Empress Dowager Ci'an
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Empress Dowager Ci'an popularly known in China
as the East Empress Dowager , and officially known posthumously as the Empress Xiao Zhen Xian , was the second Empress Consort of the Xianfeng Emperor
(b. 1831 – d.1861) of the Manchu
Qing Dynasty
in China
, and then Empress Dowager after 1861. She is known for being co-de facto ruler of China with Empress Dowager Cixi
for 20 years.
. They were descendants of Prince Eidu of the Niuhuru clan through his third son Celge (車爾格) (? – 1647), who had once directed the Board of Revenue.
died and his fourth son, Prince Yizhu, succeeded him as the Xianfeng Emperor
. Xianfeng's
principal wife, Lady Sakda, had died the previous month and been given the posthumous title of Empress Xiaodexian . The selection of a new principal wife and concubines was delayed by two years due to the mourning period for the late Daoguang Emperor. The elections took place in 1852 and Lady Niuhuru was one of those chosen to stay by Dowager Consort Kangci. Some sources claim that Lady Niuhuru entered the Imperial Palace
in the late 1840s and became a concubine of Prince Yizhu.
Customs required that the emperor had to spent one day a month with the empress. Lady Niuhuru stayed childless and it was the Imperial Concubine Yi (懿嬪) (the later Empress Dowager Cixi
) who bore the Xianfeng Emperor a son, the later Tongzhi Emperor
, on 27 April 1856. Some biographers state that Lady Niuhuru gave birth to the Xianfeng Emperor's only daughter, State Princess Rong'an, who was actually the daughter of the Xianfeng Emperor
's concubine Consort Li. However, as Empress Consort, she was considered to be the legal mother of all of the Emperor's children, regardless of whether or not she was their birth mother. Cixi had little to say in her sons upbringing. It was Lady Niuhuru who raised the Emperor's children and decided their punishment when they did not obey. Cixi once said:
On 22 August 1861, in the wake of the Second Opium War
, the Xianfeng Emperor
died at the Rehe Traveling Palace , 230 km (142.9 mi) northeast of Beijing
, where the imperial court had fled. His heir, the son of the Noble Consort Yi and the eventual Tongzhi Emperor
, was only five years old. As a consequence, the imperial family was shaken by a struggle over who would assume the regency. Lady Niuhuru first agreed to cooperate with the corrupt Manchu official Sushun
, but changed her mind after Noble Consort Yi had chosen confrontation. Eventually, in November 1861, the Noble Consort Yi, with the help of Yixin, Prince Gong, staged a palace coup known as the Xinyou Coup, had the opposing princes commit suicide and their leader Sushun beheaded, and succeeded in securing the regency for her and the Empress Consort.
Palace Daily Records do not explain why there was a difference of 24 hours in the naming of Lady Niuhuru and Noble Consort Yi to the position of Empress Dowager. According to Tony Teng there was a sharp argument between Sushun and Noble Consort Yi about the granting of honors following Xianfeng's death. It is likely that Lady Niuhuru chimed in on Noble Consort Yi's behalf and that Sushun capitulated in the face of the two women.
Eventually Noble Consort Yi
was officially created "Holy Mother Empress Dowager" (聖母皇太后), a great privilege considering that she had never been an Empress Consort while the Xianfeng Emperor
was alive; she was only able to become empress dowager because she was the biological mother of the new Emperor. She was also given the honorific name
of Cixi (慈禧 - meaning "motherly and auspicious"). Lady Niuhuru, as former Empress Consort and the new Emperor's legal mother, was created "Empress Mother Empress Dowager" (母后皇太后), a title which gave her precedence over Empress Dowager Cixi
, and given the honorific name
of Ci'an (慈安 - meaning "motherly and calming"). Because she lived in the eastern part of the Forbidden City
, Empress Dowager Ci'an became popularly known as the East Empress Dowager (東太后). Empress Dowager Ci'an spent most of her life in the Palace of Gathering Essence. On several occasions after 1861, Empress Dowager Ci'an was given additional honorific names (two Chinese characters at a time), as was customary for emperors and empresses, until by the end of her life her name was a long even string of characters beginning with Ci'an.
Empress Dowager Ci'an and Empress Dowager Cixi were appointed joint de facto regents for the minor Tongzhi Emperor
. Because women were not allowed to be seen during audiences they sat behind a curtain. Although in theory she had precedence over Empress Dowager Cixi, Empress Dowager Ci'an was in fact a self-effacing person and seldom intervened in politics, unlike Empress Dowager Cixi, who was the actual master of China. As de facto ruler, Empress Dowager Ci'an had to learn about politics, so she and Cixi studied history. In November 1861, in keeping with the imperial practice, they began to consult the records of their Manchu predecessors. In June 1863, they had the contents of tōng jiàn ji lǎn (通鑑輯覽) explained to them. About a year earlier, an earlier compilation by the Hanlin scholars of the imperial libraries, entitled "A valuable mirror for excellent government" (chih-p'ing pao-chien) became the text for a series of lectures by scholars and officials that Empress Dowager Ci'an and Empress Dowager Cixi attended for over two years, the last lecture given in November 1866.
