EMPEROR GUANGXU DOCUMENTARY - THE HUNDRED DAYS REFORM

Hello everyone and welcome back to History of China. Before the video starts, I'd like to thank every one of you as the channel has just reached 10,000 subscribers. Thank you so much for following and I hope you enjoy this video as we explore Emperor Guangxu's biography and the doom of Imperial China. 1875, the twilight of the Qing Dynasty. For the first time since its foundation in 1636, the imperial lineage transmitted from father to son has come to an end. The 18-year-old Emperor Tongzhi, a weak and uninterested ruler, has died with neither children nor brother to succeed him, leading to a succession crisis. In this world-changing era of increasing technology and imperialism, the Qing Dynasty ruling over the Chinese Empire finds itself in yet another tenuous position. Amidst the turn of the 19th century, the throne would come under the control of Emperor Guangxu, first reformist emperor in a world of conservatism. As you will discover, the last effort to save the collapsing Qing Dynasty would be cut short. In 1875, the Qing Dynasty's imperial court was in an unprecedented state. 14 years earlier, Emperor Xianfeng died prematurely at 30 years old, leaving his five-year-old son as the successor. After the emperor's death, his wife, now Empress Dowager Ce'an, and concubine, now Empress Dowager Cexi, managed to seize power from the eight regents appointed for five-year-old Tongzhi. The child emperor would then serve as a puppet for the two regent empresses Dowager for many years, during which China underwent a national restoration and massive modernization, saving the dynasty from certain collapse. In 1873, by the time he was 16 years old, Tongzhi assumed power. He however proved unable to achieve anything by the time of his premature death two years later in 1875. Being a single child and having no children himself, the teenage emperor left a power vacuum after his death. It was from this complicated situation that Emperor Guangxu would one day rule the Celestial Empire. Many reactionary officials who opposed the recent great reforms of modernization wished to take the opportunity to reclaim power from their organizers, Empresses Dowager Cexi and Ce'an. The two regents, largely guided by the former's thirst for power, refused to give up their influence. But how could they keep ruling the empire now that their puppet Tongzhi had died? Through political schemes, a seemingly insignificant child prince would find himself precipitated onto the dragon throne of the Forbidden City. The very afternoon of Tongzhi's death, Empress Dowager Cexi, realizing she had little time to ensure the securing of her power, assembled a meeting of top-ranking officials and princes of the dynasty to discuss what should be done. During this conference, many recommended to select a young adult from the princes of the imperial clan to become China's next emperor. Empress Dowager Cexi however argued that selecting a child would be a better choice as he could be given an emperor's education to later rule over the empire. This suggestion was obviously made so she could keep ruling as regent alongside Ce'an for many more years. In Cexi's interest, the heir would have to be both someone she had natural authority over as well as a legitimate successor of the imperial bloodline. There was one perfect candidate. Cexi's sister, Wanzhen, was married to Yixuan, Prince Chun, a prince of first rank loyal to the Empress Dowager since her initial coup in 1861 against the eight regents. Prince Chun was the son of previous Emperor Daoguang and the half-brother of Xianfang. His three-year-old son, Zaitian, was therefore a grandson of Emperor Daoguang and a nephew to Xianfang through Yixuan and also a nephew to Cexi through her sister Wanzhen. This was the perfect candidate for the Empress Dowager. To make him a legitimate successor, she declared at the meeting that she would take in three-year-old Zaitian as her and Emperor Xianfang's adoptive son. There was however one problem. Laws of succession of the Qing Code indicated that if the emperor were to die without an heir, the next successor would have to come from a generation lower than him. In this case, the last emperor was not Xianfang but his son Tongzhi. As an adoptive son of Cexi and Xianfang, Zaitian was technically the same generation as Tongzhi. However, Cexi's significant authority gathered during her regency was enough to sweep away all opposition. No one in the meeting dared oppose her decision. Three-year-old Zaitian's ascension to the throne was approved and Cexi would keep on ruling as regent alongside Empress Dowager Ci'an. The very night after the meeting, one of Cexi's allies, a military and police officer named Ronglu, escorted child Zaitian from his father Prince Chun's residence to the Forbidden City where he arrived at 3am. His fate was sealed. A few days later, as every preparation for the succession was ready, the child was enthroned as Emperor Guangxu. Soon later, by Cexi's orders, tutors Wang Tonghe and Xia Tongshan were appointed to instruct the child emperor. Wang Tonghe had previously been Emperor Tongzhi's tutor and his father had