The Empress Dowager Cixi (Chinese: 慈禧太后; Hanyu Pinyin: Cíxǐ; Wade-Giles: Tz'u-hsi) (November 29, 1835 –November 15, 1908), popularly known in China as the Western Empress Dowager (西太后), and officially known posthumously as Empress Xiaoqin Xian (孝欽顯皇后), was a powerful and charismatic figure who was the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, ruling over C ...

Including:

• Empress Dowager Cixi - Youth
• Empress Dowager Cixi - Names
• Empress Dowager Cixi - Road to power
• Empress Dowager Cixi - Regency under Tongzhi
• Empress Dowager Cixi - Securing absolute power
• Empress Dowager Cixi - Crisis with Guangxu
• Empress Dowager Cixi - Overview of politics
• Empress Dowager Cixi - Tomb
• Empress Dowager Cixi - Historical opinion
• Empress Dowager Cixi - Reference

Read more here: » Empress Dowager Cixi: Encyclopedia - Empress Dowager Cixi

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Empress Dowager Cixi, Empress Dowager Cixi - Youth, Empress Dowager Cixi - Names, Empress Dowager Cixi - Road to power, Empress Dowager Cixi - Regency under Tongzhi, Empress Dowager Cixi - Securing absolute power, Empress Dowager Cixi - Crisis with Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi - Overview of politics, Empress Dowager Cixi - Tomb, Empress Dowager Cixi - Historical opinion, Empress Dowager Cixi - Reference

Read more here: » Empress Dowager Cixi: Encyclopedia II - Empress Dowager Cixi - Names

Cixi was interred amidst the Eastern Qing Tombs (清東陵), 125 km (75 miles) east of Beijing, in the Dingdongling (定東陵) tomb complex (literally: the "Tombs east of the Dingling tomb"), along with Empress Dowager Ci'an. More precisely, Ci'an lies in the Puxiangyu Dingdongling (普祥峪定東陵) (literally: the "Tomb east of the Dingling tomb in the Vale of wide good omen"), while Cixi built herself the much larger Putuoyu Dingdongling (菩陀峪定東陵) (literally: the "Tomb east of the Dingling tomb in the Vale of Putuo"). The Di ...

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Empress Dowager Cixi, Empress Dowager Cixi - Youth, Empress Dowager Cixi - Names, Empress Dowager Cixi - Road to power, Empress Dowager Cixi - Regency under Tongzhi, Empress Dowager Cixi - Securing absolute power, Empress Dowager Cixi - Crisis with Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi - Overview of politics, Empress Dowager Cixi - Tomb, Empress Dowager Cixi - Historical opinion, Empress Dowager Cixi - Reference

Read more here: » Empress Dowager Cixi: Encyclopedia II - Empress Dowager Cixi - Tomb

Recent biographies of Cixi usually state that she was the daughter of a low-ranking Manchu official, Huizheng (惠征), of the Yehe-Nara clan, serving in Shanxi province and then in Anhui province. Her mother, the principal wife of Huizheng, was the Lady Fuca, of the Manchu Fuca clan. Recent biographies are unable to decide where exactly Cixi was born. She is supposed to have spent most of her early life in Anhui (after a brief period in Shanxi), and then moved to Peking at an unknown age between her third and her fifteenth birthday. Accordi ...

See also:

Empress Dowager Cixi, Empress Dowager Cixi - Youth, Empress Dowager Cixi - Names, Empress Dowager Cixi - Road to power, Empress Dowager Cixi - Regency under Tongzhi, Empress Dowager Cixi - Securing absolute power, Empress Dowager Cixi - Crisis with Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi - Overview of politics, Empress Dowager Cixi - Tomb, Empress Dowager Cixi - Historical opinion, Empress Dowager Cixi - Reference

Read more here: » Empress Dowager Cixi: Encyclopedia II - Empress Dowager Cixi - Youth

Nara can refer to: Nara prefecture, part of the Kansai region of central Honshu, Japan Nara is the city of Nara Prefecture, Japan The Nara Period of the History of Japan Nara is a major Manchu clan. The Hūlun Four States (Hada, Ula, Hoifa, Yehe) were ruled by this clan. Hada Nara and Ula Nara share the ancestor. Yehe Nara originated in the Mongols but took over this clan. Hoifa Nara came from the Ikderi clan. Empress Dowager Cixi was from the Yehe Nara clan. Nara is

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A Chinese clan (会馆, pinyin: Huìgǔan) is a patrilineal and patrilocal group of related Chinese people with a common surname and sharing a common ancestor and, in many cases, an ancestral village (see clan). Clan loyalties tend to be very strong in the south of China, and to a large extent are reinforced by ties to the ancestral village, common property, and often a common spoken Chinese dialect which can be unintelligible to people outside the village. Clan structures tend to be weaker in the north of China, clan members do not usually resid ...

