Puyi
For the Chinese ethnic group, see buyei. | The Xuantong Emperor of Qing China |
| | Xuantong Emperor |
|---|
| Clan name: | Àixīn-Juéluó (愛新覺羅)
Aisin-Gioro |
| Given name: | Puyi (溥儀)
(No Manchu name was given to him) |
| Emperor of China |
| Dates of reign: | Dec. 2, 1908–Nov. 5, 1924¹ |
| Era name: | Xuānt'ng (宣統)(Hsuan-tung)
Gehungge Yoso |
| Era dates | Jan. 22, 1909–Feb. 12, 1912 |
| Chief Executive (執") of Manchukuo |
| Term of office: | Mar. 9, 1932–Feb. 28, 1934 |
| Era name: | Dàtóng (大同)
(Manchu name to be added) |
| Emperor (皇帝) of Manchukuo |
| Dates of reign: | Mar. 1, 1934–Aug. 15, 1945 |
| Era name: | Kāngdé (康德)
(Manchu name to be added) |
| Temple name: | None as yet². |
| Posthumous name: | Xùndì ³ (遜帝) |
| (short + full) | - | General note: Names given in Chinese, then in Manchu below (temple and posthumous names in Chinese only).| - | 1. Ruling emperor until February 12, 1912, non-ruling emperor between 1912-1924.2. In 2004 descendants of the Qing imperial family have conferred a posthumous name and temple name upon Puyi. Posthumous name: Mindi (愍帝). Temple name: Gongzong(恭宗). This has not been approved by the direct line of the imperial family.| 3. Xundi ("The Abdicated Emperor") is the posthumous name given by mainland China and Taiwan's history books to Puyi. | | | |
Puyi (
Chinese:溥儀;) (
February 7,
1906–
October 17,
1967) of the
Manchu Aisin-Gioro ruling family was the last
Emperor 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
Qing Dynasty to rule over China.
He was married to the Empress Gobulo
Wan Rong under the suggestion of the Imperial Dowager Concubine
Duan-Kang. Later, between 1934 and 1945, he was the
Kangde Emperor (康德皇帝) of
Manchukuo. In the
People's Republic of China, he was a member of the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference from 1964 until his death in 1967 under the
Chinese name Aixinjueluo Puyi. His abdication being a symbol of the end of a long era in China, Xuantong is widely known as the
Last Emperor (末代皇帝).
In English, he is known more simply as
Puyi (
Pu-i in
Wade-Giles romanization), which is in accordance with the Manchu tradition of never using an individual's
clan name and
given name together, but is in complete contravention with the
traditional Chinese and Manchu custom whereby the private given name of an emperor was considered
taboo and ineffable. It may be that the use of the given name Puyi after the overthrow of the empire was thus a political technique, an attempt to express desecration of the old order. Indeed, after Puyi lost his imperial title in 1924 he was officially styled "Mr. Puyi" (溥儀先") in China. His clan name Aisin-Gioro was seldom used. He is also known to have used the name "Henry"
¹, a name allegedly chosen with his English language teacher, Scotsman
Reginald Johnston, in reference to King
Henry VIII of England. However, the name Henry was merely used in communication with Westerners between 1920 and 1932, and is never used in China.
Paternal side
Puyi's great-grandfather was the
Daoguang Emperor (r.1820"1850), who was succeeded by his fourth son, who became
Xianfeng Emperor (r.1850"1861).
Puyi's paternal grandfather was the
1st Prince Chun (1840"1891) who was himself a son of the Daoguang Emperor and a younger half-brother of Xianfeng Emperor, but not the next in line after Xianfeng (the 1st Prince Chun had older half-brothers that were closer in age to Xianfeng). Xianfeng was succeeded by his only son, who became the
Tongzhi Emperor (r.1861-1875).
Tongzhi died without a son, and was succeeded by
Guangxu Emperor (r.1875"1908), the son of the
1st Prince Chun and his wife, who was the younger sister of
Empress Dowager Cixi. Guangxu died without an heir.