been Emperor Xianfang's tutor. His main task would be to teach Guangxu to read. Xia Tongshan was a scholar and calligrapher appreciated by Cexi who would teach the emperor to write. In the following years, as little Guangxu slowly grew up, his aunt Empress Dowager Cexi, pulling the strings of the empire, continued the reforms crucial to the Qing Dynasty's survival but with the goal of staying in power as long as possible. Initially, Guangxu seemed to be a distracted child and student, disliking his studies. It was further said that he was terrified of thunder, crying and seeking consolation from his tutor Wang Tonghe whenever a storm broke out. The official gradually became a fatherly figure for the child emperor. Wang Tonghe slowly, successfully brought him up as a person increasingly interested in scholar work and in the importance of state affairs. His modernist ideas planted the seeds of reform in the young emperor's spirit. The tutor also brought him up to obey, respect and perhaps fear his aunt Empress Dowager Cexi, making her a sacred figure in the boy's mind. An event would drastically change the politics of the Qing Dynasty in 1881 when the child emperor was nine years old. The co-regent of the empire, Empress Dowager Ca'an, died prematurely at 43 years old from a brain haemorrhage. Consequently, Cexi found herself in total control of the dynasty, having become the only regent. Wang Tonghe reported that during this period, the boy was greatly upset, displaying poor concentration in studies and often needing moral support. Evidently, late Empress Dowager Ca'an had been some form of motherly figure to him. As a few more years went by, the teenage emperor's leisure gradually shifted from playing to reading. By 1886, Wang Xu began commenting on state affairs, although he was not in power yet. By the 7th of February 1887, as he was 15 years old, the teenage emperor had legally come of age and could technically begin his rule. However, Cexi schemed politics to stay in power for another couple of years. During this transition period, she declared that she would instruct Wang Xu in state affairs. That same year, slowly assuming all his duties, the emperor began conducting formal imperial ceremonies. In this decisive era of modernization, all officials of the imperial court anxiously waited to see how the emperor's reign would unfold. Two years later, as Cexi prepared for her retirement, the time had come for Wang Xu to be married and select concubines. Naturally, his aunt, still pulling the strings, would decide of all major decisions in this event. Refusing to let him choose his own empress and concubines, Cexi appointed a niece of hers, Jingfen, to sit next to him on the throne, as to maintain her influence on the emperor within the Forbidden City after her retirement. The Empress Dowager further selected two sisters as concubines for him, who became concubines Jin and Zhen. While Wang Xu would remain largely uninterested in his empress and concubine Jin, he grew fond of concubine Zhen, who would gradually become his confidant in the Forbidden City. Shortly after the imperial wedding, Empress Dowager Cexi spent huge resources restoring part of the old Summer Palace into an enormous palace complex for her retirement residence, named Garden of Preserving Harmony. The tremendous cost of this enterprise, worth 22 million tales of silver, however drained the Qing treasury and forced the emperor to cut down financing of other state matters. With the Empress Dowager retired and himself married, power was officially handed over to Guan Xu, who could begin to rule the Qing dynasty. This was a new era for imperial China. Following his open-minded education, Emperor Guan Xu was curious about the West rather than contemptuous as his predecessors were. In 1891, former students of the Tongwen Guan, the imperial school for learning foreign languages, became Guan Xu's English and German teachers. That same year, the Western powers, upon learning that a 20-year-old was at the head of the Chinese empire, became eager to hold an audience with him. Since the rise of Christianity within China after the Second Opium War had led to many violent anti-missionary riots from the Han Chinese population, the concerned Western powers asked the emperor to protect Christians from persecution. Wishing to establish good relations with the West in contrast to his predecessors, Guan Xu agreed to issue an edict guaranteeing the state protection of Christian subjects throughout the celestial empire. In efforts to relieve a struggling economy, further crippled by Cixi's restoration of the Old Summer Palace, Guan Xu organized drastic reforms, significantly reducing the expenses of the imperial family and of the Forbidden City. Financing of the Beiyang Fleet, main modernized fleet of the imperial Chinese navy, was also greatly reduced. These changes did somewhat relieve the Qing Dynasty's treasury. The emperor's efforts were however undermined by Cixi's expensive allowance, which he was forced to approve. Over the next couple of years, little reforms continued being enforced, slowly strengthening China at the expense of the support of the conservative