It is thought by many biographers that Empress Dowager Cixi
was the actual power behind the throne. Despite this, for the first 20 years of her regency she was not allowed to make decisions on her own. Any decree needed the approval of both regents. Both Ci'an and the Tongzhi Emperor
were given a seal, but because Tongzhi was underage the seal was given to his mother, Empress Dowager Cixi. Ci'an's seal was engraved with "Yushang" (Imperial Award) and Cixi's with "Tongdaotang" (Hall of Accord with the Way).
and the war with United Kingdom ceased. The treasury began growing again after decades of depletion. Ci'an was little mentioned during this period and her only notable intervention in politics was in 1869. The most feared grand eunuch of the imperial court An Dehai , close confidant of Empress Dowager Cixi, was on a trip south to buy some dragon robes for Empress Dowager Cixi. While traveling in Shandong
province, he used his power as an envoy of Empress Dowager Cixi to extort money from people, which caused great trouble. The matter was reported to the court by the governor of Shandong, and Empress Dowager Ci'an who heard about it made up a decree which read:
An was beheaded on 12 September 1869. This was quite an unusual reaction for Empress Dowager Ci'an, and the execution of An Dehai is said to have greatly displeased Empress Dowager Cixi. Some sources say that Prince Gong forced Ci'an to take an independent decision for a change. A several days after the arrest an edict was issued by Ci'an:
to marry. As the highest-ranking woman in the Forbidden City
, Empress Dowager Ci'an was put in charge of selecting the Tongzhi Emperor's new empress and concubines. It was decided that a girl from the Mongolian Alute clan (阿鲁特氏) (the later Empress Xiaozheyi) would become the new empress. Lady Alute's mother was Empress Dowager Ci'an's cousin from her father's side. After the wedding, both Empress Dowagers Ci'an and Cixi resigned as co-regents, but they resumed the regency in December 1874 during the Tongzhi Emperor's illness. In January 1875 the Tongzhi Emperor died and Empress Dowager Cixi's nephew, Prince Zaitian, was appointed as successor with the regnal name of Guangxu
. As the new Emperor was also a minor, Empress Dowager Ci'an and Empress Dowager Cixi
were appointed as de facto rulers for the second time.
over Ili
. In 1871, Muslims rebelled in Xinjiang
. The Chinese soon lost power and Russia occupied the Ili basin region. China regained power over Xinjiang in 1877. In 1879, Russia suggested that it maintain a strong presence in the region but China did not agree. The conflict ended with the signing of the Treaty of Saint Petersburg
in February 1881.
Although Ci'an rarely left the Forbidden City, she did visit the Imperial tombs to pay respect to her husband and ancestors. In 1880, while at the Eastern Qing tombs, Ci'an, probable promted by Prince Gong to assert herself and her rights, took precedence in all the ceremonies. While at Xianfeng's tomb a friction started between Ci'an and Cixi. Ci'an as Empress Consort of the deceased Emperor took centre spot. She told Cixi to stand to the right and reminded her that she was only a concubine while her husband was alive. The vacant spot on the left was reserved for Xianfeng's first consort, Lady Sakda. No further friction occurded that day. It is not recorded how Cixi felt about this.
, tutor of the Guangxu Emperor, once in March 1863 for 24 days, and another time in January 1870. The official cause of her death between 9PM and 11 PM was a sudden stroke
. Thirty years after her death rumors would be spread that she had been poisoned by Empress Dowager Cixi. However, such claims have never been substantiated and new evidence has not appeared in the many years since.
One of the most believed rumors is that Ci'an was given a secret edict by the Xianfeng Emperor just before his death. The edict was related to Cixi. If Cixi caused any problems she would be executed. After many years Ci'an revealed the edict to Cixi. The naïve Ci'an burned the edict which was the only thing that stood in Cixi's way for full power. Later that evening Ci'an died.
