Empress Dowager Cixi, Empress Xiaoqinxian, Manchu, November 29, 1835 (October 10, the fifteenth year of Daoguang) ~ November 15, 1908 (October 20, the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu) 2nd), also known as "Queen Mother of the West", "Queen Mother of Nala", "Old Buddha", and the emblem is "Cixi Duanyou Kang Yizhao Yuzhuang Chengshou Gongqin Xian Chongxi". After her death, the posthumous title of the Qing Dynasty was "Xiaoqin Cixi Duanyou Kang Yizhao Yuzhuang Chengshou Gongqinxian Chongxi and Queen Tianxing Shengxian". The concubine of Emperor Xianfeng, the biological mother of Emperor Tongzhi, and the adoptive mother of Emperor Guangxu. Cixi was erudite and talented, good at calligraphy and painting. Her calligraphy was good at running script and regular script, and her paintings of flowers were handed down from generation to generation.
Chinese name: Yehenala·Xingzhen
Foreign name: Empress Dowager Cixi
Alias: Empress Dowager of the West, Empress Dowager Cixi, Lafayette
Nationality: Chinese
Ethnicity: Manchu
Date of birth: November 29, 1835
Date of death: November 15, 1908
Occupation: Yi concubine, empress dowager
Grave: Ding Dong Tomb
Life time: late Qing Dynasty
Empress Dowager Cixi, surnamed Yehena La, one says he was born in Beijing, another says he was born in Anqing, Anhui, another says he was born in Changzhi, Shanxi, some say he was born in Ningbo, and more historical research proves that he was born in Qujing, Yunnan. [1] It is also said that Manchuria's blue flag was raised by the Han people, who later raised the flag into the yellow flag.
His ancestors belonged to the Yehe tribe (near today's Siping, Yehe Manchu Town, Tiedong District, Siping City).
According to literature records in Qujing, Yunnan, in 1834, Yehenala Huizheng was appointed as a Taoist priest of Yudong Road in Yunnan, stationed in Qujing. The following year, Mrs. Hui took office and gave birth to her eldest daughter Cixi. He also hired a male servant Li Wuting (from Qujing City's Tarou Alley) to hold the collar. After Cixi came to power behind the curtain, Li Wuting was called to serve in the Warehousing Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Later, he was awarded the fourth rank and became the head of the Lugouqiao Taxation Office. [2]
His father Huizheng was a Taoist priest of Guangtai Taoist Temple in Ningchi, Anhui Province, and his mother was a Fucha family. After she turned sixteen, she and her sister went north to become palace maids and lived in the Old Summer Palace. Because he could sing southern songs, he was noticed by the emperor, and he began to advance through the ranks. Because she gave birth to a son for the emperor and was able to please the emperor, she was soon promoted to a noble concubine, and everyone called her Yi Guifei. After the Tongzhi Emperor was established, she was revered as the Holy Mother Empress Dowager and her title was Empress Dowager Cixi. There was also a Cixi in Tai'an, Shandong Province. After Emperor Wenzong of the Qing Dynasty passed away at his summer resort, during the funeral period, he and Empress Dowager Ci'an lived separately in the East and West Nuan Pavilion of Yanbo Zhishuang Hall, so she was also called the West Empress Dowager. (One theory is that Empress Dowager Ci'an lived in Zhongcui Palace, one of the six east palaces, and Empress Dowager Cixi lived in Chuxiu Palace in the sixth palace in the west, so she was called the Queen Mother of the West.)
Yehenara's family lived in Xianfeng In the second year (1852), she was drafted into the palace and given the title of Yiguiren, and later was conferred the title of Yipin. In March 1856, she gave birth to Emperor Xianfeng's only prince Zai Chun (later Emperor Tongzhi), and was granted the title of Concubine Yi by the Jin Dynasty. Not long after, the imperial concubine Feng Yi was promoted to the Jin Dynasty. Because Emperor Xianfeng was frail and sick, and internal and external troubles made him mentally and physically exhausted, he gradually became lazy. Concubine Yi devoted herself to calligraphy, so Emperor Xianfeng often dictated and asked Concubine Yi to write and review memorials on her behalf, which gave Cixi the opportunity to get involved in politics.
