Early Life and Background
Born on November 29, 1835, in Beijing, Cixi was given the name Yehenara. She came from a relatively modest background, belonging to the Manchu aristocracy but not from the highest echelons of Qing society. Her father, a minor official in the Qing government, was not wealthy or influential. Cixi entered the Forbidden City at the age of 16, selected to be one of the imperial concubines of the Xianfeng Emperor.
Her rise to power was not inevitable. At first, she was not considered a major figure at the imperial court. Cixi’s life would have followed a quiet and relatively unremarkable path had it not been for a series of events that thrust her into the heart of Chinese politics. In 1856, Cixi gave birth to a son, the future Tongzhi Emperor, which earned her a place in the emperor’s favor and solidified her position within the royal court.
The Death of Emperor Xianfeng and Ascension to Power
In 1861, the Xianfeng Emperor died, and his young son, Tongzhi, ascended the throne. However, due to his youth, a regency was necessary to rule on his behalf. The regents initially chosen were the emperor’s brothers, but Cixi, leveraging her position as the mother of the emperor’s heir, quickly maneuvered to gain power. She formed a powerful alliance with the influential court official, the Prince Gong, and successfully engineered the removal of her political rivals.
Cixi’s rise was characterized by skillful political maneuvering and an understanding of court intrigues. By the time Tongzhi was formally crowned, Cixi had effectively become the de facto ruler of China, despite her formal title being merely “Empress Dowager.” Her son, though the emperor in name, was largely sidelined, leaving her to wield the power. shutdown123