The Boxer Rebellion was an anti-foreign, anti-Christian uprising in northern China, supported by many in the Qing court, including Cixi. The Boxers sought to rid China of foreign influence, targeting foreign nationals and Chinese Christians. Initially, Cixi supported the Boxers, believing that their actions could protect China’s sovereignty. However, when the Eight-Nation Alliance (composed of Japan, Russia, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary) intervened militarily, Cixi found herself in a difficult position.
Facing overwhelming foreign forces, Cixi was forced to change her stance. After the Boxer Rebellion was crushed, the Qing government was forced to sign the Boxer Protocol in 1901, which imposed severe penalties on China, including large indemnities and the execution of government officials who had supported the Boxers. The humiliating defeat marked the beginning of the end for the Qing Dynasty.
The Fall of the Qing Dynasty and Cixi’s Legacy
As the 20th century approached, China was in a state of turmoil. The reform efforts of the late 19th century, though important, had failed to save the Qing Dynasty from internal decay and foreign encroachment. In 1908, after 47 years of de facto rule, Empress Dowager Cixi died, just one day after the death of the Guangxu Emperor, whom she had long controlled. Cixi’s death left China in a precarious position, as the last emperor, Puyi, was only two years old and lacked the ability to lead.
The Qing Dynasty’s inability to modernize and its failure to address the growing discontent within China led to the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, which ultimately led to the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of the Republic of China.
Empress Dowager Cixi’s legacy is a matter of debate. On one hand, she is credited with stabilizing the Qing Dynasty during some of its most challenging years and modernizing China in some respects. On the other hand, she is often criticized for resisting more radical reforms and for maintaining an autocratic rule that contributed to the eventual downfall of the Qing Dynasty.
Cixi’s life reflects the complex interplay of tradition and change in late imperial China. She ruled during a period of immense upheaval, and her actions, whether conservative or reformist, played a significant role in shaping the course of Chinese history.
Conclusion
Empress Dowager Cixi remains one of the most significant and enigmatic figures in Chinese history. Her reign was one of the longest in Chinese imperial history, and she was a shrewd, pragmatic ruler who navigated the challenges of both domestic and foreign threats. While her legacy is controversial, there is no doubt that her influence on the Qing Dynasty and the course of Chinese history was profound. Cixi’s ability to maintain control in a rapidly changing world and her role in both preserving and ultimately hastening the end of the Qing Dynasty remain essential to understanding China’s transition from an imperial to a republican system of government. shutdown123