How Empress Dowager Cixi took control of China and was de facto ruler for nearly 50 years
Beginning royal life as a low-ranking concubine, Cixi controlled Qing-dynasty China for nearly half a century from behind the scenes
One of the most powerful and influential women in Chinese history, Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) controlled Qing-dynasty China for nearly half a century, first as regent for her young son, then as the power behind another child emperor.
Not bad for someone who began her royal life as a low-ranking concubine.
In the book Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China, author Jung Chang describes how Cixi’s father treated her like a son and constantly spoke to her about topics typically off-limits to women at the time. He also deeply valued her practicality and intelligence, taking into consideration her opinions on family finances and even political affairs.
The Xianfeng Emperor frequently had her read palace memorials aloud and record his instructions upon them, which gave her intimate knowledge of the state and invaluable experience in the art of rule.
“Being consulted and having her views acted on, she acquired self-confidence and never accepted the common assumption that women’s brains were inferior to men’s,” Chang writes.