elements of the court. Cixi further meddled with politics, forcing the young emperor to consult her on most important issues. A troubling event which would cut short the reformists' enthusiasm took place soon later. Since the last years, the Empire of Japan, which had successfully transitioned from a feudal society to a fully modernized power, now sought to expand its borders. In 1884, after politically meddling with Korea, a traditional tributary state of China, the Japanese had provoked the ire of the Qing Empire. Thanks to the mediation of official Li Hongzhang, the issue was settled in 1885 as the Convention of Tianjin was signed by both parties. It required both nations to notify and ask for agreement to the other regarding any dispatchment or movement of troops in Korea, maintaining the status quo. Now, trouble was returning to the Korean peninsula. Around April 1894, the Korean authorities faced a peasant Donghak rebellion and asked the Qing Empire for military assistance, who sent forces. The Empire of Japan, however, declared this violated the Convention of Tianjin and dispatched its own Imperial Japanese Army troops in turn. Hostilities between the two empires constantly worsened, with nothing to appease them, and by late July, a full-scale Sino-Japanese war erupted. 41-year-old Japanese Emperor Meiji and 22-year-old Chinese Emperor Guanxu both issued proclamations that were essentially declarations of war against a rival nation. This new warfare would be a test to determine how well the two empires had modernized their armies and navies in both equipment and training. In China, the Imperial court was quite confident in their ability to repel the Japanese. Events would, however, not unfold as planned. The pride of the Imperial Chinese Navy, the famous Beiyang Fleet created by official Li Hongzhang, turned out to be completely outmatched against the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was promptly sunk in the Yellow Sea. As I explained, funding and training of the Beiyang Fleet had been drastically cut down earlier, while the Japanese had continuously emphasized efforts in developing their own navy. But Qing Dynasty's land forces fared no better than the Beiyang Fleet, and were swept off the battlefield by Japan's western-style army. China lost every single battle against its opponent, both on land and sea, in a great shock to the Imperial court, as Japan became Asia's new dominant power. With barely any negotiation power in subsequent peace talks, China had to cede large amounts of silver, as well as the island of Taiwan, to Japan. The Qing Dynasty also lost all influence on Korea, which came under the Japanese sphere of influence. Evidently, the previous modernization efforts had been nowhere near enough. Emperor Guangxu was prompted by reformist scholars such as Tan Sertong and Kang Yirui, an official patron by Guangxu's old tutor Wang Tonghe, to greatly accelerate westernization in the Celestial Empire. Training of a completely modernized army with western-style discipline was organized, as prominent General Yuan Shikai created the Pacification Army. For this task, the largely independent Yuan Shikai sought the counsel of German advisors, and would create a The German Empire had indeed strengthened its influence on China, displaying increasing interest in the nation. It was however not the only one. The Russian Empire, with which the Qing Dynasty had many disputes in the past, still tried to develop its influence over northern China, especially Manchuria. Under the promise of a secret alliance against the Empire of Japan, Russia requested the right to station warships in Chinese ports, build a railway through Manchuria, and garrison troops along its route to protect it from Japanese influence. This proposition was accepted by Li Hongzhang in Moscow, as he was touring in the west to meet with foreign heads of state. However, it is possible that the Qing official was forced into signing this Sino-Russian secret treaty. Family affairs would disrupt the Qing Emperor's daily life. Since Guangxu had come to the Forbidden City as he was three years old, he had barely been able to see his own parents. His father, Yi Xuan, had died in 1891, transmitting the title of Prince Chun to Guangxu's eight-year-old brother, Zhaifeng. In mid-1896, Guangxu was exceptionally authorised by Cixi to visit his dying mother at her residence, who passed away soon after. Meanwhile, in the face of increasing foreign influence, especially regarding Christianity, and the weakening of the Qing Dynasty, Han Chinese nationalism spiked. In what would be known as the Juye Incident, two German missionaries were killed by bands of Han Chinese insurgents. As a result, the German Empire seized the strategic Jiaozhou Bay, forcing the Qing Dynasty to cede the region as a concession to be exclusively controlled by German authorities. The imperial court, threatened by continental Europe's most powerful nation, accepted. This event triggered a scramble for concessions from the other foreign powers, who gradually obtained territories everywhere in China. The British obtained a second extension of Hong Kong, integrating the new territories, as