Empress Dowager Longyu
Encyclopedia
Empress Xiao Ding Jing; is better known as the Empress Dowager Longyu , (given name: Jingfen 靜芬 ). Also , she had the nickname was Xizi （喜子）. Empress Xiao Ding Jing was the Qing Dynasty Empress Consort
of the Guangxu Emperor
who ruled China
from 1875 till 1908. She is best remembered for signing the abdication on behalf of the child Emperor Puyi
, in 1911, ending imperial rule in China.
Empress Xiao Ding Jing née Yehenara （叶赫那拉氏） was the second daughter of Vice General Guixiang （桂祥） by his wife of Mongolian origin. Lady Yehenara was born in the seventh year of Emperor Tongzhi's reign and lived from 1868 to 22 February 1913. In 1889 it was decided that the Guangxu Emperor had to marry before ruling the country in his own right. Among many girls, Lady Yehenara was chosen as the Empress Consort because her aunt, the Empress Dowager Cixi
, wanted to strengthen the power of her own family. She married the Guangxu Emperor
, her cousin, on 26 February 1889, and became his Empress directly after the wedding ceremony. The wedding ceremony of Guangxu and Longyu, an extremely extravagant and spectacular occasion, took place on 26 February 1889. However, prior to the wedding, on 16 January 1889, the Forbidden City caught fire, and the Gate of Supreme Harmony was burnt down. According to the traditions of the Qing Dynasty imperial court, the route of the Emperor's wedding procession had to pass through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, which was completely destroyed. As a result, many people took this incident as a bad omen.
Due to the fact that the reconstruction of the gate would be extremely time-consuming, and the wedding date of the Emperor could not be postponed once decided, Empress Dowager Cixi ordered a tent resembling the gate to be constructed. The artisans used paper and wood to build the tent, and after it was done, the tent had exactly the same height and the same width as the original gate, with ornamentation extremely similar to the original. As a result, even people who walked through the inner palace on a regular basis could not tell the difference between the original gate and the temporary tent at first.
However, after their marriage, Yehenara was detested and ignored by the Guangxu Emperor, who favoured Consort Zhen of the Tatara clan . At first, Empress Dowager Cixi regarded Consort Zhen favourably, but, after finding out she had overspent her allowance, she demoted her. Cixi eventually grew more hostile to the Imperial Consort, and sent her to a "cold palace", a place reserved for an emperor's disfavoured consorts.
Due to her opposition to the Guangxu Emperor's Hundred Day's Reform of 1898, Empress Dowager Cixi had him imprisoned inside the former Imperial Residence. Lady Yehenara would frequently spy on the Emperor and report his every action to Empress Dowager Cixi. In 1900, during the Boxer rebellion
, Lady Yehenara fled with the Empress Dowager and Emperor Guangxu to Xi'an
when Beijing
was occupied by foreign armies. Upon their return, Consort Zhen drowned in a well within the Forbidden City.
Both the Guangxu Emperor and Cixi died within one day of each other in 1908, after which Empress Yehenara was made Empress Dowager, with the honorable titles Longyu, meaning "Auspicious and Prosperous".
Immediately after Emperor Guangxu's death, Empress Dowager Cixi appointed Puyi
, a nephew of Guangxu, as the new emperor. Longyu had no children of her own, and thus as Empress Dowager adopted Puyi. The Empress Dowager Cixi
had decreed before her death that the Qing Dynasty
would never again allow the regency
of women, but that Longyu was to remain the leading figure and was to be consulted on all major decisions. When Longyu assumed the title of Empress Dowager, she was, theoretically, in a position to make all important decisions. However, because of her inexperience in politics
, in the first few years the Imperial Court
was dominated by the young regent Zaifeng, 2nd Prince Chun
, the father of the new emperor and Longyu's brother-in-law, and then by Yuan Shikai
; Longyu was dependent on both.
On Yuan's advice in the fall of 1911, Empress Dowager Longyu agreed to sign an abdication on behalf of the six-year-old Xuantong Emperor
. She agreed only if the Imperial family were allowed to keep its titles. Other agreements were these:
In 1912, the Qing Dynasty was abolished, making way for the new Republic of China.
Within a few months after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, on 22 February 1913, Longyu died in Beijing after an illness. She was 44 years old, and was the only Empress of China whose coffin was transported from the Forbidden City
to her tomb by train. At her funeral, the Vice President of the Republic of China, Li Yuanhong
(黎元洪), praised Empress Dowager Longyu as the "most excellent among women".
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of the Guangxu Emperor
Guangxu Emperor
The Guangxu Emperor , born Zaitian of the Aisin-Gioro clan, was the eleventh emperor of the Manchurian Qing Dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, under Empress Dowager Cixi's influence, only from 1889 to 1898...
who ruled China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
from 1875 till 1908. She is best remembered for signing the abdication on behalf of the child Emperor Puyi
Puyi
Puyi , of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the last Emperor of China, and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing Dynasty. He ruled as the Xuantong Emperor from 1908 until his abdication on 12 February 1912. From 1 to 12 July 1917 he was briefly restored to the throne as a nominal emperor by the...
, in 1911, ending imperial rule in China.
Biography
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
, wanted to strengthen the power of her own family. She married the Guangxu Emperor
Guangxu Emperor
The Guangxu Emperor , born Zaitian of the Aisin-Gioro clan, was the eleventh emperor of the Manchurian Qing Dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, under Empress Dowager Cixi's influence, only from 1889 to 1898...
