The Empress Dowager Ci'an (Chinese: 慈安皇太后) 1837 - April 8, 1881, popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager (Chinese: 东太后), before she was widowed known as Empress Zhen (Chinese: 贞皇后), and officially known posthumously as the Xiaozhen Empress (Chinese: 孝贞显皇后), was the second Empress Consort of the Xian Feng Emperor (b.1831 - d.1861) of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China, and then Empress Dowager after 1861. Born the Lady Niuhuru, she was the daughter of Muyangga, an official from a powerful Manchu family, the Niuhuru clan. Her mother was Lady Giyang, of the Giyang clan. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 - 1901) 1837 (MDCCCXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 205th day of the year (206th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar) // January 1 - Benito Juárez captures Mexico City January 2 - Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia dies and is succeeded by... This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Xian Feng Emperor, born Yi Zhu, (July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the ninth Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861. ... Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 - 1901) 1837 (MDCCCXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Xian Feng Emperor, born Yi Zhu, (July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the ninth Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861. ... The Manchu people (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: , Mongolian: Манж) are a Tungusic people who originated in Manchuria (todays Northeastern China). ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Territory of Qing China in 1892 Capital Shengjing (1636-1644) Beijing (1644-1912) Language(s) Chinese Manchu Mongolian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1636-1643 Huang Taiji  - 1908-1912 Xuantong Emperor Prime Minister  - 1911 Yikuang  - 1911-1912 Yuan Shikai History  - Establishment of the Late... The Manchu people (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: , Mongolian: Манж) are a Tungusic people who originated in Manchuria (todays Northeastern China). ...

Biography

Lady Niuhuru entered the Forbidden City in the late 1840s, and served as a maid, or lady-in-waiting, in the apartments of the crown prince, the future Xianfeng Emperor. At the time, the principal wife of the crown prince was the Lady Sakda, of the Manchu Sakda clan, who was made posthumously Empress Xiao De Xian (Chinese: 孝德显皇后). The Lady Sakda died on January 24, 1850. The next month, on February 25, the Dao Guang Emperor also died. Thus, the crown prince became the Xianfeng Emperor, but was left without an empress. For other uses, see Forbidden City (disambiguation). ... Lady in Waiting is an album by American southern rock band The Outlaws, released in 1976. ... Empress Xiao De Xian (孝德显皇后) was the first Empress Consort of the Xian Feng Emperor. ... The Manchu people (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: , Mongolian: Манж) are a Tungusic people who originated in Manchuria (todays Northeastern China). ... Empress Xiao De Xian (孝德显皇后) was the first Empress Consort of the Xian Feng Emperor. ... The Daoguang Emperor (September 16, 1782 – February 25, 1850) was the seventh emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1820 to 1850. ...

Two years later, in the end of March or beginning of April 1852, after a proper mourning period, the Lady Niohuru was made an Imperial Concubine (Chinese: 嫔), and was given the name Zhen (Chinese: 贞, meaning "upright", "virtuous", "faithful to the memory of one's husband" i.e. by remaining chaste after his death and not remarrying). In the end of June or beginning of July of the same year, she was promoted from Imperial Concubine Zhen (Chinese: 贞嫔) to Noble Consort Zhen (Chinese: 贞贵妃). Then on July 24, 1852 she was officially made an Empress Consort (Chinese: 皇后).

Niuhuru was unable to produce a male heir, and it was the Imperial Concubine Yi (Chinese: 懿嫔), later known as the Ci Xi Dowager Empress, who succeeded in giving a son to the Xianfeng Emperor in April 1856. On August 22, 1861, in the wake of the Second Opium War, Xianfeng died at the Rehe Traveling Palace (Chinese: 热河行宫), 230 km./140 miles northeast of Beijing, where the imperial court had fled. His heir, the son of the Concubine Yi, who was about to become the Tongzhi Emperor, was only 5 years old. As a consequence, the imperial family was shaken by a struggle over who would assume the regency. Eventually, in November 1861, the concubine Yi, with the help of Prince Gong (Chinese: 恭亲王), staged a palace coup known as the Xinyou Coup (Chinese: 辛酉政变), had the opposing princes commit suicide and their leader the Manchu official Sushun beheaded, and succeeded in securing the power into her hands and those of the Empress Consort. Empress Dowager Cixi (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Tzu-Hsi Tai-hou) (November 29, 1835 – November 15, 1908), popularly known in China as the West Empress Dowager (Chinese: 西太后), was from the Manchu Yehe Nara Clan. ... Combatants Qing China United Kingdom French Empire Commanders Unknown Michael Seymour James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin Jean-Baptiste Louis Gros The Second Opium War or Arrow War was a war of the United Kingdom and France against the Qing Dynasty of China from 1856 to 1860. ... Beijing (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: BÄ›ijÄ«ng; Wade-Giles: Peiching or Pei-ching; IPA: ; literally Northern capital;  ), a metropolis in northern China, is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... The Tong Zhi Emperor, born Zai Chun (April 27, 1856–January 12, 1875) was the tenth emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1861 to 1875. ... Prince Gong (Chinese: 恭亲王; Wade-Giles: Prince Kung) (January 11, 1833 - May 29, 1898), commonly known in his days as the Sixth Prince (六王爺), was born Yixin (Chinese: 奕訢; Wade-Giles: I-hsin), of the Aisin-Gioro clan (the Qing Manchu imperial family ruling over China). ... Emperor Sushun (崇峻天皇) was the 32nd imperial ruler of Japan (587-592). ...

