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). He was in charge of the government of China, in the 1860s and 1870s, and is remembered for his strong ties with Westerners and his attempts at opening and modernizing China. Image File history File links 恭亲王.jpg‎ www. ... Image File history File links 恭亲王.jpg‎ www. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... Aisin Gioro (Simplified Chinese: 爱新觉罗; Traditional Chinese: 愛新覺羅; Pinyin: àixÄ«n juéluó; Manchu: ) was the clan name of the Manchu emperors of the Qing dynasty (as well as the later short-lived regime in Manchukuo). ... The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: qīng cháo; Wade-Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China expanded into China proper and the surrounding territories of... The Manchu (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: , Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: MÇŽnzú, Mongolian: Манж) are a Tungusic people who originated in Manchuria (todays Northeast China). ...

He was popularly nicknamed "devil number six" (鬼子六) in Chinese, in reference to his frequent contacts with Westerners (the "foreign devils"). He was given the posthumous name Zhong (忠 - meaning "loyal"), so that his formal title before 1912 (end of the empire) was actually Prince Gong the Loyal (恭忠親王).

He was the sixth son of the Daoguang Emperor (1782-1850). His mother was the concubine of the third rank Jing (靜妃) (1812-1855), who later became Imperial Dowager Concubine Kang-Ci, and was made posthumously Empress Xiaojing Cheng (孝靜成皇后). She was the daughter of a Mongol official in the government, from the Borjigid clan (the descendants of Genghis Khan). 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. ... Honorary guard of Mongolia. ...   or Temüjin by birthname, (c. ...

In February 1850, Emperor Daoguang was dying, so he ordered to reveal the secret edict of succession: Yixin was made Prince of the First Rank Gong while his older half-brother Yizhu (奕詝) was proclaimed heir to the throne, which he ascended the following month as the Xianfeng Emperor. Prince Gong did not play a major role during the reign of Xianfeng, as his brother was suspicious of him and kept him at bay. His mother, the concubine Jing, the highest ranking surviving concubine of Emperor Daoguang (whose empresses were all dead already), was not made an Empress Dowager, but merely a Dowager Concubine, which Prince Gong bitterly resented. 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. ... 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 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. ...

Prince Gong's disgrace actually became his good fortune when, in 1860, in the middle of the Second Opium War, Emperor Xianfeng left him behind in Beijing to negotiate with the approaching British and French armies who had invaded northern China, while the court was fleeing to the Rehe Traveling Palace (熱河行宫), 230 km./140 miles northeast of Beijing. Prince Gong negotiated the Convention of Peking and thus obtained a position of great influence due to his newly acquired credit with the Western Powers and his control of the militia in Beijing. On August 22, 1861, the Xianfeng Emperor died in Rehe. His only heir, a 5-year-old son of the Concubine Yi, ascended to the throne as the Tongzhi Emperor. Xianfeng, on his deathbed, had designated a group of eight senior Manchu officials, led by Sushun, to be regents in the new emperor's minority. 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. ... The Xianfeng Emperor (July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eigth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861. ... Beijing [English Pronunciation] (Chinese: 北京 [Chinese Pronunciation]; Pinyin: BÄ›ijÄ«ng; IPA: ), a city in northern China, is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Mountain Resort, Chengde Mountain Resort, Chengde The Mountain Resort (Chinese: 避暑山庄; pinyin: BìshÇ” Shānzhuāng; literally: Mountain Resort for Avoiding the Heat) or Ligong (Chinese: 离宫; pinyin: Lígōng, the Qing Dynastys summer palace) situated in the city of Chengde in Hebei Province, China, is the worlds... The Convention of Peking (October 18, 1860), also known as the First Convention of Peking, was a treaty between the Qing Government of China and the British Empire, and between China and France, and China and Russia. ... 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. ... 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... 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. ... The Xianfeng Emperor (July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eigth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861. ... Emperor Sushun (崇峻天皇) was the 32nd imperial ruler of Japan (587-592). ...

However, Concubine Yi was deeply suspicious Sushun and the influence he had over the late emperor and conspired with Prince Gong to launch a coup. Prince Gong played the essential role in the ensuing struggle, as he had the troops capable of tilting the balance in favor of the Concubine Yi and her party or in favor of the eight regents. In November 1861, after secretly meeting the Concubine Yi and deciding to side with her, he carried out the Xinyou Coup (辛酉政變). The regents, who were accompanying the Xianfeng Emperor's body back to the Forbidden city, were intercepted upon arrival. Palace guards arrested the regents. The two opposing princes among the regents were forced to commit suicide, Sushun was beheaded, and the other five regents were stripped of their titles. 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... 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... 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... The Xianfeng Emperor (July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eigth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861. ...