The posthumous name
given to Empress Dowager Ci'an, which combines the honorific names which she gained during her lifetime with new names added just after her death, was:
which reads:
This long name is still the one that can be seen on Ci'an's tomb today. The short form of her posthumous name is:
After her death a valedictory degree was written for Ci'an which reads as followed:
Empress Dowager Ci'an was interred amidst the Eastern Qing Tombs
, 125 kilometers/75 miles east of Beijing
. She was denied burial next to her husband in the Dingling mausoleum. Instead she was interred in the Dingdongling tomb complex (literally: the "Tombs east of the Dingling tomb"), along with Empress Dowager Cixi. More precisely, Empress Dowager Ci'an lies in the Puxiangyu Dingdonling (literally: the "Tomb east of the Dingling tomb in the Vale of wide good omen"), while Cixi built herself the much larger Putuoyu Dingdongling (literally: the "Tomb east of the Dingling tomb in the Vale of Putuo"). The Dingling tomb (literally: the "Tomb of quietude") is the tomb of the Xianfeng Emperor, the emperor of Empress Dowager Ci'an and Empress Dowager Cixi, which is located indeed west of the Dingdongling. The Vale of Putuo owes its name to Mt Putuo (literally: the "Mountain of the Dharani
of the Site of the Buddha
's Enlightenment
"), at the foot of which the Dingdongling is located.
. Both Tongzhi and Guangxu preferred Ci'an above Cixi. Her good-hearted personality was no match for Empress Dowager Cixi
, who managed to sideline the naive and candid Empress Dowager Ci'an. This is still the popular view in China, the image of a quiet Empress Dowager Ci'an perhaps stemming from the meaning of her honorific name.
However, some historians have painted a very different reality, mainly that of a self-indulgent and idle Empress Dowager Ci'an, who did not care as much for government and hard work as she cared for the pleasures and sweet life inside the Forbidden City
. Empress Dowager Cixi, on the other hand, was a shrewd and intelligent woman who was ready to make sacrifices and work hard in order to obtain the supreme power, and who faced the complex problems that were besetting China at the time. As often, the reality may lie in between these two extremes and some even claim that Ci'an is said to have exhibited temper and willpower. The popular view of Ci'an being a nice simple girl was exaggerated by the reformer Kang Yu-wei and biographers Bland and Backhouse, to build up the contrast between her and Cixi. There are no documented meetings between any foreigner and Ci'an, unlike Cixi, who met many foreigners after 1900.
Katherine A. Carl
, who spent 9 months with empress dowager Cixi in 1903 described Ci'an, even though she never met her, as follows: Ci'an was known as the "Literary Empress". While Cixi handled all state affairs, Ci'an gave herself up to literary pursuits and led the life of a student. She was a woman of such fine literary ability that she herself sometimes examined the essays of the aspirants for the highest literary honors at the University of Beijing. She was also a writer of distinction. Ci'an and Cixi lived amicably together, appreciated each others qualities, and are said to have had a sincere affection for each other, which never weakened during the whole of their long association. Their amicable relation ended with the death if Ci'an in 1881.
Another view of Ci'an was written by Boon Ken Lim. The beautiful Yehenara
, like the Jewess Hager
, was the handmaid who was to bear a son for her master. Ci'an appears to have been like Sarah
, who on her anxiety to make up for her own sterility, encouraged her husband to show his favor to his maid. Perhaps Xianfeng didn't want encouragement but Ci'an took great interest in the concubine as propective mother of the emperor's son and heir. Cixi was quick-tempered and probably jealous of the empress. Just before the birth of Tongzhi, Cixi was nearly demoted in rank for her bad temper and insolence. Ci'an intervered on her behalf. In contrast to Hager, Cixi did not openly despise her mistress. She was as tame as a lamb and for many years they lived on terms of friendship.
English literature and sources:
These books are mainly written about Cixi but Ci'an is mentioned in them as well for she lived 29 years alongside her:
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...
as the East Empress Dowager , and officially known posthumously as the Empress Xiao Zhen Xian , was the second Empress Consort 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:...
(b. 1831 – d.1861) of the Manchu
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...
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....
in 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...
, and then Empress Dowager after 1861. She is known for being co-de facto ruler of China with 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....
for 20 years.
Family
Empress Dowager Ci'an née Niuhuru (鈕祜祿氏) was a Manchu. Her family belonged to the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner CorpsEight Banners
The Eight Banners were administrative divisions into which all Manchu families were placed. They provided the basic framework for the Manchu military organization...
. They were descendants of Prince Eidu of the Niuhuru clan through his third son Celge (車爾格) (? – 1647), who had once directed the Board of Revenue.
- Great-Grandfather: Niuhuru Fuhechinga (鈕祜祿·福克精阿), Baron Duan Min, served as a management official in XiningXiningXining is the capital of Qinghai province, People's Republic of China, and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. It has 2,208,708 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,198,304 live in the built up area made of 4 urban districts.-History:...
