Page 63 - All About History - Issue 38-16

Hero or Villain?
EMPRESS DOWAGER CIXI

Empress Dowager Cixi’s final resting place is one
of the most impressive imperial tombs of China

This opulent ceremonial
headdress was likely worn
by the Empress Dowager Cixi

The Xianfeng Emperor never recovered from the
destruction of the Old Summer Palace in 1860

to smallpox and ultimately death. By 1875, Cixi was Cixi had no issue accepting, arguably marks the start knew she’d been bested. Cixi was able to negotiate
back at the helm of total power. of Imperial China’s unravelling, as behind the scenes, a treaty that meant China would not have to give
The Tongzhi Emperor died without a male heir, the Guangxu Emperor paid increasing attention to up any further territories, and – crucially – she
leaving China in an unprecedented succession liberal ideas of reformation, and when he acceded would be permitted to continue her reign when
crisis: members of the generation above to the throne, he implemented a series of the war was concluded. She uncharacteristically
were ruled out as they could not political, legal and social changes. accepted responsibility for the Boxer Rebellion,
succeed their nephew. After These changes proved issuing a decree of ‘self-reproach’, and upon her
disagreement between Cixi Defining too sudden for China, return to Beijing, set about implementing sweeping
and Ci’an, the four-year-old moment and displeased the political reforms that drew upon foreign policies
son of Prince Chun and The Boxer Rebellion conservatively minded in a bid to rectify internal issues within China. She
Cixi’s sister, Zaitain, was Cixi allied China with the Boxers largely out Cixi, who brought even sponsored the implementation of a reform
chosen to be the new of frustration at foreign interference – she allegations of treason programme more radical than the one suggested by
Guangxu Emperor. was reluctant to change China’s traditional against the emperor, and the reformers she’d previously had beheaded.
Soon after, Ci’an died ways but wanted her country to maintain its subsequently resumed This was a marked step-change for the
global dominance. But she was mindful of
and Cixi fell seriously the predicament, saying: “Today China is the role of regent. conservative Cixi, who had historically distrusted
ill. For some years the extremely weak. We have only the people’s By this time, China foreigners, and historians debate whether she truly
empress dowager had only hearts and minds to depend upon. If we was increasingly facing envisioned a bold new China, or if, after a lifetime
written contact with her cast them aside and lose the people’s pressure from foreign of fighting for power, she’d simply grown tired of
hearts, what can we use to
ministers, but she continued sustain the country?” influences. Cixi, frustrated resistance. She died on 15 November 1908, and on
to wield ultimate power. When 1899 with foreign interference, allied her death bed said she’d “never had a moment in life
the Guangxu Emperor gained the with an anti-Christian, anti-foreign without anxiety.”
right to rule in 1887, court officials cult known as The Boxers. This was
encouraged Cixi to maintain her position until to be her most disastrous failure. The Boxers Was Empress Dowager Cixi a hero or a
a later date. Court officials would put more effort into launched widespread attacks on missionaries and villain? Let us know what you think
impressing Cixi than the emperor, and the young diplomats, ultimately resulting in another foreign
man was often overlooked entirely when it came to occupancy of Beijing. Court officials encouraged her Facebook Twitter
official government business. This decision, which to continue the fight against allied forces, but she /AllAboutHistory @AboutHistoryMag © Alamy,

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