Puyi, who succeeded Guangxu, was the eldest son of the
2nd Prince Chun (1883"1951), who was the son of the 1st Prince Chun and his second concubine, the
Lady Lingiya (1866"1925). Lady Lingiya was a maid at the mansion of the
1st Prince Chun whose original Chinese family name was Liu (劉); this was changed into the Manchu clan's name Lingyia when she was made a Manchu, a requirement before becoming the concubine of a Manchu prince. The
2nd Prince Chun was, therefore, a younger half-brother of the Guangxu Emperor and the first brother in line after Guangxu.
Puyi was in a branch of the imperial family with close ties to
Cixi, who was herself from the (Manchu)
Yehe-Nara clan (the imperial family were the
Aisin-Gioro clan). Cixi married the daughter of her brother to her nephew
Guangxu, who became, after Guangxu and Cixi's death, the
Empress Dowager Longyu (1868"1913).
It is interesting to note that Puyi's lesser known brother, Pu Xuezhai 薄雪齋, is an important master of the
guqin musical instrument tradition.
Maternal side
 |
2nd Prince Chun with his eldest son Puyi on his left, and his second son Pujie on his lap. Photo taken in the end of 1907. |
Puyi's mother, the
2nd Princess Chun (1884-1921), given name Youlan (幼蘭), was the 2nd Prince Chun's wife. She was the daughter of the Manchu general
Ronglu (榮祿) (1836"1903) from the
Guwalgiya clan. Ronglu was one of the leaders of the conservative faction at the court, and a staunch supporter of
Empress Dowager Cixi;
Cixi rewarded his support by marrying his daughter, Puyi's mother, into the imperial family.
Emperor of China (1908"1924)
Chosen by Empress Cixi while on her deathbed, Puyi ascended 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.
Empress Dowager Longyu signed the "Act of Abdication of the Emperor of the Great Qing" (《清帝退位"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. This was similar to
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 granted by the Republic to the imperial household, although it was never fully paid and abolished after just a few years.
Brief restoration (1917)
In 1917, the
warlord general
Zhang Xun (張勛) restored Puyi to his throne for the twelve days from
July 1 to
July 12. The male residents of Beijing hastily bought some false queues (long
plaits or "pigtails") to avoid punishment for cutting off 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 extensive 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.
Puyi was expelled from the
Forbidden City in 1924 by warlord
Feng Yuxiang.
Ruler of Manchukuo (1932"1945)
|
"Emperor Henry Pu Yi," Time, Mar. 5, 1934 |
|
Puyi as the Kangde Emperor of Manchukuo |
|
1935 Manchukuo postage stamp with image of Puyi |
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 public. 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 wanted 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. His brother
Pujie, who married Hiro Saga, a distant cousin to the Japanese Emperor
Hirohito, was proclaimed heir apparent.
During Puyi's reign as Emperor of
Manchukuo, his household was closely watched by the Japanese who increasingly took steps toward the full
Japanization of Manchuria, just as they had done in
Korea and elsewhere. When Puyi went on a state visit to Tokyo, he was embarrassingly flattering to the Japanese imperial family. At a review, he even thanked Emperor
Hirohito for "allowing" clear skies and sunshine for the event. During these empty years, he began taking a greater interest in
Buddhism. 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 period, his life consisted mostly of signing laws prepared by Japan, reciting prayers, consulting oracles, and making formal visits throughout his kingdom.
Later life (1945"1967)
At the end of
World War II, Puyi was captured by the
Soviet Red Army (1945). He testified at the
Tokyo war crimes trial 1946. There he was scathing in his resentment of how he had been treated by the Japanese. When Chinese Communists under
Mao Zedong had come to power in 1949, Puyi wrote letters to
Joseph Stalin with requests not to send him back to China. He also wrote of his new life attitude, changed by the works of
Karl Marx and
Lenin, which he had read while in prison. However, because
Stalin wished to warm his relations with a new "political friend Mao", he repatriated the former emperor to China in 1950. Puyi spent ten years in a
reeducation camp in
Fushun, in
Liaoning province until he was declared reformed. He voiced his support for the Communists and 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" " "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.
