is already a Secretary in a good yamen (government office). Not to be confused with Yemen, the nation in the Middle East A yámen ( is any local Bureaucrat 's or mandarin 's "

Sterling Seagrave

Seagrave argues^[15] that most of the more sensational stories of Empress Dowager Cixi's life can be traced to the boasting, self-important "Wild Fox" Kang Youwei and his cronies, who having never having met the Empress Dowager, concocted stories of plots and poisonings and passed them on to the Western press. > Kang Youwei Many other "details" of her life are based on accounts by J. O. P. Bland and known forger Edmund Backhouse. Sir Edmund Trelawny Backhouse 2nd Baronet ( 20 October 1873 &ndash 8 January 1944) was a British oriental scholar linguist and "black As life in the Forbidden City remained a mystery for most Westerners, these stories created by Kang and Backhouse (some up to 30 years after the supposed events) were used by many 20th century historians to paint a misleading picture of the Empress Dowager.

In contrast, Seagrave portrays Empress Dowager Cixi as a woman stuck between the xenophobic Ironhats faction, made up of Manchu nobility wanting to maintain Manchu dominance and remove Western influences from China at all cost, and more moderate influences trying to cope with China's problems on a more realistic footing, such as Prince Gong in her earlier days. The Empress Dowager, Seagrave argues, did not crave power but simply acted to balance these influences and protect the Dynasty as best she could.

Princess Der Ling

Der Ling, whose Christian name was Elisabeth Antoinette, was born in Beijing in June 1885 and died in Berkeley, California in November 1944. She was the eldest daughter of Yu Keng, an official of the Chinese-Martial (hanjun) Plain White Banner, and his wife, Louisa Pierson, daughter of an American merchant in Shanghai and his Chinese consort. When Der Ling's father was recalled from Paris, where he had been Chinese minister, in 1903, Der Ling, her sister Rong Ling (later the wife of General Dan Paochao) and their mother were summoned by Cixi to become court ladies - something between ladies in waiting and translators/hostesses for when the Empress Dowager had foreign female guests from Beijing's Legation Quarter. Der Ling served at court from March 1903 till October 1905, and married an American, Thaddeus Cohu White, in 1907. After Cixi's death in 1908, Der Ling professed to be so angered by what she saw as false portraits of Cixi appearing in books and periodicals that she wrote her own account of serving "Old Buddha," which she called "Two Years in the Forbidden City. " This book appeared in 1911, just before the fall of the Qing Dynasty, and was a popular success. In this book, Cixi is not the monster of depravity depicted in the popular press and in the second and third hand accounts left by foreigners who had lived in Beijing, but an aging woman who loved beautiful things, had many regrets about the past and the way she had dealt with the many crises of her long reign, and apparently trusted Der Ling enough to share many memories and opinions with her. It was clearly Cixi's favouritism toward Der Ling, including permitting her to wear a "princess button" on her hat, that prompted Der Ling in later years, when seeking an English equivalent to her office at court, to add "Princess" to her name, a move that undermined her credibility in China even as it drove up her stock when she went before the American public in the 1920s to give lectures about life at court with the semi-legendary Cixi. Der Ling ultimately wrote a full-length biography of Cixi titled 'Old Buddha. '

Der Ling would go on to write seven more books about this relatively brief period in her youth when she had been close to the centre of failing imperial Chinese power, and sharing this personal history and her habit of promoting herself and her writings caused most of her family to turn against her. All of this has made it difficult to assess Der Ling's contribution to late Qing historiography. But the fact remains that she was the first woman of Cixi's own ethnic background to live with and observe her and then write about what it was like; if many of Der Ling's recollections smack of the every day minutiae of a court that throve on details and form, her writings are no less valuable for focusing on them, particularly as life within the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace was a closed book for most people in China, let alone in the rest of the world. It was misunderstanding of much of what emanated from the throne that created so many of the problems Cixi has been wholly blamed for.