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The 2nd Prince Chun (Chinese: 醇親王) (February 12, 1883 - February 3, 1951) was born Zaifeng (Chinese: 載灃; Wade-Giles: Tsai-feng), of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro clan (the Qing imperial family ruling over China). He was the leader of China between 1908 and 1911, serving as the regent for his young son Puyi, the Xuantong Emperor. His courtesy name (字) was Yiyun (亦雲). His pseudonym (號), chosen in his older days, was Shupi (書癖). 2nd Prince Chun - Family and Childhood. He was the se ...

Including:

• 2nd Prince Chun - Family and Childhood
• 2nd Prince Chun - Life in Government
• 2nd Prince Chun - Regency
• 2nd Prince Chun - Life after the Qing Dynasty
• 2nd Prince Chun - Opinion

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For the Chinese ethnic group, see Buyei. Puyi (Chinese:溥儀;) (February 7, 1906 - October 17, 1967) of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro ruling family was the Xuantong Emperor (宣統皇帝) of China between 1908 and 1924 (ruling emperor between 1908 and 1912, and non-ruling emperor between 1912 and 1924), the tenth and last emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty to rule over China. He was married to the Empress Gobulo Wan Rong under the suggestion of the Imperial Dowager Concubine Duan-Kang （端康太妃）. Later be ...

Including:

• Puyi - Name
• Puyi - Ancestry
• Puyi - Paternal side
• Puyi - Maternal side
• Puyi - Biography
• Puyi - Emperor of China 1908-1924
• Puyi - Brief restoration 1917
• Puyi - Private citizen 1924-1932
• Puyi - Ruler of Manchukuo 1932-1945
• Puyi - Later life 1945-1967
• Puyi - Marriages
• Puyi - Burial
• Puyi - Portrayal
• Puyi - Notes

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Beijing opera or Peking opera (Simplified Chinese: 京剧; Traditional Chinese: 京劇; Pinyin: Jīngjù) is a kind of Chinese opera which arose in the mid-19th century and was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court. It is widely regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China. Beijing and Tianjin are respected as the base cities of Peking opera in the north while Shanghai is the base in the south. Beijing opera - History. Although it is called Beijing opera, its origins are not in Beijing bu ...

Including:

• Beijing opera - History
• Beijing opera - Four main roles
• Beijing opera - Famous artists
• Beijing opera - Four Great Dans
• Beijing opera - Repertoire
• Beijing opera - Venue

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The emperor or huángdì (皇帝) of China was the head of government and head of state of China from the Qin dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911. The pre-Qin heads of the government were called wang (roughly translated as King). Before Qin Shi Huang, the characters huang ("godking") and di ("sage king") were used separately and never consecutively (See Three Huang and five Di). After the Han dynasty, huangdi began to be abbreviated to huang or di -- the ...

Including:

• Emperor of China - Position and power
• Emperor of China - Heredity and succession
• Emperor of China - Styles names and forms of address
• Emperor of China - Family

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The Boxer Uprising (Traditional: 義和團起義; Simplified: 义和团起义; Hanyu Pinyin: Yìhétuán Qǐyì; The Righteous and Harmonious Fists) was an uprising against Western commercial and political influence in China during the final years of the 19th century, from November 1899 to September 7, 1901[1]. By August 1900 over 230 foreigners, thousan ...

Including:

• Boxer Rebellion - Anti-Western Movement
• Boxer Rebellion - Eight nation alliance
• Boxer Rebellion - Results
• Boxer Rebellion - Reference
• Boxer Rebellion - In fiction
• Boxer Rebellion - Footnotes

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Yuan Shikai (Courtesy Weiting 慰亭; Pseudonym: Rong'an 容庵　Traditional: 袁世凱; Simplified: 袁世凯; Hanyu Pinyin: Yuán Shìkǎi; Wade-Giles: Yüan Shih-k'ai) (September 16, 1859 – June 6, 1916) was a Chinese military official and politician during the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. He was infamous for taking advantage of both the Qing imperial court and the Republicans, for his authoritaria ...