Noble Consort Yi was officially made "Holy Mother Empress Dowager" (Chinese: 圣母皇太后), a high privilege considering that she had never been Empress Consort while Xianfeng was alive. She was privileged to become Empress Dowager only because she was the biological mother of the new emperor. She was also given a honorific name which was Cixi (Chinese: 慈禧 - meaning "motherly and auspicious"). As for the Empress Consort Niuhuru, she was made "Empress Mother Empress Dowager" (Chinese: 母后皇太后), a title giving her precedence over Cixi, and she was given the honorific name Ci'an (Chinese: 慈安 - meaning "motherly and calming"). As she dwelled in the eastern part of the Forbidden City, Ci'an became popularly known as the East Empress Dowager (Chinese: 东太后), while Cixi, who dwelled in the western part of the Forbidden City became known as the West Empress Dowager (Chinese: 西太后). Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi (Chinese: 慈禧太后; Wade-Giles: Tzu-hsi) (November 29, 1835–November 15, 1908), popularly known in China as the Western Empress Dowager (西太后), and officially known posthumously as Empress Xiaoqin Xian (孝欽顯皇后), was a... For other uses, see Forbidden City (disambiguation). ... Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi (Chinese: 慈禧太后; Wade-Giles: Tzu-hsi) (November 29, 1835–November 15, 1908), popularly known in China as the Western Empress Dowager (西太后), and officially known posthumously as Empress Xiaoqin Xian (孝欽顯皇后), was a... For other uses, see Forbidden City (disambiguation). ...

On several occasions after 1861, Ci'an was given additional honorific names (two Chinese characters at a time), as was customary for emperors and empresses, until by the end of her life her name was a long even string of characters starting with Ci'an.

For the next twenty years until her death in 1881, Ci'an assumed the regency of the Empire of the Great Qing, along with co-regent Cixi, first during the minority of the Tongzhi emperor, then during the minority of the Guangxu Emperor after the premature death of Tongzhi in January 1875. Although in theory she had precedence over Cixi, she was in fact a self-effacing person and seldom intervened in politics, unlike Cixi, who was the actual master of China. Her only notable intervention in politics was in 1869. The most feared grand eunuch of the imperial court An Dehai (Chinese: 安德海), close confidant of Cixi, was on a trip south to buy some dragon robes for Cixi. While traveling in Shandong province, he used his power as an envoy of Cixi to extort money from people, which caused great trouble. The matter was reported to the court by the governor of Shandong, and Ci'an who heard about it ordered the immediate execution of An Dehai, who had been the all powerful figure at the imperial court until then. This was quite an unusual reaction for Ci'an, and the execution of An Dehai is said to have greatly displeased Cixi. The Guangxu Emperor (August 14, 1871–November 14, 1908), born Zaitian (載湉), was the tenth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China. ... European illustration of a Eunuch (1749) Chief Eunuch of Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II at the Imperial Palace, 1912. ...   (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Shan-tung) is a coastal province of eastern Peoples Republic of China. ...

On April 8, 1881, during an audience at the court, Ci'an did not feel well and was accompanied to her private apartments, where she died within an hour. Her sudden death was a shock for people, as the health of the empress dowager had always been excellent. Thirty years after her death rumors would be spread that she had been poisoned by Cixi. However, such claims have never been substantiated and new evidence has not appeared in the many years since. April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ...

