Cixi: The Woman Behind the Throne - Smithsonian Magazine

When Xianfeng died in 1861, Cixi's five-year-old son was his only male heir and became the emperor Tongzhi, making her the "empress dowager" ... TheEmpressDowagerCixi YuXunling "ToomuchmysterysurroundstheForbiddenCityforustowriteofitsinmateswithassuredauthority.Evenwhenthefactsareknown,therearetwoorthreeversions,eachgivingadifferentrenderingofwhatoccurred.ThisvaguenessislikethenebulouspartsofaChinesepainting;ithasacharmthatitmightbeamistaketodispel.Norisitcertainthatthehistorian,couldhelifttheveil,woulddiscoverthetruth." —DanieleVare,anItaliandiplomatinPeking,inhis1936biographyofCixi,"TheLastEmpress" Historycanbeaslipperysubstance,particularlywhenitcomestopersonalities.AcenturyafterthedeathofChina'slastandmostfamousempress,Cixi,thestoryofherlifeandreignremainsveiledbyvaryingversionsofthetruth. Somesourcespaintherasaveritablewickedwitchoftheeast,whoseenemiesoftenmysteriouslydroppeddead.Otherslinkhertotalesofsexualintriguewithinthepalacewalls,evenquestioningwhetherherfavoriteeunuchwastrulyaeunuch.Butrecentscholarlyanalysesdiscreditmanyofthosesensationalstoriesandsuggestamorecomplicatedwomanthanthiscaricature. WhatdowereallyknowaboutthiswomanwhoindirectlycontrolledChina'sthroneforalmosthalfacentury,inthetwilightoftheQingdynasty? SheenteredhistoryonNovember29,1835asaratherordinaryChinesegirlnamedYehenara,althoughtherewasacertainprestigeinbeingborntoafamilyfromtherulingManchuminority.Atage16,shewasbroughttotheForbiddenCitytojoinEmperorXianfeng'sharem—whichmaysoundlikepunishmenttomodernears,butwasconsideredaswankroleforChinesewomenofhertime. DanieleVare'sbook,TheLastEmpress,saysYehenara(hecallsherYehonala)rosetothetopoftheconcubinerankswhentheemperoroverheardhersingingandaskedtoseeher.Infatuated,hebeganpickinghernamefromthenightlyrosterofchoicestovisithisbedchamber,andsoonsheborehimason.ThisearnedherthetitleTzuHsi,meaning"empressofthewesternpalace,"spelledCixithesedays. WhenXianfengdiedin1861,Cixi'sfive-year-oldsonwashisonlymaleheirandbecametheemperorTongzhi,makingherthe"empressdowager"andaregentruler.Cixirelinquishedtheregencywhenhersonturned17,butTongzhidiedtwoyearslaterandCixibecamearegentagain,thistimeforherthree-year-oldnephewGuangxu. SomehistorianshavepointedtothisturnofeventsasproofofCixi'spoliticalshrewdnessbecauseitdefiedtraditionforthenewemperortobeofthesamegenerationashispredecessor.Also,althoughTongzhihadnoheirwhenhedied,hisfirst-rankingconcubine,Alute,waspregnant.SoitseemsfartooconvenientthatAluteandherunbornchilddiedduringthedebateoversuccession.Thecourtannounceditasasuicide,butastheNewYorkTimesreportedatthetime,thecircumstances"arousedgeneralsuspicion." / TheEmpressDowagerCixi1903-1905 FreerGalleryofArtandArthurM.SacklerGalleryArchives / TheEmpressDowagerCixiintheguiseofAvalokitesvara1903 FreerGalleryofArtandArthurM.SacklerGalleryArchives / TheEmpressDowagerCixiandattendantsontheimperialbargeonZhongHai,Beijing1903-1905 FreerGalleryofArtandArthurM.SacklerGalleryArchives / TheEmpressDowagerCixiinsnowaccompaniedbyattendants1903-1905 FreerGalleryofArtandArthurM.SacklerGalleryArchives / PhotographofaportraitoftheEmpressDowagerpaintedbyKatherineCarl(1865-1938)1903 FreerGalleryofArtandArthurM.SacklerGalleryArchives / TheEmpressDowagerCixiinasnow-coveredgarden1903-1905 FreerGalleryofArtandArthurM.SacklerGalleryArchives / TheEmpressDowagerCixiinsedanchairsurroundedbyeunuchsinfrontofRenshoudian,SummerPalace,Beijing1903-1905 FreerGalleryofArtandArthurM.SacklerGalleryArchives / TheEmpressDowagerCixiwithforeignenvoys'wivesinLeshoutang,SummerPalace,Beijing1903-1905 FreerGalleryofArtandArthurM.SacklerGalleryArchives / TheEmpressDowagerCixiseatedandholdingafan1903-1905 FreerGalleryofArtandArthurM.SacklerGalleryArchives / TheEmpressDowagerCixiinsnowaccompaniedbyattendants1903-1905 FreerGalleryofArtandArthurM.SacklerGalleryArchives EvenifAlutewasmurdered,Cixiwasn'tnecessarilyresponsible,asauthorSterlingSeagravepointsout.Thelateemperorhadfivebrothers,princesoftheimperialcourt,whohadtheirownrivalriesandambitionsforcontrollingthethroneindirectly. Seagrave's1992biographyofCixi, DragonLady,isamongthemostthoroughattemptstosiftthesolidfactsfromthestickyseaofrumorsabouttheempress.Hetakesnearly500pagestoexplainwhathecalls"thehoodwinkingofhistory"byaBritishjournalistandhisassistantintheearly20thcentury. Asareporterforthe Times ofLondon,GeorgeMorrison'sdispatchesfromPekinginthelate1890sandearly1900sweretheonlyglimpsemostWesternersgotinsidetheForbiddenCity.Hewasn'tabadreporter,buthemadethemistakeoflisteningtoayoungmannamedEdmundBackhouse,anOxford-trainedlinguistwhocontributedtomanyofMorrison'sarticles.Asothersources—includingMorrison'sowndiary—laterrevealed,muchofBackhouse's"reporting"wasutterfiction.ButbythetimeMorrisonrealizedthis,itwouldhavedamagedhisownreputationtoomuchtorevealthetruth. In1898,theemperorGuangxulaunchedtheHundredDaysReform,awell-intentionedbutpoorlyimplementedattempttomodernizemanyaspectsofChinesesocietythatnearlycausedacivilwar.Cixiultimatelyregainedtheregencywithsupportfromconservativeswhoopposedthereforms.Shestayedinpoweruntilherdeathin1908,butherreputationwastarnishedbyslanderousrumorsspreadbytheleaderofthefailedreform,KangYu-Wei. TheimageofCixiasacruelandgreedytyrantgainedhistoricaltractionin1910,whenBackhouseandanotherBritishjournalist,J.O.P.Bland,publishedthebook ChinaUndertheEmpressDowager.Itwaspraisedatthetimeforbeingathoroughlyresearchedbiography,butasSeagravenotes,Backhouseforgedmanyofthedocumentshecited. It'shardtoknowwhatBackhouse'smotivationsmayhavebeenforthishistoricalhoax,butperhapssensationalliessimplypavedaneasierpathtofamethannuancedtruth.SeagravesuggeststhatBackhousehadanunhappychildhood,sufferedfrommentalillnessandwas"brilliantbuthighlyunstable." ThroughSeagrave'slens,thehistoricalimageofCixitakesonasofter,sadderaurathanthemonsterofBackhouse'screation.Shewascertainlyabright,ambitiouswoman,butherlifewasanythingbutafairytale. "OnemightwishforhersakethatherlifehadbeenjustsuchaburlesquefilledwithFlorentineintriguesandViennesefrivolity,becausethetruthismelancholy…Underthoselayersofhistoricalgraffitiwasaspiritedandbeautifulyoungwomantrappedinalosingproposition:…Afigureheadempresswholostthreeemperorstoconspiracy;afrightenedmatriarchwhosereputationwasdestroyedasshepresidedoverthedeclineofabankruptdynasty,"hewrites. AmandaFiegl |READMORE AmandaFieglwasaformerassistanteditoratSmithsonian. PoliticalLeaders Women'sHistory RecommendedVideos PostaComment MostPopular AheadofPlannedRailLine,ArchaeologistsUncoverEarlyMedievalCemetery Panama'sSancochoIsaSoupThatCanCureItAll EightWorksofArtinUnlikelyPlaces ADoghouseDesignedbyFrankLloydWrightIsNowonDisplay WhenCatsChewCatnip,ItWorksasaBugSpray