In 1860, before the British and French forces invaded Beijing, she fled to Rehe with Emperor Xianfeng and his prince Zai Chun. Emperor Xianfeng died in Rehe in August 1861. Since the prince Zai Chun was only 6 years old, before his death, Emperor Xianfeng sent Prince Yi Zaiyuan, Prince Zheng Duanhua, Jingshou, co-organizers Sushun, Mu Yin, Kuangyuan, Du Han and Jiao Youying were appointed as ministers of the Zanxiang Government to assist Emperor Tongzhi in handling government affairs. These people are all Xianfeng's cronies, and Sushun is especially resourceful. He also gave the Queen and Concubine Yi two seals representing imperial power, hoping that they would restrain each other.
After the death of Emperor Xianfeng, the prince Zaichun ascended the throne and was named "Qixiang". She and Queen Niu Hulu (Empress Dowager Ci'an) were honored as empress dowagers. The power-hungry Cixi was very dissatisfied with the eight ministers Gu Ming's attempt to monopolize power, so she teamed up with Emperor Xianfeng's younger brother, Prince Gong Yixin, who was hosting the peace talks in Beijing, and took advantage of the opportunity of the Empress and Emperor Xianfeng's Zi Palace to return to Beijing to launch the Xinyou Coup. The eight ministers were arrested, Prince Yi Zaiyuan, Prince Zheng Duanhua were sentenced to suicide, Sushun was beheaded, and the others were dismissed, crushing the power of the eight ministers.
Yi? was named the king of political affairs. On December 2, 1861, the empress dowagers of the two palaces stayed in the Yangxin Hall and listened to politics behind the curtain; the reign name was changed to "Tongzhi".
In the early days of her rule, with the assistance of the political king Yixin, she rectified the administration of officials; re-employed Han officials; relied on the armed forces of Han landlords such as Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, and Li Hongzhang, and with the support of foreign powers, she successively suppressed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Nian Army. The uprisings of , Miao and Hui people alleviated the Qing Dynasty's ruling crisis and brought temporary stability to the Qing Dynasty. In order to maintain the feudal autocratic rule, she re-employed the Westernizationists, developed some military and civilian industries, and trained the navy and army to strengthen the power of the regime based on the principles of "self-improvement" and "seeking wealth." Objectively, it played a certain positive role in China's modernization. However, because Cixi knew little about advanced Western science and technology, she also made many foolish decisions, which hindered the progress of the Westernization Movement; moreover, when reforms might harm her rule, she supported the die-hards to contain the Westernization Movement, to strengthen centralization. During this period, domestic uprisings were put down; the two Opium Wars temporarily satisfied the greed of the great powers and did not suffer major diplomatic losses; the military strength of the Qing Dynasty improved after the Westernization Movement; industry and commerce had initial development, and the ruling class of the Qing Dynasty was It is called "Tongzhi Zhongxing".
In the eleventh year of Tongzhi (1872), Zai Chun was 17 years old. Cixi had no choice but to choose a queen for him. The following year, the queen mothers of the two palaces withdrew and returned to power. However, after Emperor Tongzhi came into power, it was still difficult to get rid of Cixi's interference. For the sake of enjoyment, Cixi instructed Emperor Tongzhi to repair the Old Summer Palace for her to live in. Emperor Tongzhi also wanted to take the opportunity to let the Queen Mother leave the palace to live in order to get rid of her mother's interference. However, finances were in short supply at that time, the Old Summer Palace was severely damaged, and the restoration cost a lot of money. Emperor Tongzhi insisted on starting the construction, which aroused the opposition of many princes and ministers such as Yi Yu. Emperor Tongzhi actually dismissed them all. Cixi stepped in to stop Emperor Tongzhi's absurd decision.
In January 1875, Emperor Tongzhi died of illness. Cixi made her nephew and nephew 4-year-old Zaitian emperor, and changed his reign title to "Guangxu". The two empress dowagers once again listened to the government behind the curtain.
From 1865 to 1870, Agub, the invader of the Kokand Khanate in Central Asia, invaded and occupied most of Xinjiang; in 1871, Tsarist Russia sent troops to occupy the Ili region. In 1875, Cixi adopted the suggestion of Zuo Zongtang, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and sent troops to Xinjiang. The Qing army recovered Xinjiang in January 1878. In 1881, China and Russia negotiated and China took back most of Ili.
