With the Empress Dowager of China · Chapter
Her Majesty the Empress Dowager explained
This chapter provides a detailed account of the Empress Dowager Tze-Hsi's origins, rise to power, and her role in key historical events.
What happens
This chapter provides a detailed account of the Empress Dowager Tze-Hsi's origins, rise to power, and her role in key historical events. It refutes claims of her low birth, detailing her noble Manchu lineage and education. The narrative covers her entry into the palace, her ascent through the ranks of wives, and her eventual appointment as Co-Regent alongside the Empress of the Eastern Palace. It highlights her political acumen during the Taiping rebellion and her subsequent regencies for her son, Emperor Tung-Chih, and her nephew, Emperor Kwang-Hsu. The chapter also recounts the events of the Boxer Rebellion, including the siege of the Legations, the Empress Dowager's flight from Peking, and the hardships endured by the Imperial Court during their journey to Singan Fu.
Themes in this chapter
Power and Governance
The chapter details the Empress Dowager's political maneuvers, her role as Co-Regent, and her navigation of state affairs during crises.
Loyalty and Patronage
The Empress Dowager's ability to inspire loyalty and devotion from the Grand Council, Princes, and her entourage is highlighted.
Cultural Identity and Tradition
The chapter discusses Manchu nobility, palace customs, and the traditional roles of women within the imperial system.
East-West Encounter
The narrative covers China's foreign relations, the influence of foreigners during the Taiping rebellion, and the events of the Boxer Rebellion.
Characters to notice
- Empress Dowager Tze-Hsi
The chapter's central figure, detailing her noble origins, rise to power, political acumen, and her role during the Boxer Rebellion and subsequent flight.
- Emperor Hsien-Feng
The Empress Dowager's husband, whose death led to the ascension of their son and the beginning of her regency.
- Late Emperor Tung-Chih
The son of the Empress Dowager, who became Emperor at a young age and whose early death was a significant blow to her.
- Emperor Kwang-Hsu
The nephew and adopted son of the Empress Dowager, for whom she served as Co-Regent and who was Emperor during the Boxer Rebellion.
- Katherine A. Carl
The author and narrator, who provides the account of the Empress Dowager's life and the events described in the chapter.
Key passages
“The current story that the Empress Dowager was a slave-girl and is of low origin is absolutely false.”
The rumor that the Empress Dowager began as a slave-girl is completely untrue.
The author directly refutes a common misconception about the Empress Dowager's background.
“She repudiated the anti-foreign party and joined forces with Prince Kung...”
She rejected the anti-foreign faction and allied herself with Prince Kung.
Describes the Empress Dowager's first major political decision, aligning with a more progressive faction.
“She has steered the ship of State between the two extremes, though she has sometimes run it against the rocks of Scylla in trying to avoid the whirlpool of Charybdis...”
She has navigated the state between opposing dangers, sometimes making mistakes while trying to avoid greater ones.
Uses a classical metaphor to describe the Empress Dowager's moderate but sometimes flawed political course.
“Her indomitable spirit was broken. She consented, in an agony of womanly fear, to fly.”
Her unyielding courage failed, and she agreed to flee in a state of intense fear.
Describes the moment the Empress Dowager's resolve broke, leading to her flight from Peking.