- Grandfather: Niuhuru Chiputan (鈕祜祿·策布坦) (? – 1794), Baron Duan Qin, was a second rank commander in Shanxi ProvinceShanxi' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
- Father: Niuhuru Muyangga (鈕祜祿·穆楊阿) (? – before 1852), served as an official in Guangxi ProvinceGuangxiGuangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
- Official Mother: A woman related to the imperial familyAisin GioroAisin 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...
, Niuhuru Muyangga's primary wife. She was the granddaughter of Qingheng (庆恒). - Biological Mother: Lady Giyang (姜氏), Niuhuru Muyangga's concubine
- Aunt: Wife of Duanhua, Prince ZhengDuanhuaDuanhua 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....
- Brother: Niuhuru Guanghe (鈕祜祿·廣科) (? – 1880), a general in HangzhouHangzhouHangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
Early life
Lady Niuhuru was born in the seventeenth year of the Daoguang Emperor's reign. On 15 February 1850 the Daoguang EmperorDaoguang Emperor
The Daoguang Emperor was the eighth emperor of the Manchurian Qing dynasty and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1820 to 1850.-Early years:...
died and his fourth son, Prince Yizhu, succeeded him as 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:...
. Xianfeng's
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:...
principal wife, Lady Sakda, had died the previous month and been given the posthumous title of Empress Xiaodexian . The selection of a new principal wife and concubines was delayed by two years due to the mourning period for the late Daoguang Emperor. The elections took place in 1852 and Lady Niuhuru was one of those chosen to stay by Dowager Consort Kangci. Some sources claim that Lady Niuhuru entered the Imperial Palace
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 the late 1840s and became a concubine of Prince Yizhu.
As the Xianfeng Emperor's consort
Lady Niuhuru's status within the palace rose rapidly. In late March or early April 1852 she was made an Imperial Concubine (嬪) and given the name Zhen (貞 - meaning "upright", "chaste", "virtuous", or "faithful to the memory of one's husband", i.e., by remaining chaste after his death and not remarrying). In late June or early July 1852, she was promoted to the rank of Noble Consort Zhen (貞貴妃). On 24 July 1852, she was officially created Empress Consort (皇后). As Empress Consort she was put in charge of the women's quarters. Some sources claim that Lady Niohuru was already made primary wife after the death of Lady Sakda.Customs required that the emperor had to spent one day a month with the empress. Lady Niuhuru stayed childless and it was the Imperial Concubine Yi (懿嬪) (the later 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....
) who bore the Xianfeng Emperor a son, the later 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...
, on 27 April 1856. Some biographers state that Lady Niuhuru gave birth to the Xianfeng Emperor's only daughter, State Princess Rong'an, who was actually the daughter 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:...
's concubine Consort Li. However, as Empress Consort, she was considered to be the legal mother of all of the Emperor's children, regardless of whether or not she was their birth mother. Cixi had little to say in her sons upbringing. It was Lady Niuhuru who raised the Emperor's children and decided their punishment when they did not obey. Cixi once said:
- "I had...quite a lot of trouble with (Empress Niuhuru) and found it very difficult to keep on good terms with her".
As co-regent for the Tongzhi Emperor
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...
, 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:...
died at the Rehe Traveling Palace , 230 km (142.9 mi) northeast of 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...
, where the imperial court had fled. His heir, the son of the Noble Consort Yi and the eventual 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...
, was only five years old. As a consequence, the imperial family was shaken by a struggle over who would assume the regency. Lady Niuhuru first agreed to cooperate with the corrupt Manchu official Sushun
Sushun
Sushun ; Styled: Yuting was born in the Manchu Aisin-Gioro Clan as the sixth son of Ulgungga , the Prince Zheng....
, but changed her mind after Noble Consort Yi had chosen confrontation. Eventually, in November 1861, the Noble Consort Yi, with the help of Yixin, Prince Gong, staged a palace coup known as the Xinyou Coup, had the opposing princes commit suicide and their leader Sushun beheaded, and succeeded in securing the regency for her and the Empress Consort.
Palace Daily Records do not explain why there was a difference of 24 hours in the naming of Lady Niuhuru and Noble Consort Yi to the position of Empress Dowager. According to Tony Teng there was a sharp argument between Sushun and Noble Consort Yi about the granting of honors following Xianfeng's death. It is likely that Lady Niuhuru chimed in on Noble Consort Yi's behalf and that Sushun capitulated in the face of the two women.
