Zaiyuan, 6th Prince Yi
Encyclopedia
Zaiyuan was a prince of the Qing Dynasty
. He was also one of the eight regents appointed by the Xianfeng Emperor
to assist his successor, the Tongzhi Emperor
. His title was Prince Yi of the First Rank (怡親王).
clan, the imperial clan of the Qing Dynasty
. He was a fifth generation descendant of Yinxiang (胤祥), the 13th son of the Kangxi Emperor
. He inherited his ancestors' title of "Prince Yi of the First Rank" in 1852.
Zaiyuan took up important positions during the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor
, including being a minister in the Imperial Clan Court
and imperial guard commander. In 1860 during the Second Opium War
, as the British and French armies closed in on Beijing
, Zaiyuan fled together with the Xianfeng Emperor to Rehe Province.
Before the Xianfeng Emperor died in 1861, he appointed Zaiyuan, Sushun
, Duanhua
and five others as regents to assist his son and successor, the Tongzhi Emperor
. Later that year, Empress Dowager Cixi
and Yixin initiated the Xinyou Coup and seized power from the eight regents. Zaiyuan was arrested in Beijing and imprisoned. He was given a piece of white silk cloth to commit suicide by hanging himself with the cloth. After Zaiyuan's death, his princely title was inherited by Zaidun (載敦), a distant cousin.
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....
. He was also one of the eight regents appointed by the Xianfeng Emperor
Xianfeng Emperor
The Xianfeng Emperor , born Aisin-Gioro I Ju, was the ninth Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861.-Family and his early years:...
to assist his successor, the Tongzhi Emperor
Tongzhi Emperor
The Tongzhi Emperor , born Aisin-Gioro Dzai Šun, was the tenth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1861 to 1875. His reign, which effectively lasted through his adolescence, was largely overshadowed by the rule of his mother, the Empress...
. His title was Prince Yi of the First Rank (怡親王).
Biography
Zaiyuan was born of the Manchu Aisin GioroAisin 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, the imperial clan of 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....
. He was a fifth generation descendant of Yinxiang (胤祥), the 13th son of the Kangxi Emperor
Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor ; Manchu: elhe taifin hūwangdi ; Mongolian: Энх-Амгалан хаан, 4 May 1654 –20 December 1722) was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the first to be born on Chinese soil south of the Pass and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722.Kangxi's...
. He inherited his ancestors' title of "Prince Yi of the First Rank" in 1852.
Zaiyuan took up important positions during the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor
Xianfeng Emperor
The Xianfeng Emperor , born Aisin-Gioro I Ju, was the ninth Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861.-Family and his early years:...
, including being a minister in the Imperial Clan Court
Imperial Clan Court
The Imperial Clan Court , or Court of the Imperial Clan, was an institution responsible for all matters pertaining to the imperial family under the Ming and Qing dynasties of imperial China...
and imperial guard commander. In 1860 during the Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
, as the British and French armies closed in on 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...
, Zaiyuan fled together with the Xianfeng Emperor to Rehe Province.
Before the Xianfeng Emperor died in 1861, he appointed Zaiyuan, Sushun
Sushun
Sushun ; Styled: Yuting was born in the Manchu Aisin-Gioro Clan as the sixth son of Ulgungga , the Prince Zheng....
, Duanhua
Duanhua
Duanhua was a Manchu noble of the Bordered Blue Banner from the Aisin-Gioro clan. Until several days before his death he held the title of Prince Zheng, inherited as one of the eight "iron-cap" princes....
and five others as regents to assist his son and successor, the Tongzhi Emperor
Tongzhi Emperor
The Tongzhi Emperor , born Aisin-Gioro Dzai Šun, was the tenth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1861 to 1875. His reign, which effectively lasted through his adolescence, was largely overshadowed by the rule of his mother, the Empress...
. Later that year, 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....
and Yixin initiated the Xinyou Coup and seized power from the eight regents. Zaiyuan was arrested in Beijing and imprisoned. He was given a piece of white silk cloth to commit suicide by hanging himself with the cloth. After Zaiyuan's death, his princely title was inherited by Zaidun (載敦), a distant cousin.