Ci'an died suddenly on April 8, 1881 at the age of 45. Some people believe that it was Cixi who caused the death. From then on, Cixi realized the one-house dictatorship.
The Sino-French War broke out from 1883 to 1885. The two sides had military victories and defeats. However, the Qing government headed by Cixi advocated "taking advantage of victory" and signed the "Sino-French War" with France. The French New Treaty also enabled France to obtain many aggressive benefits. At the beginning of the war, Cixi took advantage of the unfavorable war situation and shifted the responsibility to the military ministers headed by Yi?, and dismissed them all. This was known as "Jiashen Yishu" in history. From then on, Cixi took full control of the government.
In February 1889, Guangxu got married. Emperor Guangxu was nominally in charge, and Cixi tutored the government for several more years. After the end of the political training, all the personnel and administration in the court were still handled by his own hands. "The Queen Mother (Emperor Guangxu) is responsible for all matters, and the government must ask for orders to carry out major affairs." In fact, Emperor Guangxu still occupies a puppet position.
In 1894, Cixi’s 60th birthday, it was planned to “receive congratulations in the Summer Palace, following the practices established during the Kangxi and Qianlong years, where a colorful shed sutra altar would be set up along the road from the inner courtyard to the garden to hold a celebration.” Move navy funds, renovate the Summer Palace, decorate scenic spots, and collect contributions from all walks of life. This year coincided with Japan launching the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894. Guangxu took the lead in the battle, and Cixi also took the lead. "No show of weakness is allowed." However, when someone proposed to stop the Summer Palace project, stop the attractions, and divert it to military expenses, Cixi became furious and said, "Whoever makes me unhappy today, I will also make him unhappy for the rest of his life." Later, the Qing army suffered successive defeats on the Korean battlefield, and the Beiyang Navy suffered serious setbacks in the Battle of the Yellow Sea. In order not to affect her sixtieth anniversary celebrations, Cixi hoped that foreign countries would intervene and end the war as soon as possible. She supported Li Hongzhang's policy of avoiding war and seeking peace, and used various excuses to attack the main war faction headed by Guangxu.
As the situation became increasingly tense and faced with heavy pressure from the government and the public, she could no longer go her own way and show off. She had to change her original plan and reduce the scale of her birthday celebration. Jinzhou and Dalian fell one after another, and Lushun was in an extremely critical situation. Next, Cixi spent her 60th birthday in Ningshou Palace in the Forbidden City. On February 7 of the following year, the Weihai Japanese ship and fort attacked Liugong Island, and the entire Beiyang Navy was wiped out. China suffered defeats on both the sea and land battlefields. The peace advocates headed by Cixi made up their minds to seek peace with Japan. In March, Cixi sent Li Hongzhang as minister plenipotentiary to Japan to beg for peace. On April 17, they signed an unprecedented humiliation in Chinese history. Treaty "Treaty of Shimonoseki", China gave up its status as a suzerainty over Korea; paid an indemnity of 200 million taels of silver; ceded the Liaodong Peninsula (later redeemed with 30 million taels of silver), Taiwan, and the Penghu Islands; opened 4 treaty ports; allowed Japan to enter the treaty ports Open mines and build factories. The treaty greatly deepened China's colonization process.
After the defeat of the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War, the great powers set off a frenzy to carve up China. In order to save the nation, the bourgeois reformists launched a reform movement. Cixi hoped to strengthen the country but was worried that Guangxu would use the reform to escape her control. Cixi initially expressed support for the reform, but she later took military and human rights into her own hands. In June 1898, Guangxu issued the emperor's "Ming Ding Guo Shi Edict" (i.e., "Ming Ding Guo Shi Zhao") to implement the reform. Emperor Guangxu's reforms touched the interests of the Manchu aristocrats and many feudal bureaucrats. They gathered together and tried their best to oppose the reforms. When they heard that Emperor Guangxu was trying to have Yuan Shikai send troops to surround the Summer Palace, kill Ronglu and detain her, Cixi finally launched a coup and imprisoned her. Emperor Guangxu killed six people including Tan Siping and killed the "Hundred Days Reform" movement.