Including:

• Yuan Shikai - Early years
• Yuan Shikai - Korea
• Yuan Shikai - Late Qing Dynasty
• Yuan Shikai - Retreat and the Republic
• Yuan Shikai - Becoming Emperor
• Yuan Shikai - Evaluation and legacy

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Qing Dynasty - Society. Manchu males had the custom of braiding hair into a pigtail known as a queue. During the Qing Dynasty, the Manchus enforced this custom onto the Han population, and any male who was seen without pigtail outdoors was to be beheaded. Emperor Kangxi commanded the most complete dictionary of Chinese characters ever put together at the time, and under Emperor Qianlong, the compilation of a catalogue of the important works on Chinese culture was made. Thousands of books viewed by Manchu rulers as politically unacceptable were destroyed when compiling the cata ...

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Qing Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Formation of the Manchu state, Qing Dynasty - The conquest of China, Qing Dynasty - Kangxi and Consolidation, Qing Dynasty - The Yongzheng & Qianlong emperors, Qing Dynasty - Rebellion unrest and external pressure, Qing Dynasty - The Rule of Empress Dowager Cixi, Qing Dynasty - Qing government and society, Qing Dynasty - Society, Qing Dynasty - Politics, Qing Dynasty - Bureaucracy, Qing Dynasty - Military, Qing Dynasty - Fall of the Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Legacy, Qing Dynasty - External link

Read more here: » Qing Dynasty: Encyclopedia II - Qing Dynasty - Qing government and society

In the late 19th century, a new leader emerged. The Empress Dowager Cixi, concubine to the Xianfeng Emperor (r. 1850-1861), the mother of child emperor Tongzhi, and Aunt of Guangxu successfully controlled the Qing government and was the de facto leader of China for 47 years. She staged a coup d'état to oust the regency led by Sushun appointed by the late Emperor. She was known for her "behind the curtain" (垂簾聽政) participation in politics. By the 1860s, the Qing dynasty had put down the rebellions with the help of militia orga ...

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Qing Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Formation of the Manchu state, Qing Dynasty - The conquest of China, Qing Dynasty - Kangxi and Consolidation, Qing Dynasty - The Yongzheng & Qianlong emperors, Qing Dynasty - Rebellion unrest and external pressure, Qing Dynasty - The Rule of Empress Dowager Cixi, Qing Dynasty - Qing government and society, Qing Dynasty - Society, Qing Dynasty - Politics, Qing Dynasty - Bureaucracy, Qing Dynasty - Military, Qing Dynasty - Fall of the Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Legacy, Qing Dynasty - External link

Read more here: » Qing Dynasty: Encyclopedia II - Qing Dynasty - The Rule of Empress Dowager Cixi

By the early 20th century, mass civil disorder had begun and continuously grown. Cixi and the Guangxu emperor both died in 1908, leaving a relatively powerless and unstable central authority. Puyi, the eldest son of Zaifeng, Prince Chun, was appointed successor at age two, leaving Zaifeng with the regency. This was followed by the dismissal of General Yuan Shikai from his former positions of power. In mid 1911 Zaifeng created the "Imperial Family Cabinet", a ruling council of the Imperial Government almost entirely consisting of Aisin Gioro relatives. This brought a wide range of negati ...

See also:

Qing Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Formation of the Manchu state, Qing Dynasty - The conquest of China, Qing Dynasty - Kangxi and Consolidation, Qing Dynasty - The Yongzheng & Qianlong emperors, Qing Dynasty - Rebellion unrest and external pressure, Qing Dynasty - The Rule of Empress Dowager Cixi, Qing Dynasty - Qing government and society, Qing Dynasty - Society, Qing Dynasty - Politics, Qing Dynasty - Bureaucracy, Qing Dynasty - Military, Qing Dynasty - Fall of the Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Legacy, Qing Dynasty - External link

Read more here: » Qing Dynasty: Encyclopedia II - Qing Dynasty - Fall of the Dynasty

The Kangxi Emperor (r. 1662 - 1722) assumed the throne at age seven. During the early years of his reign, he was largely aided by his grandmother, the Grand Empress Dowager, Xiaozhuang. The Manchus found controlling their newly won empire a daunting task. The vastness of China's territory meant that there were only enough banner troops to garrison key cities forming the backbone of a defence ...