Starting with Sterling Seagrave's biography of Cixi, 'Dragon Lady: The Life and Legend of the Last Empress of China,'Der Ling and her reminiscences of the imperial court have been rehabilitated in recent years, in tandem with reassessments of the Empress Dowager herself. In January 2008, Hong Kong University Press published the first biography of Der Ling, 'Imperial Masquerade: The Legend of Princess Der Ling'. ^[16]

Other sources

Another sympathetic account can be found in Anchee Min's historical novels Empress Orchid (2004) and The Last Empress (2005), and she appears frequently in ceremonies described in the diaries of Sir Ernest Satow for 1900-06 when Satow was British envoy in Peking. Anchee Min (閔安琪 Mín Ānqí born January 14, 1957) is a painter, Photographer, Musician, and Author who lives in Sir Ernest Mason Satow PC, GCMG, (June 30 1843 - August 26 1929 known in Japan as アーネスト・サトウ was an outstanding British Scholar

The China Central Television production Towards the Republic portrayed Empress Dowager Cixi as a capable ruler, albeit not entirely positive, for the first time in the history of Mainland Chinese television, although it also clearly demonstrated her political views as very conservative. China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV ( is the major television broadcaster in Mainland China Towards the Republic ( or For the Sake of The Republic as it is known in some countries is a 60-episode Chinese television series produced by CCTV

Pearl S. Buck's novel Imperial Woman chronicles the life of the Empress Dowager from the time of her selection as a concubine until near to her death. Pearl S Buck ( Traditional Chinese: 賽珍珠 Simplified Chinese: 赛珍珠 Pinyin: Sài Zhēnzhū ( June 26, Imperial Woman is a Novel by Pearl S Buck first published in 1956 Empress Dowager Cixi is portrayed as a stern, motivated woman who stands to the old ways of life and government and resists the changes brought by westerners. Empress Dowager Cixi's actions on behalf of the two Emperors that she raised and her own actions are all accounted for and rationalized as being for the good of her people and her country.

Succession

In Popular Culture

• The novels "Empress Orchid" (2004) and "The Last Empress" (2007), by Anchee Min portray the life of Empress Dowager Cixi from a first-person perspective. The Empress Dowager Ci'an (慈安皇太后 1837 - April 8, 1881, popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager (东太后 Empress Xiao Zhe Yi (孝哲毅皇后阿鲁特氏 1854 - 1875 also known as the Jia Shun Empress (嘉顺皇后 was the Empress Consort of the Tong Zhi Empress Orchid (2004 is a novel by Anchee Min which was first published in Great Britain in 2004 The Last Empress ( Hangul: 뮤지컬 명성황후 is a musical about Empress Myeongseong of Korea. Anchee Min (閔安琪 Mín Ānqí born January 14, 1957) is a painter, Photographer, Musician, and Author who lives in
• Forbidden City: Portrait of An Empress, a Singapore musical that tells the story of Empress Dowager Cixi, was staged by the Singapore Repertory Theatre originally on 17-19 October 2002. Forbidden City Portrait of an Empress is a Singapore Musical that tells the story of China's Legendary Empress Dowager Cixi. The Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT is the first Singapore -based professional Theatre group which was founded in 1993.
• The Noble Concubine Yi is featured in George McDonald Fraser's novel, Flashman and the Dragon (1985). George MacDonald Fraser, OBE (2 April 1925 &ndash 2 January 2008 was a British Author of both Historical novels and Non-fiction books Flashman and the Dragon is a 1985 Novel by George MacDonald Fraser.
• Cixi is portrayed by Lisa Lu in the 1987 film "The Last Emperor"

References

• Chung, Sue Fawn. Lisa Lu ( Chinese: 盧燕， Pinyin: Lú Yàn originally 盧萍香 Pinyin: Lú Píngxiāng born December 5, 1927 in Beijing Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) The Last Emperor is a Biopic about the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China, whose autobiography was the basis for the screenplay "The Much Maligned Empress Dowager: A Revisionist Study of the Empress Dowager Tz'u-Hsi (1835-1908). " Modern Asian Studies 13, no. 2 (1979): 177-96.
• Hummel, Arthur William, ed. Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period (1644-1912). 2 vols. Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1943.
• Warner, Marina. The Dragon Empress: Life and Times of Tz'u-hsi 1835-1908. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1972.
• 雷家聖（Lei Chiasheng）《力挽狂瀾－戊戌政變新探》，台北：萬卷樓，2004 ISBN 957-739-507-4

Notes

External links

• http://womenshistory.about.com/library/bio/blbio_cixi.htm?terms=cixi
• http://www.royalty.nu/Asia/China/TzuHsi.html
• http://www.kings.edu/womens_history/tzuhsi.html
• http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/eastasia/headland-courtlife.html
• http://solongletty.tripod.com/princessderling
• Cixi: The Woman Behind the Throne -- Smithsonian.com