At the end of the 19th century, the Boxer Rebellion emerged in northern China. Cixi initially took the initiative to suppress it, but the suppression failed repeatedly. The Boxer Rebellion developed rapidly and entered Beijing. Cixi hoped to use both suppression and appeasement and treat the Boxers differently, but the great powers demanded that the Qing government completely wipe out the Boxers, and insisted on sending troops to Beijing regardless of the Qing government's objections. Cixi had always been dissatisfied with foreigners, so she came up with the idea of ??using the Boxer Rebellion to fight against the great powers. When she saw a so-called "foreigners' note" that wanted to force her to return to power, she could not bear it anymore and declared war on the great powers. . However, Cixi's decision was opposed by local governors such as Liu Kunyi and Zhang Zhidong. They jointly called the Qing court and advocated suppressing the regiments and begging for peace. It also signed treaties with the great powers and implemented "Southeast Mutual Protection". Cixi's determination began to waver. On the one hand, she asked the generals and governors of each province to carefully arrange war and defense matters, and continue to use the Boxer Rebellion to besiege the embassy and fight against the Eight-Power Allied Forces. On the other hand, she ordered Ronglu to go to the embassy to express condolences to the envoys of various countries; she also sent letters of credence to the heads of state of Russia, Britain, Japan, Germany, the United States, France and other countries, asking them to come forward to "solve difficulties" and "save the current situation" ". Li Hongzhang, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, was transferred to the post of governor of Zhili and minister of Beiyang to prepare for negotiations with the great powers. However, the Eight-Nation Allied Forces did not stop attacking. On August 14, 1900, the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing. In the early morning of the next day, Cixi and Emperor Guangxu fled Beijing in a hurry. He made Yikuang and Li Hongzhang ministers with full power to negotiate with the great powers. He put the responsibility for the war on the Boxers and ordered the Boxers to be "severely annihilated". On February 14 of the following year, the "Peace Outline" was approved and an edict was issued, stating that it would "measure China's material resources and win the favor of the country." On September 7, 1901, the unprecedentedly humiliating "Peace Negotiation Outline" was signed with 11 imperialist countries. The Treaty of Xinchou" stipulated compensation of 450 million taels, punishment of the main battle officials, and the dismantling of all forts along the line from Dagu to Beijing. At this point, China's semi-colonial and semi-feudal society was completely established. In early 1902, Cixi and Emperor Guangxu returned to Beijing.
In order to maintain her rule and change her image of being conservative and incompetent, the Empress Dowager Cixi announced the implementation of the "New Deal" during the "Western Hunt" and carried out reforms in the economy, military, education, official system, etc., but the purpose of the reform determined Due to the incomplete reforms, and the corruption of the Qing government, many reform measures did not achieve good results when implemented.
In 1904, Japan and Tsarist Russia broke out in the Russo-Japanese War in order to invade Northeast China and North Korea. The battlefield was in Northeast China. The Qing government headed by Cixi actually declared "neutrality", which once again threatened China's sovereignty. were severely trampled on; the people of the Northeast suffered tremendously.
As a result of the Russo-Japanese War, Japan defeated Tsarist Russia. People in the country generally realized that a constitutional monarchy was better than an autocratic monarchy, and asked the Qing government to carry out constitutional reforms. At the same time, the domestic revolutionary movement also grew stronger. In order to maintain her rule, Cixi had to make important decisions. In 1905, five ministers were sent to study abroad. In 1906, they announced preparations for establishing a constitution. In 1908, they promulgated the "Outline of the Imperial Constitution", which was modeled on the constitutions of Germany and Japan. It safeguarded the emperor's "supreme power" and had a longer transition period. In 9 years, it turned out that the preparation for the establishment of the constitution was just a scam.
On November 14, 1908, Emperor Guangxu died of acute arsenic (arsenic trioxide) poisoning. It was most likely that the seriously ill Cixi ordered someone to poison him to death. She appointed Prince Chun Zaifengzi and the 3-year-old Puyi as emperor, with the reign title Xuantong. On November 15, 1908, the day after the death of Emperor Guangxu, Cixi died of illness at the age of seventy-four and was buried in Ding Dong Tomb in Zunhua, Hebei.
Cixi was born on the tenth day of October in the fifteenth year of Daoguang (November 29, 1835), and her birthplace is unknown. Some people say she was born in Anhui, others say she was born in Hohhot; some say Cixi was born in Changzhi City, Shanxi, and some say Cixi was born in Beijing.
