Yikuang (

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and Q ...

: ''I-kuwang''; 16 November 1838 – 28 January 1917), formally known as Prince Qing (or Prince Ch'ing), was a

noble and politician of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

. He served as the first Prime Minister of the Imperial Cabinet, an office created in May 1911 to replace the Grand Council.

Early life and career

Yikuang was born in the Aisin-Gioro clan as the eldest son of Mianxing (綿性), a lesser noble who held the title of a ''buru bafen fuguo gong''. He was adopted by his uncle, Mianti (綿悌), who held the title of a third class ''zhenguo jiangjun''. His grandfather was Yonglin, the 17th son of the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 ...

and the first in line in the Prince Qing peerage, one of the 12 "iron-cap" princely peerages of the Qing dynasty. Yikuang inherited the title of a ''fuguo jiangjun'' in 1850 and was promoted to ''beizi'' in 1852. In January 1860, the

Xianfeng Emperor The Xianfeng Emperor (17 July 1831 – 22 August 1861), or by temple name Emperor Wenzong of Qing (), given name Yizhu (), was the eighth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigned from 1850 ...

further elevated Yikuang to the status of a ''beile''. In October 1872, after the

Tongzhi Emperor The Tongzhi Emperor (27 April 1856 – 12 January 1875), born Zaichun of the Aisin Gioro clan, was the ninth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign, from 1861 to 1875, which effectively lasted ...

married Empress Xiaozheyi, he promoted Yikuang to a ''junwang'' (second-rank prince) and appointed him as a ''yuqian dachen'' (御前大臣; a senior minister reporting directly to the emperor).

Service under the Guangxu Emperor

In March 1884, during the

Guangxu Emperor The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), personal name Zaitian, was the tenth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, w ...

's reign, Yikuang was put in charge of the Zongli Yamen (the ''de facto'' foreign affairs ministry) and given the title "Prince Qing of the Second Rank" (慶郡王). In September 1885, he was tasked with assisting Prince Chun in overseeing maritime and naval affairs. In February 1886, he was awarded the privilege of entering the inner imperial court to meet the emperor. In January 1889, he was given an additional appointment: ''you zongzheng'' (右宗正; Right Director of the Imperial Clan Court). After the Guangxu Emperor married Empress Xiaodingjing in 1889, he granted additional privileges to Yikuang. In 1894, when

Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; mnc, Tsysi taiheo; formerly Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Empress Dowager T'zu-hsi; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908), of the Manchu people, Manchu Nara (clan)#Yehe Nara, Yehe Nara clan, was a Chinese nob ...

celebrated her 60th birthday, she issued an edict promoting Yikuang to the status of a ''qinwang'' (first-rank prince); thereafter Yikuang was formally known as "Prince Qing of the First Rank". Around October 1894, during the

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a conflict between China and Japan primarily over influence in Korea. After more than six months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the p ...

, Yikuang was appointed to the positions of high commissioner of the admiralty, head of the Zongli Yamen, and head of war operations, with the latter becoming a quasi-general headquarters. Yikuang was involved in the "sale" of official positions, in which a person could obtain an official post through the prince's recommendation by paying him a certain sum of money. He became a "go-to person" for backroom deals in politics. During the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, b ...

from 1899 to 1901, Yikuang was more sympathetic towards the foreigners whereas Zaiyi (Prince Duan) sided with the Boxers against the foreigners. Two factions were formed in the Qing imperial court: a "moderate" pro-foreign group, led by Yikuang, and a xenophobic group headed by Zaiyi. Yikuang was discredited for his pro-foreign stance in June 1900, when a multi-national military force (the Seymour Expedition) marched from

Tianjin Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popu ...

towards

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. He was immediately replaced by the "reactionary" Zaiyi as head of the Zongli Yamen. Qing imperial forces and Boxers, acting under Zaiyi's command, defeated Seymour's first expedition. Yikuang even wrote letters to foreigners, inviting them to take shelter in the Zongli Yamen's offices during the

