Pujie
Encyclopedia
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
Aisin Gioro
Aisin Gioro
Aisin Gioro was the family name of the Manchu emperors of the Qing Dynasty. The House of Aisin Gioro ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which established a republican government in its place. The word aisin means gold in the Manchu language, and "gioro" is the name of the place in...
clan and was the younger brother of the last Emperor of China
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
, 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...
.
Early life
Prince Pujie was the second son of Zaifeng, 2nd Prince ChunZaifeng, 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...
and his wife Guwalgiya Youlan
Youlan, 2nd Princess Chun
Youlan , was the mother of the last Chinese emperor Puyi, also known as the Xuantong Emperor. She was married to Zaifeng, 2nd Prince Chun and also gave birth to another son, Puyi's younger brother Pujie, and three daughters....
. As a child, he was brought to 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...
in 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...
to be a playmate and fellow classmate to his brother 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...
. A well-known incident recounted how the young Puyi threw a tantrum when he saw that the inner lining of one of Pujie's coats was yellow in colour, as yellow was traditionally a colour reserved only for the Emperor.
In 1929, Pujie was sent to Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
for studies. He graduated from the Gakushuin
Gakushuin
The or Peers School is an educational institution founded in Tokyo in 1877, during the Meiji period, for the education of the children of the Japanese aristocracy, though it eventually also opened its doors to the offspring of extremely wealthy commoners...
Peers’ School and became fluent in the Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. He then went on to the Imperial Japanese Army Academy, graduating in July 1935.
Prince Pujie was first married in 1924 to a Manchu princess, Tung Shih-hsia, but they had no issue. He left his wife behind when he went to Japan for studies, and the marriage was dissolved some years later. After graduation from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy, Pujie agreed to an arranged marriage
Omiai
or is a Japanese traditional custom in which unattached individuals are introduced to each other to consider the possibility of marriage. Since this "Miai" or "Omiai" was sometimes translated as "arranged marriage" in English and other foreign languages, which is a total misnomer, some foreigners...
with a Japanese noblewoman. Pujie selected Lady Hiro Saga
Hiro Saga
- External links :*...
(1914–1987), who was a relative of the Japanese Imperial Family, from a photograph from a number of possible candidates vetted by the Kwantung Army. As his brother Emperor Puyi was without a direct heir, the wedding had strong political implications, and was aimed at both fortifying relations between the two nations and introducing Japanese blood into the Manchurian Imperial Family.
The engagement ceremony took place at the Embassy of Manchukuo in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
on 2 February 1937 with the official wedding held in the Imperial Army Hall at Kudanzaka, Tokyo, on 3 April. In October, the couple moved to Hsinking, the capital of Manchukuo, where Puyi was then the Emperor.
Manchukuo
As his elder brother Emperor Puyi had no children, His Imperial Highness The Prince Pujie of Manchukuo was regarded as first in line to succeed to the Manchukuo throne, and the Japanese officially proclaimed him as heir apparentHeir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
. However, he was not appointed by his brother as heir to the Qing dynasty, as imperial traditions stated that a childless Emperor should choose his heir from one of the next generations of the family. While in Manchukuo, Prince Pujie served as honorary head of the Manchukuo Imperial Guards
Manchukuo Imperial Guards
The Manchukuo Imperial Guards was the elite unit of the Manchukuo armed forces created in 1933. It was charged with the protection of the Kangde Emperor Puyi, and senior members of the Manchukuo civil government...
. He returned briefly to Japan in 1944 to attend the Army Staff College
Army War College (Japan)
The ; Short form: of the Empire of Japan was founded in 1882 in Minato, Tokyo to modernize and Westernize the Imperial Japanese Army. Much of the empire's elite including prime ministers during the period of Japanese militarism were graduates of the college....
.
At the time of the collapse of Manchukuo
Evacuation of Manchukuo
The Evacuation of Manchukuo occurred during the Soviet Red Army's invasion of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo as part of the wider Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation of August 1945....
during the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
invasion of Manchuria of August 1945, Pujie initially attempted to escape to exile in Japan with his brother. However, as it became apparent that no escape was possible, he opted to return to Hsinking in an unsuccessful attempt to surrender the city to Kuomingtang forces of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, rather than have the city fall into Russian hands.
Pujie was arrested by the Soviet Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, and was sent to prison camps
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
in Chita and Khabarovsk
Khabarovsk
Khabarovsk is the largest city and the administrative center of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia. It is located some from the Chinese border. It is the second largest city in the Russian Far East, after Vladivostok. The city became the administrative center of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia...
in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
with his brother and other relatives. With the Sino-Soviet rapprochement after the establishment of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Pujie was extradited to China in 1950.
