Yixuan (16 October 1840 – 1 January 1891), formally known as Prince Chun, was an imperial prince of the

House of Aisin-Gioro The House of Aisin-Gioro was a Manchu clan that ruled the Later Jin dynasty (1616–1636), the Qing dynasty (1636–1912), and Manchukuo (1932–1945) in the history of China. Under the Ming dynasty, members of the Aisin Gioro clan served as chi ...

and a statesman of the

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 ...

-led

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 ...

in China. He was the father of 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, wi ...

(his second son), and the paternal grandfather of

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 ...

(the Last Emperor) through his fifth son

Zaifeng Zaifeng (12 February 1883 – 3 February 1951), also known as Tsai Feng, Prince of Ch'ün, formally known by his title Prince Chun, was a Manchu prince and regent of the late Qing dynasty. He was a son of Yixuan, the seventh son of the Da ...

Family background

Yixuan was born in the Aisin-Gioro clan as the seventh son of the

Daoguang Emperor The Daoguang Emperor (; 16 September 1782 – 26 February 1850), also known by his temple name Emperor Xuanxong of Qing, born Mianning, was the seventh Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning ...

. His mother was

Imperial Noble Consort Zhuangshun Imperial Noble Consort Zhuangshun (29 November 1822 – 13 December 1866), of the Manchu Uya clan, was a consort of the Daoguang Emperor. She was 40 years his junior. Life Family background Imperial Noble Consort Zhuangshun's personal name was ...

of the

Uya Uya (Manchu: ; ) was a clan of Manchu nobility. Notable figures Males *Ebaigen (额栢根) **Esen (額森/额森) ***Weiwu (威武/威武) - a third rank military official (護軍參領/护军参领, pinyin: hujun canling), and held the title ...

(烏雅氏) clan. Four months after his birth, Lady Uya, a who was recently promoted to "Noble Lady Lin" (琳貴人), was further elevated to the status of "Imperial Concubine Lin" (琳嬪), a rare distinction. Lady Uya's rapid rise through the ranks continued, and she was promoted to "Consort Lin" (琳妃) and "Noble Consort Lin" (琳貴妃) in 1842 and 1847 respectively. 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 laste ...

granted her the posthumous title "Imperial Noble Consort Zhuangshun" (莊順皇貴妃). In February 1850, after the Daoguang Emperor's death, Yixuan's fourth brother, Yizhu, ascended the throne and became historically known as 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 t ...

. The Xianfeng Emperor made Yixuan a ''junwang'' (second-rank prince) under the title " Prince Chun of the Second Rank" (醇郡王). Yixuan kept a low profile in politics throughout the Xianfeng Emperor's 11-year reign. In 1860, by the Xianfeng Emperor's decree, Yixuan married

Wanzhen Wanzhen (13 September 1841 – 17 June 1896), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Yehe Nara clan, was a consort of Yixuan. She was one year his junior and the younger sister of Empress Cixi and the mother of Emperor Guangxu. Life Family backgr ...

of the

Yehe Nara Nara ( Manchu: , Wade-Giles: nara hala, Chinese: , or ) is a clan name shared by a number of royal Manchu clans. The four tribes of the Hūlun confederation () – Hada (), Ula (), Hoifa () and Yehe () – were all ruled by clans bearing th ...

clan, who was the younger sister of

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 ...

, who at that time was one of the Xianfeng Emperor's consorts. The marriage forged a close bond between Yixuan and Empress Dowager Cixi. The Xianfeng Emperor died in August 1861, leaving the throne to his five-year-old son, Zaichun, who would reign as the Tongzhi Emperor. On the Xianfeng Emperor's death, a power struggle emerged over the regency for the emperor, with one faction led by Sushun, and princes

Duanhua Duanhua (Manchu: ''Duwanhūwa''; 1807 – 1861) was a Manchu prince and regent of the Qing dynasty. Life Duanhua was born in the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan as the third son of Ulgungga (烏爾恭阿), a descendant of Jirgalang, a nephew of N ...

and

Zaiyuan Zaiyuan (1816–1861), formally known as Prince Yi (怡), Prince Yi, was a Manchu people, Manchu prince of the Qing dynasty. He was one of the eight regents appointed by the Xianfeng Emperor to assist his successor, the Tongzhi Emperor. Life Zai ...

, and another faction led by Yixuan's sixth brother, Prince Gong, as well as the Xianfeng Emperor's empress, honoured with the title of

Empress Dowager Ci'an Empress Xiaozhenxian (12 August 1837 – 8 April 1881), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Niohuru clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and empress consort of Yizhu, the Xianfeng Emperor. She was Empress consort of Qing from ...

, and Noble Consort Yi, the mother of the new emperor, honored with the title of

. In November 1861, Yixuan sided with Prince Gong and the two dowager empresses and launched the

Xinyou Coup Xinyou Coup () was a palace coup instigated by Empress Dowagers Cixi and Ci'an, and Prince Gong to seize power after the death of the Xianfeng Emperor. Before he died the previous emperor had appointed group of eight regents, led by Sushun, wh ...

to seize the regency from Sushun and his faction. Yixuan personally led imperial forces to arrest Sushun and bring him back to

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 ...

