Empress Dowager Cixi (English: Xi-tai-hou; Hsi-t`ai-hou)

Japanese: 西太后 - せいたいこう（英語表記）Xi-tai-hou; Hsi-t`ai-hou

Born: October 10, 1835.
[Died] Guangxu 34 (1908). October 22. Beijing, China, Qing Dynasty. Empress Dowager Cixi (Ji Xi), concubine of Emperor Xianfeng and mother of Emperor Tongzhi. Born to the Yehenara clan. After Emperor Xianfeng's death, Emperor Tongzhi ascended to the throne at the age of 5, and in a coup with Prince Gong, Emperor Yi Xi, wiped out the opposition and became regent together with Empress Dowager Dong. When Emperor Tongzhi died in 1875, she installed her sister's son as Emperor Guangxu and became regent herself. Emperor Guangxu began to rule directly from 1887, but the real power of the country was held by Empress Dowager Cixi. When Emperor Guangxu attempted to convert to a constitutional monarchy in 1894, she thwarted this with a coup and imprisoned the emperor (→ Wuxu Reformation). When the Boxer Rebellion's anti-foreign movement gained momentum, she used it to protect herself and declared war on the great powers, but was defeated when the eight-nation coalition army invaded and she fled to Xi'an. Empress Dowager Cixi, who had opposed all progressive reforms, implemented a new government after returning to Beijing, including preparations for a constitution and the promotion of business and education, but in foreign affairs she switched from an anti-foreign policy to a humiliating diplomacy, and the semi-colonization of China became even more serious. She died around the same time as Emperor Guangxu, amid the rise of the revolutionary and constitutional movements.

Empress Dowager Cixi

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Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

[生]道光15(1835).10.10.
[没]光緒34(1908).10.22. 北京
中国，清朝，咸豊帝の側室で，同治帝の生母である慈禧 (じき) 皇太后のこと。エホナラ (葉赫納喇) 氏の出身。咸豊帝の没後，同治帝が5歳で即位すると，恭親王奕訢とはかり，クーデターで反対派を一掃，東太后とともに摂政となった。同治 13年 (1875) 同治帝が死ぬと，自分の妹の子を立てて光緒帝とし，みずから摂政となった。光緒 13 (87) 年から光緒帝の親政が始ったが，国政の実権は西太后が握り，同 24年光緒帝が立憲君主制への転換をはかると，クーデターでこれを妨害し，帝を幽閉した (→戊戌の変法 ) 。義和団の排外運動が高揚すると，自己保身のためこれを利用し，列強に宣戦を布告したが，8ヵ国連合軍の侵入を受け，敗れて西安へ逃げた。あらゆる進歩的改革に反対してきた西太后は，北京帰還後は立憲準備，実業，教育の振興などの新政を実施したが，対外的には排外政策から屈辱的外交に一転し，中国の半植民地化はますます深刻となった。革命運動，立憲運動の高揚のなかで光緒帝と相前後して死んだ。