well as a concession in Weihaiwei. The French received the Guangzhouwan territory, and the Japanese obtained several concessions as well. The scramble for concessions profoundly angered the Han Chinese population. With the aim of reinforcing diplomatic relations and learning from foreign powers, imperial princes were dispatched for tours abroad. Emperor Guangxu then judged the time had come to start the massive reforms which would radically change China. The month of June 1898 marked the beginning of the Hundred Days Reform. Immediately, major innovations took place. The Imperial University of Peking, inspired by Western universities, was founded in the capital. It still exists today, and is simply known as Peking University. Reforming the Eight Banners army, that still used bows, swords and muskets, Guangxu ordered for half of the force to begin training with modern equipment. A substantial number of old and obsolete imperial institutions were abolished. Infrastructure was consolidated throughout the empire, with railways being built and expanded. The emperor promoted reformist officials, while dismissing traditionalists and conservatives. Everything seemed set for a complete metamorphosis of China, which could become once more a world power. These major reforms did however not sit well with everyone. The ousted conservatives got together and sought help from a powerful figure suspicious of the movement, Empress Dowager Cixi herself. Guangxu and the reformists needed allies to counter Cixi and the conservative officials planned to undermine the Hundred Days Reform. Reformist leaders therefore contacted Yuan Shikai, the general who controlled a small but completely modernized and trained army, probably the most powerful Chinese force at the time. Guangxu would turn out right about fearing a response from his aunt and the conservative clique in the court, but wrong about his choice of ally. Empress Dowager Cixi, judging that the Hundred Days Reforms were detrimental to her and her cause, had planned a coup with the help of her champion, General Ronglu, who had once escorted three-year-old Guangxu to the Forbidden City prior to his enthronement. Ronglu, stationed with his troops in Tianjin, further requested the help of General Dong Fuxiang and his Muslim army and generals. Yuan Shikai, although having assured his loyalty to the Emperor, ended up betraying the reformist cause the day before the coup by supposedly informing Ronglu of the Emperor's course of actions. Subsequently, Emperor Guangxu and the reformists found themselves powerless against Cixi, Ronglu, Dong Fuxiang and Yuan Shikai. In the following event, known as the Wuxi Zhengbian, Ronglu's troops stormed the Imperial capital and encircled the Forbidden City. Helpless Emperor Guangxu was promptly captured and put under house arrest, as Cixi officially resumed all political power. Six of the main figures behind the reforms were executed and the Empress Dowager ordered all changes made during the last months to be reverted. Although still the official Emperor, Guangxu had lost all power. He was still informed of state affairs, but unable to issue any orders, his power now reserved to his aunt. During state audiences, Cixi occupied the throne, while Guangxu silently sat on a chair to her left. The Emperor's health greatly declined after the Wuxi coup, as his hopes to restore China were crushed. It is even possible that Cixi attempted to assassinate or make Guangxu abdicate then and there, but he still had many allies in the court and most of the western powers had a good image of him. He was therefore left alive as a puppet to Cixi, much like during his childhood. The Empress Dowager designated as the next heir to the throne Pu Jun, the son of Zaiyi, Prince Duan, one of the most conservative officials of the court. Some officials who opposed this decision were tried and had their properties seized. Empress Dowager Cixi had once again expertly arranged her political machinations in this third ascension to power. Troubles for China were about to reach unprecedented levels. By 1899, the Boxer Rebellion broke out. This new Han-Chinese rebellion aimed to overthrow the Manchu Qing dynasty, kill all Chinese Christian converts and drive out all foreign presence from China. The Boxers soon collapsed with imperial troops and besieged the Legations Quarter in Beijing, location of over a dozen embassies of foreign powers, prompting these to organize a military response. Although the imperial court initially fought against the Boxers, hardline conservative officials such as Zaiyi, Prince Duan supported their xenophobic ideas and organized a meeting between Cixi and the Boxer leaders. Subsequently, the Qing dynasty changed policies and officially allied alongside the Boxers against the foreign powers who had assembled into the Eight Nation Alliance. Empress Dowager Cixi officially issued a declaration of against the Allied British Empire, United States of America, French Republic, Russian Empire, Japanese Empire, Kingdom of Italy, Austro-Hungarian Empire and German Empire. An edict ordering viceroys and regional officials to go to war against the foreigners was distributed