Xianfeng Emperor

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Image:The Imperial Portrait of Emperor Xianfeng.PNG
Xianfeng Emperor
Clan name: Aixīn-Juéluó (愛新覺羅)
Aisin-Gioro
Given name: Yizhu (奕詝)
I Ju
Dates of reign: 9 March 1850–22 August 1861
Era name: Xiánfēng (咸豐 ; Hsien-feng)
Gubci Elgiyengge
Era dates: 1 February 1851–29 January 1862
Temple name: Wenzong (文宗)
Wendzung
Posthumous name:
(short)
 Emperor Xiǎn¹ (顯皇帝)
Iletu hūwangdi
Posthumous name:
(full)
 Emperor Xiétiān Yìyùn Zhízhōng Chuímó Màodé Zhènwǔ Shèngxiào Yuāngōng Duānrén Kuānmǐn Zhuāngjiǎn Xiǎn²
協天翊運執中垂謨懋德振武聖孝淵恭端仁寬敏莊儉顯皇帝
General note: Names given in pinyin, Chinese, then in Manchu (full posthumous name in Chinese only).
———
1. Xian means "the Clear", or "the Illustrious".
2. The first 22 characters are the honorific names (徽號) given to him during his reign (on 11 occasions, 2 characters at a time), with possibly the 21st and 22nd characters, Zhuāngjiǎn (庄俭), given to him after his death only, according to some sources.

The Xianfeng Emperor, born Yizhu, (July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eighth Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861.

Contents

[edit] Early years

Yizhu was born in 1831 at the Imperial Summer Palace Complex, 8 kilometers northwest of the walls of Beijing, and was the fourth son of the Daoguang Emperor. His mother was the Imperial Concubine Quan (全贵妃), of the (Manchu) Niuhuru clan, who was made Empress in 1834, and is known posthumously as Empress Xiao Quan Cheng (孝全成皇后).

Chosen as the Crown Prince in the later years of Dao Guang's reign, Yizhu had reputed ability in literature and administration which surpassed most of his brothers. He succeeded the throne in 1850, at age 19, and was a relatively young Emperor. He was left with a crumbling dynasty that faced challenges not only internally, but also from Europeans. The situation was not reflected at all by his reign title, Xianfeng (咸丰/咸豐), which means "Universal Prosperity." The Taiping Rebellion began in 1851, and spread to several provinces with amazing speed. Xianfeng dispatched several prominent mandarins, like Zeng Guofan, and Imperial relatives, like the Mongol general Senggelinqin, to crush the rebellion, with limited success. Several Muslim rebellions in the southwest began in 1855.

[edit] Western Imperialism towards China

As western imperialism was cruising its way through Asia, China was not spared. The Europeans saw a crumbling regime as ripe for the enforcement of imperialistic policies on China. Western forces, led by France, after inciting a few battles on the coast near Tianjin, of which not all were decisive victories, attempted "negotiation" with the Qing Government. Xian Feng, under the influence of the Concubine Yi (懿貴妃, later the Ci Xi Dowager Empress), believed in Chinese superiority and would not agree to any western demands. He delegated Prince Gong for several negotiations that failed to solve any significant problems. On October 18, 1860, the western forces went on to loot and burn the Imperial Summer Palaces of Qīngyī Yuán (清漪园/清漪園) and Yuánmíng Yuán (圆明园/圓明園).

While negotiations are still ongoing with western governments, Emperor Xianfeng and his Imperial entourage fled to the northern travelling palace in Jehol. Becoming more ill physically, Xian Feng's ability to govern also deteriorated, leading to competing ideologies in court that eventually formed two distinct factions — those under the rich Manchu Sushun, Princes Yi and Zheng; and those under the Concubine Yi, supported by Gen. Ronglu and Yehenala Bannermen.

[edit] Family

  • Consorts:
  1. Empress Xiao De Xian (孝德显皇后萨克达氏) (? - 1849). Entered the Forbidden City as lady Sakda of the Sakda clan, raised to the rank of Empress after her death when Yi Zhu became the Xian Feng Emperor. She was granted the posthumous title of Empress Xiaode Xian.
  2. Empress Xiao Zhen Xian (the Ci An Dowager Empress) (慈安太后) of the Niuhuru clan (1837 - 1881 ).
  3. Empress Xiao Qin Xian {the Ci Xi Dowager Empress) (a.k.a. Noble Concubine Yi 懿貴妃) (1835 - 1908).
  4. Consort Li, posthumously known as Imperial Noble Concubine Zhuang Jing (庄靜皇貴妃) (1837 - 1890).
  5. Imperial Noble Consort Duan Ge (端恪皇貴妃) of the Tongiya clan (1844 - 1910).
  6. Imperial Consort Mei (玫貴妃) (1837 - 1890), she gave birth to the emperors second son who died young.
  7. Imperial Consort Ji (吉妃) (? - 1905) of the Wang clan.
  8. Imperial Consort Xi (禧妃) (? - 1878) of the Chahala clan.
  9. Imperial Consort Qing (慶妃) (? -1886).
  10. Honoured Consort Wan (? - 1894).
  11. Imperial Concubine Yun (雲嬪) (? - 1855) of the Wugiya clan.
  • Children:
  1. Prince Zaichun, (son of Concubine Yi) who became the Tongzhi Emperor after his death.
  2. Second son died young.
  3. Princess Rongan Ku Lun (榮安固倫公主) (daughter of concubine Li).

[edit] Death

Emperor Xianfeng Practicing Callingraphy.
Emperor Xianfeng Practicing Callingraphy.

Xian Feng died on August 22, 1861, at the Jehol Travelling Palace (熱河行宮), 230 kilometers northeast of Beijing. Being succeeded by his one surviving son, Zaichun, who was barely 6 years old, Xianfeng had summoned Sushun and his group to his bedside a day before, giving them an Imperial Edict that made Su Shun, Zaiyuan, Duanhua, and others Regents during the child-Emperor's minority. By tradition, after the death of an Emperor, the body is to be accompanied to the Capital by the regents. Concubine Yi and the Empress, who are now both given titles of Empress Dowager, traveled to Beijing ahead of time, and planned a coup that ousted Sushun's regency. The Empress Dowager Cixi (Concubine Yi) would subsequently rule China for the next 47 years.

Emperor Xianfeng was interred amidst the Eastern Qing Tombs (清東陵), 125 kilometers/75 miles east of Beijing, in the Dingling (定陵 - meaning "Tomb of quietude") mausoleum complex.

[edit] See also

Qing Dynasty
Born: July 17, 1831
Died: August 22, 1861
Preceded by
The Daoguang Emperor		 Emperor of China
1850-1861		 Succeeded by
The Tongzhi Emperor
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