Eventually Noble Consort Yi
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....
was officially created "Holy Mother Empress Dowager" (聖母皇太后), a great privilege considering that she had never been an Empress Consort while 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:...
was alive; she was only able to become empress dowager because she was the biological mother of the new Emperor. She was also given the honorific name
Chinese honorifics
Chinese honorifics were developed due to class consciousness and Confucian principles of order and respect in Ancient and Imperial China. The Chinese polite language also affects Japanese honorifics conceptually; both emphasized the idea of classes and in-group vs. out-group. So the language used...
of Cixi (慈禧 - meaning "motherly and auspicious"). Lady Niuhuru, as former Empress Consort and the new Emperor's legal mother, was created "Empress Mother Empress Dowager" (母后皇太后), a title which gave her precedence over 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 given the honorific name
Chinese honorifics
Chinese honorifics were developed due to class consciousness and Confucian principles of order and respect in Ancient and Imperial China. The Chinese polite language also affects Japanese honorifics conceptually; both emphasized the idea of classes and in-group vs. out-group. So the language used...
of Ci'an (慈安 - meaning "motherly and calming"). Because she lived in the eastern part of 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...
, Empress Dowager Ci'an became popularly known as the East Empress Dowager (東太后). Empress Dowager Ci'an spent most of her life in the Palace of Gathering Essence. On several occasions after 1861, Empress Dowager Ci'an was given additional honorific names (two Chinese characters at a time), as was customary for emperors and empresses, until by the end of her life her name was a long even string of characters beginning with Ci'an.
Empress Dowager Ci'an and Empress Dowager Cixi were appointed joint de facto regents for the minor 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...
. Because women were not allowed to be seen during audiences they sat behind a curtain. Although in theory she had precedence over Empress Dowager Cixi, Empress Dowager Ci'an was in fact a self-effacing person and seldom intervened in politics, unlike Empress Dowager Cixi, who was the actual master of China. As de facto ruler, Empress Dowager Ci'an had to learn about politics, so she and Cixi studied history. In November 1861, in keeping with the imperial practice, they began to consult the records of their Manchu predecessors. In June 1863, they had the contents of tōng jiàn ji lǎn (通鑑輯覽) explained to them. About a year earlier, an earlier compilation by the Hanlin scholars of the imperial libraries, entitled "A valuable mirror for excellent government" (chih-p'ing pao-chien) became the text for a series of lectures by scholars and officials that Empress Dowager Ci'an and Empress Dowager Cixi attended for over two years, the last lecture given in November 1866.
It is thought by many biographers that 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....
was the actual power behind the throne. Despite this, for the first 20 years of her regency she was not allowed to make decisions on her own. Any decree needed the approval of both regents. Both Ci'an and 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...
were given a seal, but because Tongzhi was underage the seal was given to his mother, Empress Dowager Cixi. Ci'an's seal was engraved with "Yushang" (Imperial Award) and Cixi's with "Tongdaotang" (Hall of Accord with the Way).
The case of An Dehai
The years after Emperor Xianfeng's death were called the Tongzhi Restoration. It was a period of peace; the Taiping RebellionTaiping Heavenly Kingdom
The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was an oppositional state in China from 1851 to 1864, established by Hong Xiuquan, the leader of the Taiping Rebellion...
and the war with United Kingdom ceased. The treasury began growing again after decades of depletion. Ci'an was little mentioned during this period and her only notable intervention in politics was in 1869. The most feared grand eunuch of the imperial court An Dehai , close confidant of Empress Dowager Cixi, was on a trip south to buy some dragon robes for Empress Dowager Cixi. While traveling in Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
province, he used his power as an envoy of Empress Dowager Cixi to extort money from people, which caused great trouble. The matter was reported to the court by the governor of Shandong, and Empress Dowager Ci'an who heard about it made up a decree which read:
Ding BaozhenDing BaozhenDing Baozhen was the Qing Dynasty governor of Sichuan Province, China after whom the Szechuan dish Kung Pao chicken was named.-Biography:Born in Pingyuan, Guizhou Province in 1820, Ding was appointed a government official in 1854 after an outstanding performance in the annual Royal...
(丁寶楨) (1820-1886) reports that a eunuch has been creating disturbance on the province of Shandong. According to the department of magistrate of Dezhou, a eunuch named An and his followers passed through that place by the way of the imperial canal, in two dragon barges, with much display of pomp and pageantry. He announced that he had come on an imperial mission to procure dragon robes. His barges flew a black banner, bearing in it's center the triple imperial emblems of the sun, and there were also dragon and phoenix flags flying on both side, of his vessels. A goodly company of both sexes were in the attendance on this person; there were female musicians, skilled in the use of string and wind instruments. The banks of the canal were lined with crowds of spectators, who witnessed with amazement and admiration his progress. The twenty-first day of the last month happened to be this eunuch's birthday, so he arrayed himself in dragon robes and stood on the foredeck of his barge, to receive the homage of his suite. The local magistrate was just about to order his arrest when the barges set sail and proceeded southwards. The governor adds that he has already given orders for his immediate arrest.