throughout the nation. However, many of them including Li Hongzhang and Yuan Shikai realized the madness of going to war against the Eight Nation Alliance and formed the Mutual Protection of Southeast China which refused to fight the foreign powers and crushed Boxer rebels in the regions they controlled. The Eight Nation Alliance's troops defeated the Qing dynasty's forces and marched on Beijing to relieve the besieged Legation's quarter. As the unstoppable foreign force advanced towards the imperial capital, Cixi, remembering the similar scenario during the Second Opium War 40 years earlier, organized the retreat of the imperial court to another city. Alongside with puppet Emperor Guangxu and his empress, Cixi fled Beijing as the imperial court was relocated to Xi'an, capital city of ancient dynasties. During the departure to Xi'an, Consul Zheng, the woman Guangxu seemed to be in love with, died in a well in the Forbidden City in unclear circumstances. It is supposed that Cixi, who greatly disliked her, took the opportunity of the chaotic situation to have her killed but it is also possible that she committed suicide or was killed by eunuchs. In any case, Emperor Guangxu saw his nation ravaged by civil war and foreign invasion, his beloved die, all while being powerless to react. A few weeks later, the imperial court arrived and settled in Xi'an while the Eight Nation Alliance looted and occupied Beijing. In this new location, Emperor Guangxu had more freedom of movement as he could not be kept under as strict surveillance as in the Forbidden City but he was still powerless and under Cixi's total control nonetheless. Edicts blaming himself for the outcome of the war were issued, most likely against his will. The Qing dynasty had been completely crushed by the Eight Nation Alliance and the Boxer Rebellion. Inevitably, the Boxer Protocol, peace treaty settling the war, was signed in Beijing by Li Hongzhang and 11 foreign delegates. Its terms dealt a great blow to the Qing dynasty, further bringing it down in authority and ruining it financially. This was yet another nail in the coffin of imperial China. Soon later, as peace had returned, the imperial court organised its relocation back to Beijing. Since Zaiyi, Prince Duan, had been a fervent supporter of the Boxer cause, he was disgraced and Cixi cancelled her decree making his son, Bojun, the heir to the throne. By January 1902, Guangxu and the imperial court had returned to the Forbidden City. Once more under house arrest, his status as a puppet was reaffirmed as Cixi kept absolute authority. The Empress Dowager was however ageing, now reaching her late 60s. Therefore, Guangxu patiently waited for her to die. He planned to then take the opportunity to resume power and repair the mistakes of the past years, still believing that Qing dynasty could be saved. With this plan in mind, the Emperor adopted a new lifestyle, profoundly studying state and affairs and resuming his studies of English. In his free time, he reportedly tinkered with clocks and watches as a hobby. As years went by, Guangxu hopelessly watched the foreign powers vie for influence in China, as the Qing dynasty became more and more unpopular in the eyes of its subjects, with many uprisings to overthrow the dynasty regularly erupting throughout the nation. On the 14th of November 1908, tragedy struck. Although he was only 37 years old, Emperor Guangxu suddenly died. In reality, the powerless Emperor had been poisoned with arsenic by either Cixi or General Yuan Shikai. They both had motives to eliminate him. Cixi knew that after her imminent death, the Emperor would resume all reforms on an even stronger scale than before, and Yuan Shikai understood that he would be severely punished for his role in the Wuxi coup if Guangxu returned to power. As his predecessor, Guangxu had died childless. In yet another political move, the Empress Dowager selected three-year-old Puyi, son of Caifeng, Prince Chun, as their next Emperor. In the family line, little Puyi was late Emperor Guangxu's nephew and Cixi's own grandnephew. The Empress Dowager's 47-year-long iron grip rule, however, came to an end as well, as Cixi died one day after Guangxu. Crippled by political machinations and conservatism, the reformist rule of Guangxu marked a breaking point in the Qing Dynasty, who had now been irreversibly overtaken in the race to modernisation by Japan and smothered by general foreign influence. Anti-Qing secret societies aiming to overthrow the dynasty sprouted everywhere in both China and abroad under the ambition of locals and expats. The nation was in tatters, with a three-year-old at its head. His father, Caifeng, Prince Chun, the brother of late Emperor Guangxu, assumed the position of regent and was determined to resume the reforms, last efforts to modernise and transform the absolute monarchy of the Celestial Empire into a constitutional monarchy to ensure the survival of the Qing Dynasty would be taken. However, it was already too late for Imperial China. Thank you for watching my video, I hope you enjoyed it. If so, please leave a like and subscribe to the channel. 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