, her cousin, on 26 February 1889, and became his Empress directly after the wedding ceremony. The wedding ceremony of Guangxu and Longyu, an extremely extravagant and spectacular occasion, took place on 26 February 1889. However, prior to the wedding, on 16 January 1889, the Forbidden City caught fire, and the Gate of Supreme Harmony was burnt down. According to the traditions of the Qing Dynasty imperial court, the route of the Emperor's wedding procession had to pass through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, which was completely destroyed. As a result, many people took this incident as a bad omen.
Due to the fact that the reconstruction of the gate would be extremely time-consuming, and the wedding date of the Emperor could not be postponed once decided, Empress Dowager Cixi ordered a tent resembling the gate to be constructed. The artisans used paper and wood to build the tent, and after it was done, the tent had exactly the same height and the same width as the original gate, with ornamentation extremely similar to the original. As a result, even people who walked through the inner palace on a regular basis could not tell the difference between the original gate and the temporary tent at first.
However, after their marriage, Yehenara was detested and ignored by the Guangxu Emperor, who favoured Consort Zhen of the Tatara clan . At first, Empress Dowager Cixi regarded Consort Zhen favourably, but, after finding out she had overspent her allowance, she demoted her. Cixi eventually grew more hostile to the Imperial Consort, and sent her to a "cold palace", a place reserved for an emperor's disfavoured consorts.
Due to her opposition to the Guangxu Emperor's Hundred Day's Reform of 1898, Empress Dowager Cixi had him imprisoned inside the former Imperial Residence. Lady Yehenara would frequently spy on the Emperor and report his every action to Empress Dowager Cixi. In 1900, during the Boxer rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
, Lady Yehenara fled with the Empress Dowager and Emperor Guangxu to Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
when Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
was occupied by foreign armies. Upon their return, Consort Zhen drowned in a well within the Forbidden City.
Both the Guangxu Emperor and Cixi died within one day of each other in 1908, after which Empress Yehenara was made Empress Dowager, with the honorable titles Longyu, meaning "Auspicious and Prosperous".
The end of a dynasty
Puyi
Puyi , of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the last Emperor of China, and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing Dynasty. He ruled as the Xuantong Emperor from 1908 until his abdication on 12 February 1912. From 1 to 12 July 1917 he was briefly restored to the throne as a nominal emperor by the...
, a nephew of Guangxu, as the new emperor. Longyu had no children of her own, and thus as Empress Dowager adopted Puyi. The Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
had decreed before her death that the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
would never again allow the regency
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of women, but that Longyu was to remain the leading figure and was to be consulted on all major decisions. When Longyu assumed the title of Empress Dowager, she was, theoretically, in a position to make all important decisions. However, because of her inexperience in politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, in the first few years the Imperial Court
Imperial Court
An Imperial Court is the noble court of an empire .For example:*The noble court of an Emperor of China, Emperor of Japan, Emperor of Ethiopia, Emperor of Austria, Emperor of India, Emperor of Persia, etc....
was dominated by the young regent Zaifeng, 2nd Prince Chun
Zaifeng, 2nd Prince Chun
The 2nd Prince Chun was born Zaifeng , of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro clan . He was the leader of China between 1908 and 1911, serving as regent for his son Puyi, the Xuantong Emperor.His courtesy name was Yiyun...
, the father of the new emperor and Longyu's brother-in-law, and then by Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived...
; Longyu was dependent on both.
On Yuan's advice in the fall of 1911, Empress Dowager Longyu agreed to sign an abdication on behalf of the six-year-old Xuantong Emperor
Puyi
Puyi , of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the last Emperor of China, and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing Dynasty. He ruled as the Xuantong Emperor from 1908 until his abdication on 12 February 1912. From 1 to 12 July 1917 he was briefly restored to the throne as a nominal emperor by the...
. She agreed only if the Imperial family were allowed to keep its titles. Other agreements were these:
- The Imperial family could keep its possessions.
- They could stay in the Forbidden City temporarily, then would eventually move to the summer palace.
- They would receive an annual stipend of 4,000,000 silver yuan.
- The Imperial graves would be protected and looked after.
- The new government would pay for the funeral and tomb of the late Guangxu emperor.
In 1912, the Qing Dynasty was abolished, making way for the new Republic of China.
Within a few months after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, on 22 February 1913, Longyu died in Beijing after an illness. She was 44 years old, and was the only Empress of China whose coffin was transported from the Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
to her tomb by train. At her funeral, the Vice President of the Republic of China, Li Yuanhong
Li Yuanhong
Li Yuanhong was a Chinese general and political figure during the Qing dynasty and the republican era. He was twice president of the Republic of China.- Early history :...
(黎元洪), praised Empress Dowager Longyu as the "most excellent among women".
Titles from birth to death
- 1868 – 26 February 1889: Lady Yehenara
- 26 February 1889 – 2 December 1908: Yehenara, Empress Longyu
- 2 December 1908 – 22 February 1913: Yehenara, Empress Dowager Longyu
Sources and literature
- Sterling Seagrave: "Dragon Lady" ISBN 0679733698
- Maria Warner: "The Dragon Empress: Life and Times of Tz'u-Hsi, 1835 - 1908, Empress of China". ISBN 0689707142
- Anchee Min: "Empress Orchid" ISBN 978-0618068876
- Een Vrouw op de Drakentroon (A woman on the dragonthrone), Mayli Wen (foreword Lulu Wang), ISBN 9054292229
- Daily Life in the Forbidden City, Wan Yi, Wang Shuqing, Lu Yanzhen ISBN 0-670-81164-5