In the second year of Xianfeng (May 1852) (18 years old), he was drafted into the palace and given the title Yi Guiren (but he was often called Lan Guiren).
In the fourth year of Xianfeng (1854) (20 years old), she was a concubine of Jin Dynasty. (The status of the harem in the Qing Dynasty was divided into eight levels, in order: queen, imperial concubine, concubine, concubine, concubine, noble, permanent, and promised)
The sixth year of Xianfeng (
1856 (21 years old), gave birth to the emperor's eldest son Zai Chun (later Emperor Tongzhi), who was concubine Yi of Jin that day.
In the seventh year of Xianfeng (1857) (22 years old), Jin Yi was a noble concubine.
In the tenth year of Xianfeng (1860) (26 years old), the British and French allied forces captured Beijing. Emperor Xianfeng led his concubines, family members, and other important officials to escape to the Chengde Summer Resort, and ordered Prince Gong Yi? to stay in Beijing to negotiate peace with the allied forces.
In the eleventh year of Xianfeng (1861) (27 years old), Emperor Xianfeng died, and Prince Zaichun succeeded to the throne. She was revered as the Holy Mother and Queen Mother as the emperor’s biological mother; in September, with the support of Prince Gong Yi? The Xinyou coup was launched. The queen mothers of the two palaces joined forces with Prince Gong to kill Sushun and other eight ministers. They successfully seized power and listened to the government behind the curtain.
In the first year of Tongzhi (1862) (28 years old), Emperor Tongzhi gave the Empress Dowager the title of "Cixi".
In the fourth year of Tongzhi (1865) (31 years old), Wang Yi? was dismissed from his post as a political advisor. He was questioned by foreigners, clan members and ministers, but was reinstated.
In the thirteenth year of Tongzhi (1874) (40 years old), Emperor Tongzhi died because he had no heirs. According to the wishes of the Empress Dowager, Prince Chun Yixuan's son Zaitian succeeded him (later known as Emperor Guangxu).
In March of the seventh year of Guangxu (1881) (47 years old) Empress Dowager Niu Colu died of illness at the age of 45.
In the thirteenth year of Guangxu's reign (1888) (54 years old), Emperor Guangxu got married and took charge of the government in person the following year; Cixi continued to "train administration".
In the 19th year of Guangxu (1894) (60 years old), the Empress Dowager celebrated her 60th birthday; the Sino-Japanese War of Sino-Japanese War was defeated.
In the twenty-fourth year of Guangxu (1898) (64 years old), because Emperor Guangxu launched the Reform Movement of 1898, the Empress Dowager launched the 1898 Reform Movement, killed the Six Gentlemen, imprisoned Guangxu, and later resumed political training.
In the twenty-sixth year of Guangxu (1900) (66 years old), the Boxer Rebellion launched the Gengzi Fist Rebellion, which led to the eight-power coalition attacking Beijing. The empress was forced to leave Beijing and go to Xi'an to avoid trouble.
In the twenty-seventh year of Guangxu (1901) (67 years old), after the Xinchou Treaty was signed, the two palaces returned to Luan; the empress dowager and the emperor issued an edict to punish themselves and implement the Gengzi New Deal.
In 1908, the thirty-fourth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu (74 years old), one day after the death of Emperor Guangxu, the Empress Dowager died of illness at 5 pm on November 15 and was later buried in Dingdong Tomb; Emperor Daxing had no heirs. , with Prince Chun Zaifeng as regent, and his son Puyi as emperor (later Emperor Xuantong).
The full posthumous title given to the Empress Dowager Yehenara during her lifetime and after her death is: Xiaoqin Cixi Duanyou Kang Yizhao Yuzhuang Chengshou Gongqinxian Chongxi Pei Tianxing Shengxian Queen, the posthumous title has 23 characters, consecutive The queen has 25 characters, and her posthumous title is longer than the founding queen of the Qing Dynasty, Xiaozhuang, and the two main queens, Xiaode and Xiaozhen. She is the longest among the queens of the Qing Dynasty and all other Chinese dynasties. In 1928, the warlord Sun Dianying led his men to steal the splendid and luxurious Dongling Tomb of Empress Dowager Cixi in the name of an exercise.
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