Under the People's Republic of China
On his return to China, Prince Pujie was incarcerated in the FushunFushun
Fushun is a city in Liaoning, China, about 45 km east from Shenyang, with a population about 2,138 090 inhabitants at the 2010 census and an area of 11,271 km2, including 713 km2 of the city proper. Fushun is situated on the Hun He . It was formerly called Fouchouen in French...
War Criminals Management Centre
Fushun War Criminals Management Centre
Fushun War Criminals Management Centre , also known as Liaodong No. 3 Prison or Liaoning No. 3 Prison was the site of the re-education of Manchuko, Kuomintang and Japanese prisoners of war, held by China from 1950 onwards. It was located in the Xinfu District of Fushun city, Liaoning Province,...
. A model prisoner, he became a symbol of leniency by the communist regime, joined the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, and later served in a number of important posts.
In 1978, Pujie became a deputy from Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
at the 5th National People's Congress
5th National People's Congress
The 5th National People's Congress was in session from 1978 to 1983. It held five plenary sessions in this period.The Congress passed the 1978 Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the current Constitution of the People's Republic of China in 1982.-Elected state leaders:*Chairman of...
. He subsequently served as deputy from Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
, Politburo Standing Committee
Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China
The Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China is a committee consisting of the top leadership of the Communist Party of China, whose membership varies between 5 and 9 people. The inner workings of the PSC are not well known, although it is believed that decisions of the PSC are...
Member, and Vice Chairman of the Nationalities Committee of the 6th National People's Congress
6th National People's Congress
The 6th National People's Congress was in session from 1983 to 1988. It held five plenary sessions in this period.-Elected state leaders:In the 1st Plenary Session in 1983, the Congress elected the state leaders:...
in 1983. He was appointed Deputy Head of the China-Japan Friendship Group from 1985. He rose to a seat on the Presidium
Presidium
The presidium or praesidium is the name for the heading organ of various legislative and organizational bodies.-Historical usage:...
of the 7th National People's Congress
7th National People's Congress
The 7th National People's Congress was in session from 1988 to 1993. It held five plenary sessions in this period.-Elected state leaders:In the 1st Plenary Session in 1988, the Congress elected the state leaders:...
in 1988. From 1986, Pujie was also Honorary Director for the Handicapped Welfare Fund.
In addition, he served as a technical adviser on the 1987 film The Last Emperor
The Last Emperor
The Last Emperor is a 1987 biopic about the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China, whose autobiography was the basis for the screenplay written by Mark Peploe and Bernardo Bertolucci. Independently produced by Jeremy Thomas, it was directed by Bertolucci and released in 1987 by Columbia Pictures...
.
Ancestry
Descendants
H.I.H. The Prince Pujie of Manchukuo had two daughters.- Princess Aisin-Gioro HuishengHuishengAisin-Gioro Huisheng was a Princess of the Manchu ruling family. She was the elder daughter of Pujie and his Japanese wife, the noblewoman Hiro Saga. Her uncle, Puyi, was the last Emperor of the Qing Dynasty....
慧生 (1939–1957) - H.H. Princess (Chün Chu Kung Chu) Huisheng, was born at Hsinking on February 1938 and educated privately and then studied at GakushuinGakushuinThe or Peers School is an educational institution founded in Tokyo in 1877, during the Meiji period, for the education of the children of the Japanese aristocracy, though it eventually also opened its doors to the offspring of extremely wealthy commoners...
University. She was killed (murdered) on 10 December 1957 in what appears to have been a murder-suicide.
- Princess Aisin-Gioro Yunsheng 嫮生 (1941- ) - H.H. Princess (Chün Chu Kung Chu) Yunsheng was educated privately and then studied at Gakushuin Women's University in Tokyo. She later married Kosei Fukunaga, a Japanese aristocratAristocracy (class)The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
employed in the automobile industry in Tokyo. She has five children.
In 1961, Pujie was reunited with his wife with permission by Chinese premier Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
. The couple lived in 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...
from 1961 until her death in 1987.
Under the terms of a succession law adopted in 1937, Pujie, as the emperor's full brother, was heir when Puyi died in 1967. Pujie had no sons. When he died, the right of succession passed to his nearest male relative, namely Jin Youzhi
Jin Youzhi
Jīn Yǒuzhī , born Pǔrèn , is the fourth and youngest son of Zaifeng, 2nd Prince Chun, and is, at age , the only surviving brother of Puyi, the last Emperor of China and of Manchukuo....
, his half-brother.