Empress Dowager Cixi

Empress Dowager Cixi was effectively the ruler of the Great Qing Empire from 1861 to 1908. A daughter of the Manchu Yehe Nara Clan, was began as the concubine of Emperor Xianfeng and rose to prominence when her son succeeded him as Emperor Tongzhi during whose minority she took power from the regents. In 1875 she put her nephew Emperor Guangxu on the throne but continued to dominate affairs. She presided over the disastrous defeat in the Boxer Rebellion and after years of hesitation began to enact political reforms along with the modernization program she had enacted long before. It was insufficient to save the dynasty but she lived long enough to choose her nephew, Aisin-Gioro Pu-Yi, to become the last Emperor of China.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Tsu-Hsi
• Cixi
• Empress Dowager
• Qing
• China
• Manchu
• Empire
• dynasty
• royalty
• monarchy

[MadeInDC1983]

In the movie, "The Last Emperor", there is a part in the very beginning where The Grand Empress Dowager Cixi was speaking with little Pu Yi while she was dieing. While she was explaining to him that he would become King of 10,000 years, the Eunuch's rolled her bed underneath a giant black pearl hanging from the ceiling. Can someone explain to me what the meaning of this was? Great F'ing movie by the way!!!!.

[MsPurpleNova]

The Empress Dowager Cixi is a fascinated woman in Chinese History. I am researching her as part of my History Essay on the Qing Dynasty. I love the Chinese clothing, Hairstyles and Accessories that she has and wears :) They are all beautiful. Amazing Video. Love the Pictures of her and the music is Beautiful

[redwhitedude]

@tdzheng I'm not sure if her not misusing funds would have made a difference. The military was rife with corruption. A lot of people were taking advantage of their positions. She did not provide the initial push to reform where as the people in the regions could see first hand that the west was kicking their butts. I think the disconnect between peking and the regions(viceroys) may have started creating this situation.

[tdzheng]

@redwhitedude true, but she still manage to hold together the already crumbling empire.

after taiping rebellion, many ministers had the power equivalent to a warlord, which happened in 1912 when the last empress dowager abdicated. ministers had complete control of the military like yuan shikai.

civil war lol!

if only she is did not misuse the funds meant for the military, which was a crumbling blow to Qing military might. sprouting seeds of warlordism.

[redwhitedude]

Unfortunately she did not provide the type of leadership that was badly needed at the time. If she had used her political skills to proper ends maybe things would have turned out differently. Her clan was the last manchu clan that was subdued by Nurhachi.

[jeffinous]

春江花月夜 - Flowers in a moonlit light on a river during spring time.

[Zzyxzaa]

What song is this? It's beautiful.

[perla51]

Niceee!!!!! Hugs Perla.