Tongzhi Emperor

This article refers to the Chinese Emperor Tongzhi
Tongzhi Emperor
10th Qing Emperor of China
Reign 11 November 1861 – 12 January 1875
(&1000000000000001300000013 years, &1000000000000006200000062 days)
Predecessor Xianfeng Emperor
Successor Guangxu Emperor
Regent Sushun, Zaiyuan, Duanhua (1861)
Empress Dowager Ci'an, Empress Dowager Cixi (1861-1875)
Spouse Empress Xiaozheyi
Full name
Chinese: Aixin-Jueluo Zaichun 愛新覺羅載淳
Manchu: Aisin-Gioro Dzai Šun
Era name and dates
Qixiang 祺祥 (have not been used)
Chinese: Tóngzhì 同治
Manchu: Yooningga dasan
Mongolian: Burintu Zasagchi Khagan: 30 January 1862 – 5 February 1875
Posthumous name
Emperor Jitian Kaiyun Shouzhong Juzheng Baoda Dinggong Shengzhi Chengxiao Xinmin Gongkuan Yi
繼天開運受中居正保大定功聖智誠孝信敏恭寬毅皇帝
Temple name
Mùzōng 穆宗
Father Xianfeng Emperor
Mother Empress Dowager Cixi
Born 27 April 1856(1856-04-27)
Forbidden City, Beijing
Died 12 January 1875(1875-01-12) (aged 18)
Forbidden City, Beijing
Burial Eastern Qing Tombs, Zunhua

The Tongzhi Emperor (Chinese: 同治帝, pinyin: Tóngzhìdì, Wade-Giles: Tung-chi; 27 April 1856 – 12 January 1875), born Aisin-Gioro Dzai Šun, was the tenth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1861 to 1875. His reign, which effectively lasted through his adolescence, was largely overshadowed by the rule of his mother, the Empress Dowager Cixi. Although he had little influence over court affairs, the events of his reign gave rise to what historians call the "Tongzhi Restoration" (Chinese: 同治中兴), an unsuccessful attempt to stabilize and modernize China.

Contents

Biography

The only surviving son of the Xianfeng Emperor and the Empress Dowager Cixi, Tongzhi attempted political reform in the period of the Tongzhi Restoration. His first reign name was Qixiang (祺祥; Manchu: Fengšengge Sabingga), but this name was later abandoned by Cixi in favour of Tongzhi, a contraction of the classical phrase tóngguī yǔ zhì (Chinese: 同归与治; Chinese: 同歸與治), which means "restoring order together". An alternate interpretation reads it as "mother and son co-emperors"(Chinese: 母子同治天下), which fits the state of affairs, as the Empress Dowager wielded the real power and ruled behind the scenes. The traditional Chinese political phrase "attending audiences behind a curtain" (simplified Chinese: 垂帘听政; traditional Chinese: 垂簾聽政, pinyin: chuí lián tīng zhèng) was readopted to describe Cixi's rule through her son. The phrase can still be heard in contemporary Chinese politics.

Tongzhi became emperor at the age of five when his father, the Xianfeng Emperor died. His father's choice of regent, Sushun, was removed in favor of a partnership between his mother (the Empress Dowager Cixi), the empress (the Empress Dowager Ci'an), and his uncle (Prince Gong).

Tongzhi married Lady Alute from a Mongol clan and died of smallpox at the age of 18. He was buried in the Eastern Qing Tombs in Hebei province. He had no sons to succeed him. Folklore says that Tongzhi died from a sexually transmitted disease (specifically syphilis), due to his alleged affairs with prostitutes outside of the palace, and that the smallpox diagnosis was given only because the mere discussion of sexually transmitted diseases in China was taboo. However, no credible evidence exists to substantiate the rumours.

His mothers, the two dowagers, resumed regency after appointing Guangxu, the son of Yixuan, Prince Chun, as the new emperor. A few months after Tongzhi's death, Empress Xiaozheyi died. Popular stories suggest that she either committed suicide or that Dowager Empress Cixi starved her to death by cutting off her food supply.

Family

Consorts[1]

  1. Empress Xiaozheyi, (Chinese: 孝哲毅皇后) of the Alute clan (1854–1875)
  2. Imperial Noble Consort Shushen, (Chinese: 淑慎皇贵妃) (1860–1905) neé Fuca.
  3. Imperial Noble Consort Zhuanghe, (Chinese: 庄和皇贵妃) (1857–14 April 1921) neé Alute was the aunt of Empress Xiaozheyi.
  4. Imperial Noble Consort Jingyi[2], (Chinese: 敬懿皇贵妃) (1856–1932) neé Heseri.
  5. Imperial Noble Consort Ronghui, (Chinese: 荣惠皇贵妃) (1854–1933) neé Silin Gioro.

Ancestry

References

  1. ^ The draft history of the Qing dynasty 《清史稿》卷二百十四．列傳一．后妃傳.
  2. ^ A daily routine of the concubine is recorded in a memoir of a palace eunuch. See: Forbidden City: The Great Within, Second Edition. May Holdsworth, Caroline Courtauld. ISBN 9622177921.

Sources and literature

As only son of Empress Dowager Cixi, Tongzhi is mentioned in almost all books about her.

Tongzhi Emperor
Born: 27 April 1856 Died: 12 January 1875
Regnal titles
Preceded by
The Xianfeng Emperor		 Emperor of China
1861-1875		 Succeeded by
The Guangxu Emperor