Puyi

Puyi (Chinese:溥儀; Pronounced P'oo-y'ee) (February 7, 1906 - October 17, 1967) of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro ruling family was the Xuantong Emperor (宣統皇帝) of China between 1908 and 1924 (ruling emperor between 1908 and 1912, and non-ruling emperor between 1912 and 1924), the tenth and last emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty to rule over China.

Biography

Emperor of China (1908-1924)

Chosen by Cixi on her deathbed, Puyi ascended to the throne at age 2 years 10 months in December 1908 following his uncle's death on November 14. His father, the 2nd Prince Chun, served as a regent until December 6, 1911 when Empress Dowager Longyu took over in the face of the Xinhai Revolution.

Related Topics:
1908 - November 14 - 2nd Prince Chun - Regent - December 6 - 1911 - Empress Dowager Longyu - Xinhai Revolution

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Empress Dowager Longyu signed the "Act of Abdication of the Emperor of the Great Qing" (《清帝退位詔書》) on February 12, 1912, following the Xinhai Revolution, under a deal brokered by Yuan Shikai with the imperial court in Beijing and the republicans in southern China: by the "Articles of Favourable Treatment of the Emperor of the Great Qing after his Abdication" (《清帝退位優待條件》) signed with the new Republic of China, Puyi was to retain his imperial title and be treated by the government of the Republic with the protocol attached to a foreign monarch as Italy's Law of Guarantees (1870) which accorded the Pope certain honors and privileges similar to those enjoyed by the King of Italy. He and the imperial court were allowed to remain in the northern half of the Forbidden City (the Private Apartments) as well as in the Summer Palace. A hefty annual subsidy of 4 million silver dollars was also granted by the Republic to the imperial household (never fully paid and abolished after just a few years).

Related Topics:
February 12 - 1912 - Yuan Shikai - Beijing - Republic of China - Protocol - Italy - Law of Guarantees - Pope - King of Italy - Forbidden City - Summer Palace

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Brief restoration (1917)

In 1917, the warlord general Zhang Xun (張勛) restored Puyi on his throne for twelve days from July 1 to July 12. Beijing male residents hastily bought some false queues (long plaits) to avoid punishment at the cutting of their queues in 1912. During those 12 days, one small bomb was dropped over the Forbidden City by a republican plane, causing minor damage. This is considered the first aerial bombardment ever in Eastern Asia. The restoration failed due to large opposition across China, and the decisive intervention of another warlord general, Duan Qirui. In mid-July, the streets of Beijing were strewn with the thousands of false queues that had been discarded as hastily as they had been bought.

Related Topics:
1917 - Warlord - Zhang Xun - July 1 - July 12 - Plait - Eastern Asia - Duan Qirui - Beijing

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Private citizen (1924-1932)

In the end of October 1924, the staunch republican warlord Feng Yuxiang seized Beijing with his troops and organized a coup, deposing president Cao Kun. On November 4, 1924, Feng Yuxiang had the government revise the "Articles of Favorable Treatment": the revised articles stated that Puyi was to be stripped of his imperial title and henceforth made a regular citizen of the Republic of China. The following day, November 5, Feng's troops surrounded the Private Apartments of the Forbidden City and forced Puyi to sign the revised articles. Puyi and the small imperial court were expelled from the Forbidden City that same day.

Related Topics:
1924 - Feng Yuxiang - Cao Kun - Articles of Favorable Treatment - Republic of China - Forbidden City

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Puyi took up his abode at the Northern Residence (北府), the mansion of his father, the 2nd Prince Chun, nearby the Forbidden City. In the beginning of 1925 he escaped the surveillance of Feng's soldiers and took refuge at the Japanese Legation. The Japanese organized his flight to the Japanese concession in Tianjin where he lived in two large mansions (first Zhangyuan, then later Jingyuan). He set up a "court-in-exile" there until 1932 when he became the ruler of the Japanese puppet state Manchukuo.

Related Topics:
2nd Prince Chun - Tianjin - 1932 - Puppet state - Manchukuo

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Ruler of Manchukuo (1932-1945)

On March 1, 1932, Puyi was installed by the Japanese as the ruler of Manchukuo under the reign title Datong (大同). In 1934 he was officially crowned the emperor of Manchukuo under the reign title Kangde (康德). He was constantly at odds with the Japanese in private, though gushingly submissive in person. He resented being "Head of State" and then "Emperor of Manchukuo" rather than being fully restored as Qing Emperor. At his enthronement he clashed with Japan over dress; they wished him to wear a Manchukuoan uniform whereas he considered it an insult to wear anything but traditional Qing robes. In a typical compromise, he wore a uniform to his enthronement and dragon robes to the announcement of his accession at the Altar of Heaven.

Related Topics:
March 1 - 1932 - Manchukuo - Reign title - Altar of Heaven

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As Emperor of Manchukuo, Puyi's household was closely watched by the Japanese who began taking increasing steps in the full Japanization of Manchuria, as they had done in Korea and elsewhere. When Puyi went on a state visit to Tokyo he was embarrassingly flattering of the Japanese imperial family. At a review, he even thanked Emperor Hirohito for "allowing" clear skies and sunshine for the event. He began taking a greater interest in Buddhism during these empty years, some would call it becoming more devoutly religious, others would call it becoming more superstitious and paranoid. However, Japan soon forced him to make Shintoism the national religion of Manchukuo. Slowly, his old supporters were eliminated and pro-Japanese ministers put in their place. During this time, his life consisted mostly of signing laws prepared by Japan, reciting prayers, consulting oracles and making formal visits around his kingdom.

Related Topics:
Japanization - Korea - Hirohito - Buddhism - Shinto

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Later life (1945-1967)

At the end of World War II, he was captured by the Soviet Red Army (1945) and turned over to the Chinese Communists in 1950. He spent ten years in a reeducation camp in Fushun, in Liaoning province, was declared reformed, and claimed to become a supporter of the Communists. Afterwards, he worked at the Beijing Botanical Gardens. He was made a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, in which he served from 1964 until his death. He wrote an autobiography (我的前半生 - "The former half of my life", translated in English as From Emperor to Citizen) in the 1960s and died in Beijing of cancer in 1967 during the Cultural Revolution.

Related Topics:
World War II - Soviet - Red Army - 1945 - Chinese Communists - 1950 - Reeducation camp - Fushun - Liaoning - Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference - 1964 - Autobiography - English - Beijing - 1967 - Cultural Revolution

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Marriages

At the age of 16, in 1922, he married two women. His first choice for wife was Wen Xiu (1907-1950/51), who was deemed by court officials to be not beautiful enough to be an empress; designated a concubine, she eventually divorced him in 1931. His second choice, a Manchu considered highly attractive, named Wan Rong or "Beauty in Flower" (1906-1946, a.k.a Elizabeth, a.k.a. Radiant Countenance), became empress, addicted to opium, and finally died in a Chinese prison.

Related Topics:
1922 - Wen Xiu - 1931 - Wan Rong

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His third wife was Tan Yuling, whom he married around 1939. A teenager at the time, she was a Manchu who died mysteriously six years later after being attended for her illness by a Japanese-occupation doctor.

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His fourth wife, a Han, Li Yuquin (d. 2001), whom he met when she was a student, divorced him after 15 years and died of cirrhosis.

Related Topics:
Han - Li Yuquin - Cirrhosis

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In 1962, he married for the fifth time to another Han, Li Shuxian (1925-1997), a nurse, who was to die of lung cancer.

Related Topics:
1962 - Li Shuxian

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The emperor had no children. Some maintain he had homosexual tendencies.

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