Puyi had several brothers, two of whom are important for the history of China and the
Qing Dynasty:
*
Pujie (1907"1994), who had a minor role in the government of Manchukuo
*Puren (who later took the name
Jin Youzhi), a younger half-brother, born after the imperial family had lost power
Two wives*Empress Gobulo
Wan Rong(婉容); Empress of
Manchukuo a.k.a. Elizabeth (1906"June 1946). Unofficial posthumous title in 2004 by the
Qing Imperial House: Empress Xiao Kemin (孝恪愍皇后)
*
Li Shuxian (李淑賢)(1925"1997). Unofficial posthumous title in 2004 by the
Qing Imperial House: Empress Xiao Ruimin (孝睿愍皇后)
Three concubines*Concubine of the 3rd rank; Shufei (淑妃)
Wen Xiu (文绣) (1907"1950/51). Unofficial posthumous title in 2004 by the
Qing Imperial House: No change; demoted to commoner following her divorce from Puyi in 1931
*Concubine of the 5th rank (貴人)
Tan Yuling (谭玉龄)(1922"1944). Unofficial posthumous title in 2004 by the
Qing Imperial House: Imperial Noble Concubine of the 1st rank (皇贵妃)(明賢皇貴妃)
*Unofficial concubine of the 5th rank (貴人)
Li Yuqin (李玉琴)((1928"2001). Unofficial posthumous title in 2004 by the
Qing Imperial House: Imperial Concubine of the 2nd rank (贵妃)
In detail:In 1922, at the age of 16, Puyi married two women. His first choice for wife was
Wen Xiu (1907"1950/51), who court officials deemed not beautiful enough to be an empress; she was designated as a concubine, and eventually divorced him in 1931. Puyi's second choice, a Manchu named
Wan Rong or "Beauty in Flower" (1906"1946, a.k.a Elizabeth, a.k.a. Radiant Countenance), became the
Empress Gobulo; she later became addicted to opium, and died in a Chinese prison.
His third wife was a Manchu,
Tan Yuling, whom he married around 1939. Although only a teenager at the time of marriage, she died mysteriously six years later while being treated for an illness by a Japanese-occupation doctor.
In 1943, Puyi married his fourth wife, a 15-year-old student named
Li Yuqin (1928?"2001), a
Han. She divorced him in 1958. She was diagnosed with cirrhosis in 1995 and died six years later at the age of 73.
In 1962, he married his fifth and last wife, a Han nurse,
Li Shuxian (1925"1997), who was to die of lung cancer.
The emperor had no children.
One writer allegedly documented Puyi's numerous
homosexual relationships, such as a boyhood romance with the "handsome eunuch" Wang Fengchi.
[Hinsch, Bret, Passions of the Cut Sleeve: The Male Homosexual Tradition in China. Berkeley, Los Angeles, Oxford: University of California Press, 1990; Jia Yinghua, Unlocking the Secrets of the Emperor's Final Marriage, 2001.] Puyi's homosexuality has been vehemently denied by surviving members of the imperial line.
In 1995, his widow was allowed to transfer his ashes to a commercial cemetery near the
Western Qing Tombs (清西陵), 120 km (75 miles) southwest of
Beijing, where four of the nine Qing emperors preceding him are interred, along with 3 empresses, and 69 princes, princesses, and imperial concubines. In accordance to the laws of the People's Republic of China at the time, Puyi's body was
cremated, unlike the bodies of his ancestors, which were interred whole.
Bernardo Bertolucci's 1987 film
The Last Emperor is a
biopic of Puyi.
¹
Aisin-Gioro is the clan's name in
Manchu, pronounced Àixīn Juéluó in
Mandarin; P"yí is the Chinese given name as pronounced in
Mandarin.
*
List of monarchs who lost their thrones or abdicated in the 20th century*
List of Heads of State who were later imprisoned*
Royalty.nu: Extended Bio*
TIME: Last Emperor's Humble Occupation*
Li Xin, Pu Yi's Widow Reveals Last Emperor's Soft Side