Siege of the International Legations The siege of the International Legations occurred in 1900 in Peking, the capital of the Qing Empire, during the Boxer Rebellion. Menaced by the Boxers; an anti-Christian anti-foreign peasant movement, 900 soldiers, sailors, marines, and civilia ...

by Zaiyi's men. Another pro-foreign general, Ronglu, offered to provide escorts to the foreigners when his soldiers were supposed to be killing foreigners. Yikuang and Zaiyi's forces clashed several times. Yikuang ordered his own Bannermen to attack the Boxers and the Kansu Braves. Yikuang was then sent by Empress Dowager Cixi, along with

Li Hongzhang Li Hongzhang, Marquess Suyi ( zh, t=李鴻章; also Li Hung-chang; 15 February 1823 – 7 November 1901) was a Chinese politician, general and diplomat of the late Qing dynasty. He quelled several major rebellions and served in important ...

, to negotiate for peace with the

Eight-Nation Alliance The Eight-Nation Alliance was a multinational military coalition that invaded northern China in 1900 with the stated aim of relieving the foreign legations in Beijing, then besieged by the popular Boxer militia, who were determined to remove f ...

after they invaded

in 1901. Yikuang and Li Hongzhang signed the

Boxer Protocol The Boxer Protocol was signed on September 7, 1901, between the Qing Empire of China and the Eight-Nation Alliance that had provided military forces (including Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the Unit ...

on 7 September 1901. During the conference, Yikuang was seen as a representative while the actual negotiations were done by Li Hongzhang. Returning to Beijing as a senior member of the imperial court, Yikuang persisted in his old ways, and was despised not only by reformers, but also by moderate court officials. In June 1901, the Zongli Yamen was converted to the Waiwubu (外務部; foreign affairs ministry), with Yikuang still in charge of it. In December, Yikuang's eldest son, Zaizhen, was made a ''beizi''. In discussions over

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym "Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East ( Outer ...

, Yikuang "was bolder in resisting the Russians

han Li Hongzhang Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

though he was in the last resort weak and unable to hold out against pressure. The Japanese regarded him as a 'nonentity' but this judgment may have been influenced by the fact that he did not often accept their advice." He was also appointed to the Grand Council in March 1903. Later that year, he was put in charge of the finance and defence ministries – in addition to his position as head of the foreign affairs ministry. However, he was also relieved of his duties as a ''yuqian dachen'' (御前大臣) and replaced by his eldest son, Zaizhen. After the Guangxu Emperor died on 14 November 1908, Empress Dowager Cixi chose Zaifeng (Prince Chun)'s two-year-old son,

Puyi Aisin-Gioro Puyi (; 7 February 1906 – 17 October 1967), courtesy name Yaozhi (曜之), was the last emperor of China as the eleventh and final Qing dynasty monarch. He became emperor at the age of two in 1908, but was forced to abdicate on 1 ...

, to be the new emperor. Puyi was "adopted" into the emperor's lineage, hence he was nominally no longer Zaifeng's son. Empress Dowager Cixi died on the following day. Pmyikuang

Service under the Xuantong Emperor

ascended the throne as the Xuantong Emperor, with his biological father, Zaifeng (Prince Chun), serving as regent. In 1911, Zaifeng abolished the Grand Council and replaced it with an " Imperial Cabinet", after which he appointed Yikuang as the Prime Minister of the Imperial Cabinet (內閣總理大臣). When the

Wuchang Uprising The Wuchang Uprising was an armed rebellion against the ruling Qing dynasty that took place in Wuchang (now Wuchang District of Wuhan), Hubei, China on 10 October 1911, beginning the Xinhai Revolution that successfully overthrew China's last ...

broke out in October 1911, Yikuang stepped down as Prime Minister, offering his position to

Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 1859 – 6 June 1916) was a Chinese military and government official who rose to power during the late Qing dynasty and eventually ended the Qing dynasty rule of China in 1912, later becoming the Emperor of China. ...

instead, and appointed himself as the Chief Executive of the Bideyuan (弼德院; a government body established in May 1911 which provided advice to the emperor). Yikuang and Yuan Shikai persuaded Empress Dowager Longyu (Empress Xiaodingjing) to abdicate on behalf of the Xuantong Emperor. The empress dowager heeded their advice in February 1912.