A popular view of Ci'an is that she was a highly respectable person, always quiet, never hot-tempered, unlike Cixi, and that she treated everybody very well, and was highly respected by Xianfeng. Her good-hearted personality was no match for the perfidious and maneuvering Cixi, who managed to sideline the naive and candid Ci'an, and is even supposed to have killed her in the end. This is still the majority view in China, the image of a quiet Ci'an perhaps stemming from the meaning of her honorific name. However, some historians have painted a very different reality, mainly that of a self-indulgent and idle Ci'an, who did not care as much for government and hard work as she cared for her pleasures and sweet life inside the Forbidden City. Cixi, on the other hand, was a shrewd and intelligent woman who was ready to make sacrifices and work hard in order to obtain the supreme power, and who faced the complex problems that were besetting China at the time, while Ci'an was indulging in an easy life. As often, reality may lie in between these two extreme visions.

The Dingdongling (Puxiangyu Dingdongling on the left, Putuoyu Dingdongling on the right)

The posthumous name given to Ci'an, which combines the honorific names which she gained during her lifetime with new names added just after her death, was: Photo self-taken in 2002 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Photo self-taken in 2002 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A posthumous name (Traditional Chinese: 諡號/謚號 Simplified Chinese: 谥号; Pinyin: shì hào; Romaji: shigō/tsuigō; Revised Romanization of Korean: siho) is a honorary name given to royalty in some cultures posthumously, that is, after the persons death. ...

• (Chinese: 孝贞慈安裕庆和敬诚靖仪天祚圣显皇后)

which reads:

• "Empress Xiao ² -zhen ³ Ci'an Yuqing Hejing Chengjing Yitian Zuosheng ⁴ Xian ⁵ ".

This long name is still the one that can be seen on Ci'an's tomb today. The short form of her posthumous name is:

• "Empress Xiao Zhen Xian" (Chinese: 孝贞显皇后).

Dowager Ci'an was interred amidst the Eastern Qing Tombs (Chinese: 清东陵), 125 kilometers/75 miles east of Beijing, in the Dingdongling (Chinese: 定东陵) tomb complex (literally: the "Tombs east of the Dingling tomb"), along with Empress Dowager Cixi. More precisely, Ci'an lies in the Puxiangyu Dingdonling (Chinese: 普祥峪定东陵) (literally: the "Tomb east of the Dingling tomb in the Vale of wide good omen"), while Cixi built herself the much larger Putuoyu Dingdongling (Chinese: 菩陀峪定东陵) (literally: the "Tomb east of the Dingling tomb in the Vale of Putuo"). The Dingling tomb (literally: the "Tomb of quietude") is the tomb of the Xianfeng Emperor, the emperor of Ci'an and Cixi, which is located indeed west of the Dingdongling. The Vale of Putuo owes its name to Mt Putuo (literally: the "Mountain of the Dharani of the Site of the Buddha's Enlightenment"), at the foot of which the Dingdongling is located. Beijing (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: BÄ›ijÄ«ng; Wade-Giles: Peiching or Pei-ching; IPA: ; literally Northern capital;  ), a metropolis in northern China, is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... Media:Example. ... Bodhi (बोधि) is the Pāli and Sanskrit word for the awakened or knowing consciousness of a fully liberated yogi, generally translated into English as enlightenment. It is an abstract noun formed from the verbal root budh (to awake, become aware, notice, know or understand), corresponding to the verbs bujjhati (P...

Notes

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Empress Dowager Ci'an

1. i.e. mother of Tongzhi
2. "filial"; during the Qing Dynasty this was always the first character at the beginning of empresses' posthumous names
3. same character as when she was a concubine
4. this string of 12 characters are the honorific names that she received while alive, with possibly the last characters having been added only just after her death
5. "the Clear", or "the Illustrious"; this is the posthumous name of the Xianfeng Emperor; during the Qing Dynasty the last character of empresses' posthumous names was always the posthumous name of their emperor Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Territory of Qing China in 1892 Capital Shengjing (1636-1644) Beijing (1644-1912) Language(s) Chinese Manchu Mongolian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1636-1643 Huang Taiji  - 1908-1912 Xuantong Emperor Prime Minister  - 1911 Yikuang  - 1911-1912 Yuan Shikai History  - Establishment of the Late... A posthumous name (Traditional Chinese: 諡號/謚號 Simplified Chinese: 谥号; Pinyin: shì hào; Romaji: shigō/tsuigō; Revised Romanization of Korean: siho) is a honorary name given to royalty in some cultures posthumously, that is, after the persons death. ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Territory of Qing China in 1892 Capital Shengjing (1636-1644) Beijing (1644-1912) Language(s) Chinese Manchu Mongolian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1636-1643 Huang Taiji  - 1908-1912 Xuantong Emperor Prime Minister  - 1911 Yikuang  - 1911-1912 Yuan Shikai History  - Establishment of the Late...

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