The Concubine Yi became co-regent under the name Empress Dowager Cixi, along with the less politically involved Empress Dowager Ci'an, ruling behind the curtain (a court official required that the two co-regents, both women, attend imperial audiences behind a curtain). Prince Gong was named prince-regent and appointed to a variety of important posts in the government, including the powerful Grand Council. 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... // High public office A regent, from the Latin regens who reigns is anyone who acts as head of state, especially if not the monarch (who has higher titles). ... 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... Empress Dowager Cian (zh: 慈安太后) (1837 - April 8, 1881), popularly known in China as the Eastern Empress Dowager (東太后), and officially known posthumously as Empress Xiaozhen Xian (孝貞顯皇后), was the empress consort of the Xianfeng Emperor (b. ... The Grand Council or Junjichu (Traditional Chinese: , Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: JÅ«njÄ«chù; Manchu: coohai nashÅ«n i ba; literally, Office of Military Secrets) was an important policy-making body in the Qing Empire. ...

In 1861, Prince Gong established the Zongli Yamen, which functioned as the Qing Empire's de facto foreign ministry. As the long-time head of the Zongli Yamen, Prince Gong was responsible for much of the reforms of the early Self-strengthening Movement. He founded the Tongwen Guan in 1862 for Chinese scholars to learn foreign languages and technology. Zongli Yamen (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Tsungli Yamen) was the name of the government office/department of foreign relations (or Foreign Office) of imperial China during the Qing dynasty. ... Tongwen Guan (同文館), or the School of Combined Learning was an government school for teaching Western languages (and later scientific subjects), founded at Beijing, China in 1862 during the late-Qing Dynasty. ...

Prince Gong, with the support of the two dowagers, ruled China until the 1880s, but was demoted after being accused of being rude in front of the dowagers. Prince Gong had himself aspired to be the sole regent, in the mold of Dorgon, but Cixi was unwilling to give up power. He lost considerable prestige and his title of prince-regent after the two chastisements by Cixi, before finally being discredited during the Qing defeat in the Sino-French War. He was then overshadowed by his younger half-brother the 1st prince Chun (醇賢親王), who had closer ties with Cixi. Dorgon (多爾袞 duo1 er3 gun3) (November 17, 1612 - December 31, 1650), also known as Hošoi Mergen Cin Wang (和碩睿親王), was a Manchu prince in the early Qing dynasty. ... 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... 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... Combatants France Qing Dynasty Black Flag Army Annam Strength 15,000 to 20,000 soldiers (including Spanish and Filipino volunteers) 25,000 to 35,000 soldiers (from the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang and Yunnan) Casualties 2,100 killed or wounded 10,000 killed or wounded The 1884 Battle... 1st Prince Chun The 1st Prince Chun (Chinese: 醇賢親王, officially Prince of the First Rank Chun Xian) (October 16, 1840 - January 1, 1891), commonly known in his days as the Seventh Prince (七王爺) was born Yixuan (Chinese: 奕譞; Wade-Giles: I-hsüan), of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro clan (the Qing Dynasty imperial... 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...

In the 1890s, after the death of the 1st prince Chun, Empress Dowager Cixi asked Prince Gong to return to the court, but he died shortly afterwards. 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...

In 20th century China, Prince Gong was for a long time vilified as the man who sold the country to the Western powers. In recent years, however, he has been rehabilitated and is now recognized as a great statesman, on par with Li Hongzhang, especially when compared to his brother the hapless Xianfeng Emperor. Alive, he was admired by Westerners with whom he had close contacts, and still keep much of this credit in Western historical circles. Li Hongzhang (February 15, 1823 – November 7, 1901) was a Chinese general who ended several major rebellions, and a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire. ...

Historical Opinion

Some historians claim Prince Gong took a more active role in the coup of 1861. Sterling Seagrave, in "Dragon Lady", his biography of the Dowager Cixi, claims that Chinese records clearly show that at the death of the Xianfeng Emperor, he named the 2 Dowagers, Empress Dowager Ci'an (the senior Dowager) and Cixi, as the boy emperor's regents, in accord with Imeperial tradition. The "Gang of 8", led by Sushun, were furious and moved to set themselves up as co-regents for the young emperor, handing one imperial seal to Dowager Ci'an and keeping the other for themselves. Sterling Seagrave is best-selling author of The Soong Dynasty. ... 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... 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. ... Empress Dowager Cian (zh: 慈安太后) (1837 - April 8, 1881), popularly known in China as the Eastern Empress Dowager (東太后), and officially known posthumously as Empress Xiaozhen Xian (孝貞顯皇后), was the empress consort of the Xianfeng Emperor (b. ... 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...

Prince Gong, with his experience of battling the Western powers, knew that the xenophobic attitudes of the "Gang of 8" would bring ruin to China, and set about enlisting the help of the two Dowagers to bring about the Gang's downfall and stop them taking complete power. Early pressure forced Sushun to relinquish the second imperial seal to its rightful owner, the Dowager Empress Cixi. When Prince Gong's plans reached fuition, Sushun and several other members of the "Gang of 8" were arrested and executed for treason. 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...

Issues

• Zaicheng (載澂), eldest son.
• Zaiying (載瀅), second son.
  • Puwei (溥偉), 2nd Prince Gong (1880-1936)