Life after the fall of the Qing dynasty

After the fall of the Qing dynasty and the establishment of the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northea ...

, Yikuang and his eldest son, Zaizhen, amassed a fortune and moved from

to the British concession in

. They later moved back to the Prince Qing Residence (慶王府) at No. 3, Dingfu Street in Beijing's

Xicheng District Xicheng District () is a district of Beijing. Xicheng District spans , covering the western half of the old city (largely inside the 2nd Ring Road - the eastern half is Dongcheng District, Beijing, Dongcheng District), and has 706,691 inhabitant ...

. Yikuang died of illness in 1917 in his residence.

awarded him the posthumous title "Prince Qingmi of the First Rank" (慶密親王). In the same year,

Li Yuanhong Li Yuanhong (; courtesy name Songqing 宋卿) (October 19, 1864 – June 3, 1928) was a Chinese politician during the Qing dynasty and the Republic of China. He was the president of the Republic of China between 1916 and 1917, and between 1922 ...

, the

President of the Republic of China The president of the Republic of China, now often referred to as the president of Taiwan, is the head of state of the Republic of China (ROC), as well as the commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The position once had au ...

, gave Zaizhen permission to inherit the Prince Qing peerage.

Family

Consort and issue: * Primary Consort, of the Bolod clan (嫡福晉博羅特氏) **Zaiyu (郡主載揄;b. 21 February 1863), Princess of the Third Rank, first daughter ***Married Nayantu (纳彦图) of the Khalka Borjigin clan in 1885 * Secondary Consort, of the Hegiya clan (大側福晉合佳氏) **Zairong (郡君載搈;b.2 December 1875), Lady of the First Rank, second daughter ***Married Shiliang (世梁) of the Wumit clan (伍弥特氏) in 1898 ** Zaizhen (慶密親王载振; 31 March 1876 – 31 December 1947), Prince Qingmi of the First Rank, first son **Zaishu (熙九太太載抒; b.19 December 1878), Madam Xijiu, fourth daughter ***Married Xijun (熙俊) of the Hitara clan in 1900 * Secondary Consort, of the Jingiya clan (側福晋金佳氏) ** Zaihuan (載換;b.7 December 1876), third daughter ***Married Deheng (德恒) of the Yehe Nara clan in 1896 ** Zaikui (郡君载揆), Lady of the First Rank, sixth daughter ***Married Liangkui (良葵) of the Guwalgiya clan in 1906 * Secondary Consort, of the Liugiya clan (側福晉劉佳氏) **''Fifth Daughter (25 July 1882)'' **''Seventh Daughter (18 March 1886)'' **Zaibo (鎮國將軍載搏; 1887 – 1935), General of the First Rank, second son **Zailun (載掄;d.1950),He married Sun Baoqi's daughter, while his own daughter married the son of

's younger brother, Guixiang (桂祥). fifth son **Tenth Daughter (21 December 1892 – 1899) * Secondary Consort, of the Ligiya clan (側福晉李佳氏) **Eighth Daughter (b.1890) ***Married Shijie (世杰) of the Magiya clan 1911 **''Ninth Daughter'' **Zaikui (载揆; b.1897), Courtesy name Zi Zhiqing (字芝卿), eleventh daughter ***Married Hanluozhabu (汉罗扎布) of the Kharchin Ulanghaijilmot clan (乌亮海吉勒莫特氏) in 1921 **''Twelfth Daughter (1898)'' *Unknown **''Zaishou (载授), third son'' **''Fourth son'' **''Zaipu (載镨), sixth son''

References