At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Zhaoxian, as the actual person in power of the Qing Dynasty, became one of the most powerful female rulers in Chinese history. During her reign, she implemented a series of political, economic and cultural reforms, laying the foundation for China's modernization process. This article will discuss the life, political reform, economic reform and cultural reform of Empress Dowager Shoxian.
Life
Empress Dowager Zhaoxian, formerly known as Nala Tozhuer, was the mother of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty and was born in 1844. She was born into a Manchu aristocratic family. She was smart and studious since she was a child, and had outstanding talents and leadership abilities. In 1860, she married Prince Yi_, brother of the Empress Dowager Cixi, the father of Emperor Guangxu, and became a member of the royal family. In 1875, she gave birth to Emperor Guangxu and later became Empress Dowager Cixi's right-hand man.
Political Reform
During her reign, Empress Dowager Shoxian implemented a series of political reforms aimed at strengthening centralization and improving government efficiency. The most important reform was the Guangxu New Deal, which included two parts: "reform" and "abolition of the imperial examination."
"Reform" refers to reforming the political system of the Qing Dynasty and establishing modern government agencies. Empress Dowager Shoxian took a series of measures in this regard, including establishing an examination system for officials at all levels, reforming the tax system, and establishing modern infrastructure such as railways and postal services.
"Abolition of the imperial examination" refers to the abolition of the imperial examination system and the establishment of a modern education system. This reform was the proud work of Empress Dowager Zhaoxian. She believed that the imperial examination system was too outdated and could no longer meet the needs of the times. Therefore, she promulgated the "Regulations on the Abolition of the Imperial Examination" in 1898, announcing the abolition of the imperial examination system and beginning to implement a modern education system.
Economic Reform
During her reign, Empress Dowager Shoxian also implemented a series of economic reforms aimed at promoting the country's economic development. Among the most important reforms were railway construction and mining development.
Railway construction is an important initiative of Empress Dowager Shoxian. She believes that railways are an important symbol of a modern country. Therefore, during her reign, she vigorously promoted railway construction and built many railway lines, which greatly improved China's transportation.
Mining development is also an important initiative of Empress Dowager Shoxian. She believes that mining is an important source of national wealth. Therefore, during her reign, she vigorously promoted mining development and exploited a large amount of coal, iron ore, gold and other resources, laying the foundation for China's economic development.
Cultural Reform
During her reign, Empress Dowager Shoxian also implemented a series of cultural reforms aimed at promoting China's cultural development. The most important reform is Guangxu's new calligraphy.
Guangxu New Calligraphy is an important initiative of Empress Dowager Zhaoxian, which aims to promote new calligraphy styles to meet the needs of the times. During the reign of Empress Dowager Zhaoxian, she vigorously promoted Guangxu's new calligraphy and encouraged people to learn new calligraphy styles, which led to the great development of Chinese calligraphy art.