We are dumbfounded at his report. How can we hope ever to purify the standard of morals in the palace and frighten evil-doers unless we make an example of this insolent eunuch, who was dared to leave Beijing without permission and to commit these lawless deeds? The governors of these three provinces of Shandong, Honan and Jiangsu are ordered to seek out and arrest the eunuch An whom we had formerly honored with the rank of the sixth grade and the decoration of the crow's feather. Upon his being duly identified by his companions, let him be forth with beheaded, without further formalities, no attention is to be paid to any crafty explanations which he may attempt to make. The governors concerned will be held responsible in the event of failure to affect his arrest
An was beheaded on 12 September 1869. This was quite an unusual reaction for Empress Dowager Ci'an, and the execution of An Dehai is said to have greatly displeased Empress Dowager Cixi. Some sources say that Prince Gong forced Ci'an to take an independent decision for a change. A several days after the arrest an edict was issued by Ci'an:
"Ding Baozhen now reports that the eunuch was arrested in the T'ai An prefecture and has been summarily beheaded. Our dynasty's house law is most strict in regard to the proper discipline of eunuchs, and provides severe punishment for any offences to which they may commit. They have always been sternly forbidden to make expeditions to the provinces, or to create trouble. Nevertheless, An Dehai actually had brazen effiontery to violate this law, and for his crimes his execution is only a fitting reward. In future, let all eunuchs take warning by his example; should we have further cause of complaint, the chief eunuchs of the several departments of the household will be punished as well as the actual offender. Any eunuch who may hereafter pretend that he has been sent on imperial business to the provinces shall be cast into chains at once, and sent to Beijing for punishment".
The Tongzhi Emperor's marriage and death
In 1872 both Ci'an and Cixi agreed it was time for the Tongzhi EmperorTongzhi 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...
to marry. As the highest-ranking woman in 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...
, Empress Dowager Ci'an was put in charge of selecting the Tongzhi Emperor's new empress and concubines. It was decided that a girl from the Mongolian Alute clan (阿鲁特氏) (the later Empress Xiaozheyi) would become the new empress. Lady Alute's mother was Empress Dowager Ci'an's cousin from her father's side. After the wedding, both Empress Dowagers Ci'an and Cixi resigned as co-regents, but they resumed the regency in December 1874 during the Tongzhi Emperor's illness. In January 1875 the Tongzhi Emperor died and Empress Dowager Cixi's nephew, Prince Zaitian, was appointed as successor with the regnal name of Guangxu
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...
. As the new Emperor was also a minor, Empress Dowager Ci'an and 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....
were appointed as de facto rulers for the second time.
As co-regent for the Guangxu Emperor
During the late 1870s, Empress Dowager Cixi became ill from liver complaints, so Empress Dowager Ci'an had to rule on her own. During this time, she had to deal with the war with RussiaRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
over Ili
Ili
-Acronyms:* ILI: I Laugh Inside* Integrating Lifestyle Innovations, a home automation company specialising in the design and supply of systems in New Zealand to the world.* Irish Life International, part of Irish Life and Permanent...
. In 1871, Muslims rebelled in Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
. The Chinese soon lost power and Russia occupied the Ili basin region. China regained power over Xinjiang in 1877. In 1879, Russia suggested that it maintain a strong presence in the region but China did not agree. The conflict ended with the signing of the Treaty of Saint Petersburg
Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881)
The Treaty of Saint Petersburg , also known as Treaty of Ili, was the treaty between the Russian Empire and the Chinese Empire, signed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on 12 February 1881...
in February 1881.
Although Ci'an rarely left the Forbidden City, she did visit the Imperial tombs to pay respect to her husband and ancestors. In 1880, while at the Eastern Qing tombs, Ci'an, probable promted by Prince Gong to assert herself and her rights, took precedence in all the ceremonies. While at Xianfeng's tomb a friction started between Ci'an and Cixi. Ci'an as Empress Consort of the deceased Emperor took centre spot. She told Cixi to stand to the right and reminded her that she was only a concubine while her husband was alive. The vacant spot on the left was reserved for Xianfeng's first consort, Lady Sakda. No further friction occurded that day. It is not recorded how Cixi felt about this.
Death and entombment
On 8 April 1881, during an audience at court, Empress Dowager Ci'an became ill and was accompanied to her private apartments, where she died within a few hours. Her sudden death was a shock to many people. Although her health was good, Ci'an had been seriously ill twice according to Weng TongheWeng Tonghe
Weng Tonghe was a Chinese Confucian scholar and imperial tutor during the Qing dynasty. In 1856, he was awarded the highest degree in the imperial examinations and he subsequently became a member of the prestigious Hanlin Academy...
, tutor of the Guangxu Emperor, once in March 1863 for 24 days, and another time in January 1870. The official cause of her death between 9PM and 11 PM was a sudden stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. Thirty years after her death rumors would be spread that she had been poisoned by Empress Dowager Cixi. However, such claims have never been substantiated and new evidence has not appeared in the many years since.
