Empress Dowager Cixi's rise to power

Born to the family an ordinary official, the Empress Dowager Cixi became one of the most powerful female figures in Chinese history, ruling the country for almost half a century.

Early life

Details about the early life of the Empress Dowager Cixi are not clear. Where she was born and the name she was given at birth remain a mystery.

The first recorded instance of her name was when she entered the Forbidden City as the "Lady Yehenara, daughter of Huizheng." Huizheng, according to most biographers, was a low-ranking Manchu official who later became Commissioner of Anhui province. When she was younger, the future Empress Dowager was called Lan Kueu (Little Orchid).

Beyond the date of her birth, November 29, 1835, and that she moved to the capital city sometime between her third and fifteenth birthday, little else is known.

In September 1851, Lan Kueue participated in the selection process for concubines of the new Xianfeng Emperor. The Kang Ci Imperial Dowager Consort supervised the selection process and Lan Kueu was one of the few chosen from among 60 girls to become concubine. She was appointed Noble Person, concubine of fifth rank.

Life in the Forbidden City

After she entered the Emperor's Old Imperial Summer Palace Complex, the Lady Yehenara was granted the title Worthy Lady Orchid, consort of the second lowest rank.

The Lady Yenehara might have remained a consort of low rank, had she not gotten pregnant in 1855 and given birth to Ziachun, the only male heir of the Xianfeng Emperor. She was elevated to Imperial Consort Yi, consort of the fourth rank and received another elevation to Noble Consort Yi, consort of the third rank when her son reached the age of one. She was in effect the second highest ranking consort, next only to the Empress Consort Zhen, as no one occupied the rank of Imperial Noble Consort.

In 1860, towards the end of the Second Opium War, British and French troops attacked Beijing. The Emperor and his entourage fled to Rehe in Manchuria. Within a month of the attack, the foreign troops had razed the Imperial Palace to the ground, news that caused the Emperor to fall into depression and turn to alcohol and drugs.

On August 22, 1861, when the Xiaofeng Emperor died, the son of the Noble Consort Yi, who was five years old at the time, ascended the throne as the Tongzhi Emperor. On his deathbed, the Xianfeng Emperor charged the Empress and the Noble Consort to work together and help the young emperor grow and mature. He then summoned eight of his most trusted ministers, naming them "Regent Ministers" to help the young emperor rule.

The Empress Consort was elevated to the rank of Empress Dowager Ci'an and Noble Consort Yi was elevated to Empress Dowager Cixi upon the death of the Xianfeng emperor.

Rise to power

Perhaps living in the Royal Court has taught the Empress Dowager Cixi a thing or two about scheming. While still in Rehe, where the Emperor's coffin awaited an astrologically auspicious day to be returned to the capital city for burial, the Empress Dowager Cixi managed to convince the younger Empress Dowager Ci'an that they become co-reigning Empress Dowagers. Their power should surpass that held by the Eight Regent Ministers.

Because of the Empress Dowager Cixi's frequent interference in political matters, tension began to build between the two Empresses and the ministers. Not realizing that she was playing straight into the Empress Dowager Cixi's plans, the Empress Dowager Ci'an began to avoid court audiences leaving the Empress Dowager Cixi to deal with the ministers by herself. The Empress Dowager Cixi used this opportunity to create alliances with the influential people whom the regent Ministers either ignored or did not favor. Her most important allies were Prince Gong and Prince Chun.

When the Emperor's funeral procession was finally on its way to the capital, the Empress Dowager Cixi and her allies accused the Eight Regent Ministers of collaborating with the foreign invaders, causing the Emperor's death and stealing power from the two Empresses.

The Empress Dowager, to show how merciful she was, ordered just three of the eight ministers to be put to death. One, Sushun, who was their leader, was beheaded. Two others were ordered to commit suicide and the rest were spared.