See also:

Qing Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Formation of the Manchu state, Qing Dynasty - The conquest of China, Qing Dynasty - Kangxi and Consolidation, Qing Dynasty - The Yongzheng & Qianlong emperors, Qing Dynasty - Rebellion unrest and external pressure, Qing Dynasty - The Rule of Empress Dowager Cixi, Qing Dynasty - Qing government and society, Qing Dynasty - Society, Qing Dynasty - Politics, Qing Dynasty - Bureaucracy, Qing Dynasty - Military, Qing Dynasty - Fall of the Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Legacy, Qing Dynasty - External link

Read more here: » Qing Dynasty: Encyclopedia II - Qing Dynasty - Kangxi and Consolidation

The Qing Dynasty was founded not by the Han Chinese people who form the overwhelming majority of the population of China proper, but by the Manchus, a semi-nomadic people not even known by that name when they first rose to prominence in what is now northeastern China. Taking advantage of the political instability and popular rebellions convulsing the Ming Dynasty, the highly organized military forces of the Manchus swept into the Ming capital of Beijing in 1644, and there remained until the Qing dynasty was overthrown in the Xinhai Revol ...

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Qing Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Formation of the Manchu state, Qing Dynasty - The conquest of China, Qing Dynasty - Kangxi and Consolidation, Qing Dynasty - The Yongzheng & Qianlong emperors, Qing Dynasty - Rebellion unrest and external pressure, Qing Dynasty - The Rule of Empress Dowager Cixi, Qing Dynasty - Qing government and society, Qing Dynasty - Society, Qing Dynasty - Politics, Qing Dynasty - Bureaucracy, Qing Dynasty - Military, Qing Dynasty - Fall of the Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Legacy, Qing Dynasty - External link

Read more here: » Qing Dynasty: Encyclopedia II - Qing Dynasty - Formation of the Manchu state

After years of civil unrest, the Ming capital Beijing was sacked by a coalition of rebel forces led by Li Zicheng. The Ming Dynasty officially came to an end when the last Ming emperor committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree on the hill overlooking the Forbidden City. After taking Beijing in April 1644, Li Zicheng led an army of 60,000 strong to confront Wu Sangui, the general commanding Ming's 100,000 strong garrison guarding Shanhaiguan (山海關). Shanhaiguan is the pivotal northeastern pass of the Great Wall of China located fift ...

See also:

Qing Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Formation of the Manchu state, Qing Dynasty - The conquest of China, Qing Dynasty - Kangxi and Consolidation, Qing Dynasty - The Yongzheng & Qianlong emperors, Qing Dynasty - Rebellion unrest and external pressure, Qing Dynasty - The Rule of Empress Dowager Cixi, Qing Dynasty - Qing government and society, Qing Dynasty - Society, Qing Dynasty - Politics, Qing Dynasty - Bureaucracy, Qing Dynasty - Military, Qing Dynasty - Fall of the Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Legacy, Qing Dynasty - External link

Read more here: » Qing Dynasty: Encyclopedia II - Qing Dynasty - The conquest of China

Views of the Hundred Days' Reform have grown increasingly more complex and nuanced. The traditional view portrayed the reformers as heroes and the conservative elites, particularly the Empress Dowager Cixi as villains unwilling to reform because of their selfish interests. However, some historians in the late 20th century have taken views that are more favorable to the conservatives and less favorable to the reformers. In this view, Kang Youwei and his allies were hopeless dreamers unaware of the political realities in which they oper ...

See also:

Hundred Days' Reform, Hundred Days' Reform - Reforms, Hundred Days' Reform - End, Hundred Days' Reform - Aftermath, Hundred Days' Reform - Historical views, Hundred Days' Reform - Reference

Read more here: » Hundred Days' Reform: Encyclopedia II - Hundred Days' Reform - Historical views

Yongzheng (r. 1723 - 1735) and his son Qianlong (r. 1735 - 1796) and their reigns were at the height of Qing power, ruling over 13 million square kilometres of territory. After Kangxi's death in the winter of 1722, his fourth son Yinzhen succeeded as the Yongzheng Emperor. Yongzheng remained a controversial character because of rumours about him usurping the throne, and for the late Kangxi years was involved in great political struggles with his brothers. Yongzheng was a hardworking administrator who ruled with an iron hand. His first ...

See also:

Qing Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Formation of the Manchu state, Qing Dynasty - The conquest of China, Qing Dynasty - Kangxi and Consolidation, Qing Dynasty - The Yongzheng & Qianlong emperors, Qing Dynasty - Rebellion unrest and external pressure, Qing Dynasty - The Rule of Empress Dowager Cixi, Qing Dynasty - Qing government and society, Qing Dynasty - Society, Qing Dynasty - Politics, Qing Dynasty - Bureaucracy, Qing Dynasty - Military, Qing Dynasty - Fall of the Dynasty, Qing Dynasty - Legacy, Qing Dynasty - External link

Read more here: » Qing Dynasty: Encyclopedia II - Qing Dynasty - The Yongzheng & Qianlong emperors