One of the most believed rumors is that Ci'an was given a secret edict by the Xianfeng Emperor just before his death. The edict was related to Cixi. If Cixi caused any problems she would be executed. After many years Ci'an revealed the edict to Cixi. The naïve Ci'an burned the edict which was the only thing that stood in Cixi's way for full power. Later that evening Ci'an died.
The posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
given to Empress Dowager Ci'an, which combines the honorific names which she gained during her lifetime with new names added just after her death, was:
which reads:
- "Empress Xiao ² -zhen ³ Ci'an Yuqing Hejing Chengjing Yitian Zuosheng 4 Xian 5 ".
This long name is still the one that can be seen on Ci'an's tomb today. The short form of her posthumous name is:
- "Empress Xiao Zhen Xian" .
After her death a valedictory degree was written for Ci'an which reads as followed:
"In spite of the ardious duties of the State, which have fully occupied my time, I was naturally of robust constitution and had therefore fully expected to attain to a good old age and to enjoy the Emperor's dutiful ministrations. Yesterday, however, I was suddenly stricken with a slight illness and his Majesty thereupon commanded his physician to attend me; later his Majesty came in person to enquire as to my health. And now, most unexpectedly, I have had a most dangerous relapse. At 7PM this evening I became completely confused in mind and now all hope of my recovery appears to be vain. I am forty-five years of age and for close on twenty years have held the high position of a regent of the empire. Many honorific titles and ceremonies of congratulation have been bestowed upon me: what cause have I therefore to regret?"
Empress Dowager Ci'an was interred amidst the Eastern Qing Tombs
Eastern Qing Tombs
The Eastern Qing Tombs are an imperial mausoleum complex of the Qing Dynasty located in Zunhua, 125 kilometers northeast of Beijing. They are the largest, most complete, and best preserved extant mausoleum complex in China...
, 125 kilometers/75 miles east of 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...
. She was denied burial next to her husband in the Dingling mausoleum. Instead she was interred in the Dingdongling tomb complex (literally: the "Tombs east of the Dingling tomb"), along with Empress Dowager Cixi. More precisely, Empress Dowager Ci'an lies in the Puxiangyu Dingdonling (literally: the "Tomb east of the Dingling tomb in the Vale of wide good omen"), while Cixi built herself the much larger Putuoyu Dingdongling (literally: the "Tomb east of the Dingling tomb in the Vale of Putuo"). The Dingling tomb (literally: the "Tomb of quietude") is the tomb of the Xianfeng Emperor, the emperor of Empress Dowager Ci'an and Empress Dowager Cixi, which is located indeed west of the Dingdongling. The Vale of Putuo owes its name to Mt Putuo (literally: the "Mountain of the Dharani
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
of the Site of the Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
's Enlightenment
Bodhi
Bodhi is both a Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English with the word "enlightenment", but which means awakened. In Buddhism it is the knowledge possessed by a Buddha into the nature of things...
"), at the foot of which the Dingdongling is located.
Ci'an as person
A popular view of Empress Dowager Ci'an is that she was a highly respectable person, always quiet, never hot-tempered, and that she treated everybody very well and was highly respected by the Xianfeng EmperorXianfeng 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:...
. Both Tongzhi and Guangxu preferred Ci'an above Cixi. Her good-hearted personality was no match for 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....
, who managed to sideline the naive and candid Empress Dowager Ci'an. This is still the popular view in China, the image of a quiet Empress Dowager Ci'an perhaps stemming from the meaning of her honorific name.
However, some historians have painted a very different reality, mainly that of a self-indulgent and idle Empress Dowager Ci'an, who did not care as much for government and hard work as she cared for the pleasures and sweet life inside 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...
. Empress Dowager Cixi, on the other hand, was a shrewd and intelligent woman who was ready to make sacrifices and work hard in order to obtain the supreme power, and who faced the complex problems that were besetting China at the time. As often, the reality may lie in between these two extremes and some even claim that Ci'an is said to have exhibited temper and willpower. The popular view of Ci'an being a nice simple girl was exaggerated by the reformer Kang Yu-wei and biographers Bland and Backhouse, to build up the contrast between her and Cixi. There are no documented meetings between any foreigner and Ci'an, unlike Cixi, who met many foreigners after 1900.
Katherine A. Carl
Katherine Carl
Katharine Augusta Carl was an American painter and author who spent nine months in China in 1903 painting a portrait of the Empress Dowager Cixi for the St. Louis Exposition....
, who spent 9 months with empress dowager Cixi in 1903 described Ci'an, even though she never met her, as follows: Ci'an was known as the "Literary Empress". While Cixi handled all state affairs, Ci'an gave herself up to literary pursuits and led the life of a student. She was a woman of such fine literary ability that she herself sometimes examined the essays of the aspirants for the highest literary honors at the University of Beijing. She was also a writer of distinction. Ci'an and Cixi lived amicably together, appreciated each others qualities, and are said to have had a sincere affection for each other, which never weakened during the whole of their long association. Their amicable relation ended with the death if Ci'an in 1881.
Another view of Ci'an was written by Boon Ken Lim. The beautiful Yehenara
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....
, like the Jewess Hager
Hager
Hager is the surname of several people:*Åke Häger , Swedish gymnast*Alva Hager , American politician*Axel Hager , German beach volleyballer*Britt Hager , former American football linebacker...
, was the handmaid who was to bear a son for her master. Ci'an appears to have been like Sarah
Sarah
Sarah or Sara was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai...
, who on her anxiety to make up for her own sterility, encouraged her husband to show his favor to his maid. Perhaps Xianfeng didn't want encouragement but Ci'an took great interest in the concubine as propective mother of the emperor's son and heir. Cixi was quick-tempered and probably jealous of the empress. Just before the birth of Tongzhi, Cixi was nearly demoted in rank for her bad temper and insolence. Ci'an intervered on her behalf. In contrast to Hager, Cixi did not openly despise her mistress. She was as tame as a lamb and for many years they lived on terms of friendship.
Literature and Sources
Chinese sources:- Draft history of the Qing dynasty. 《清史稿》卷二百十四．列傳一．后妃傳．
- Qing dynasty’s "Imperial Kinsmen Genealogy" Manchu nationality history, material and value (清代<玉牒>中的满族史资料及其价值)
- Qing dynasty Wenzong’s veritable records (清文宗实录).
- Qing dynasty Dézōng veritable records (清德宗實錄).
- Royal archives of the Qing dynasty (清宫档案).
- Qing imperial genealogy(清皇室四谱).
- Niuhuru clan genealogy,(钮祜禄家谱).
- Biographies of the Qing dynasty consorts (清历朝后妃列传).
- Weng Tonghe's dairy, (翁同龢日记). Re-isse, ISBN 9787532556700. Published by: 上海古籍 本社特价书.
English literature and sources:
- Barbara Bennet Peterson, Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century - Page 352, M.E. Sharpe, ISBN 076560504X
- Lily Xiao Hong Lee, A. D. Stefanowska, M.E. Sharpe, 1998 "Biographical dictionary of Chinese women". ISBN 9780765600431.
- The Last Emperors "A Social History of Qing Imperial Institutions", Evelyn S. Rawski. ISBN 0-520-22837-5. Published by Univ. of California Press Ltd, London, 1998.
- Boon Ken Lim, "The Chinese crisis from within". ISBN 9789814022347.
- A mosaic of the hundred days; Luke S.K. Kwong, Harverd University. Council on East Asian studies.
- Daily life in the Forbidden City, Wan Yi, Wang Shuqing, Lu Yanzhen. ISBN 0-670-81164-5.
- Joey Bonner, (1986) "Wang Kuo-wei: an intellectual biography". ISBN 0674945948. Published by Harvard University Press.
- Tony Teng Yung-yuan, (1986) "Prince Kung and the Survival of the China Rule, 1858-1898". Ann Arbor: University Microfilms International.
- Hummel, Arthur W., Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period (1644–1912), (U.S. Government Printing Office, 1943). p. 297.
These books are mainly written about Cixi but Ci'an is mentioned in them as well for she lived 29 years alongside her:
- Sterling Seagraves, "Dragon Lady" ISBN 0679733698. (softcover, ISBN 978-0-679-73369-0)
- Maria Warner", "The Dragon Empres": Life and Times of Tz'u-Hsi, 1835–1908, Empress of China". ISBN 0689707142.
- Anchee Min, "Empress Orchid". ISBN 978-0618068876.
- Mayli Wen (foreword Lulu Wang), "Een vrouw op de drakentroon". ISBN 9054292229.
- J.O.P.Bland and Edmund Backhouse, (1914) "under the empress dowager" Pages, 322.
- Derling Yukeng, "Two years in the Forbidden City". ISBN 1404334726. Re-issue published by: IndyPublish.com (2002)
- Isaac Taylor Headland, (1909)"Court life in China". Published by: New York, F.H. Revell.
- Katherine A Carl, (1907) "With the Empress Dowager". ISBN 1417917016. Re-issue published by: Kessinger Publishing, LLC .
- Keith Laidler, (2003) "The last Empress, the she dragon of China". ISBN 0-470-84881-2. Published by: John Wiley & Sons.