, where he was executed. As a consequence of the Xinyou Coup, Yixuan found himself elevated to the highest ranks in the imperial court. In the 14-year reign of the Tongzhi Emperor from 1861 to 1875, he had a dual career in the military and civil services. In 1872, he was promoted from ''junwang'' (second-rank prince) to a ''qinwang'' (first-rank prince), hence he became known as "Prince Chun of the First Rank" (醇親王). In 1874, he was dismissed from office by the Tongzhi Emperor, along with Prince Gong, and several others, due to his involvement in a reprimand of the emperor for his poor conduct, only to be reinstated, along with the others, thanks to the intervention of the dowager empresses.

During the Guangxu Emperor's reign

In January 1875, the

died without an heir, so

chose Yixuan's second son, Zaitian, to be the new emperor. Zaitian was adopted into the Xianfeng Emperor's lineage; this meant that he was nominally no longer Yixuan's son. As the Xianfeng Emperor's "son", Zaitian was installed on the throne and became historically known as the

. This choice brought advantages to Cixi: Zaitian was her nephew (Zaitian's mother, Wanzhen, was Cixi's younger sister); Zaitian's father, Yixuan, had been a loyal supporter of Cixi; Zaitian was still young so Cixi could continue ruling as regent. As for Yixuan himself, however, Cixi's choice was a catastrophe for him. When he heard that his son had been chosen to be the new emperor, he reportedly hit himself and wept bitterly before sinking into unconsciousness. In the last centuries of imperial China, it was very unusual for an emperor's father to be still alive while the emperor was reigning. The only prior example in the Qing dynasty was that of the situation between 1796 and 1799, when 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 t ...

abdicated in favour of his 15th son, the

Jiaqing Emperor The Jiaqing Emperor (13 November 1760 – 2 September 1820), also known by his temple name Emperor Renzong of Qing, born Yongyan, was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and the fifth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from ...

, and became a ''taishang huang'' (retired emperor). Since

filial piety In Confucianism, Chinese Buddhism, and Daoist ethics, filial piety (, ''xiào'') (Latin: pietas) is a virtue of respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors. The Confucian ''Classic of Filial Piety'', thought to be written around the late W ...

is a highly revered value in Chinese culture, it meant that Yixuan, the biological father of the reigning emperor, would be endowed with the highest honours and privileges. However, Yixuan perceived himself to be in an extremely dangerous and uncomfortable position, given the prickly nature of Empress Dowager Cixi and her obsessional paranoia of any potential threat to her status. The first decision that Yixuan made, after his son became the emperor, was to resign from all his official positions. He tried to keep a low profile but could not avoid being showered with honours and privileges, which he tried to decline as much as possible. Soon after his son became the emperor, Yixuan was awarded the "iron-cap" privilege, which meant that he could pass on his Prince Chun title to his descendants without the title being downgraded one grade per generation. In 1876, Yixuan wrote a

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of a ...

to the Guangxu Emperor, condemning in advance anyone who would propose to grant him a special position in the hierarchy on the grounds that he was the emperor's biological father. Following resignation from his military and civil posts, he was entrusted with the education of the young emperor, to which he consented. In the following years, with the disgrace of his sixth brother Yixin (Prince Gong), Yixuan unwillingly became the second most powerful figure in the imperial court after Empress Dowager Cixi. The empress dowager even ordered all court officials to discuss matters with Yixuan before making decisions. Empress Dowager Cixi's co-regent,

, died suddenly in 1881 and was rumoured to have been poisoned by Cixi. This made Yixuan even more cautious and eager to please Cixi in all possible ways. When the Guangxu Emperor reached adulthood in early 1887 and was ready to take over the reins of power from Empress Dowager Cixi, Yixuan formally requested Cixi to prolong her regency. In 1885, Empress Dowager Cixi appointed Yixuan as "Controller of the Admiralty", putting him in charge of supervising the building of a new imperial navy. Yixuan was sent on an inspection tour to the naval shipyards on the coast of China. Before her adopted son,

Emperor Guangxu 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, wi ...

, took over the throne in 1889, Cixi wrote out explicit orders that the navy should continue to develop and expand gradually. However, after Cixi went into retirement, all naval and military development came to a drastic halt. Japan's victories over China has often been falsely rumored to be the fault of Cixi. Many believed that Cixi was the cause of the navy's defeat by embezzling funds from the navy in order to build the

Summer Palace The Summer Palace () is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden in the Qing dynasty. Inside includes Longevity Hill () Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of , three-quarte ...

. However, extensive research by Chinese historians revealed that Cixi was not the cause of the Chinese navy's decline. In actuality, China's defeat was caused by Emperor Guangxu's lack of interest in developing and maintaining the military. His close adviser, Grand Tutor

Weng Tonghe Weng Tonghe (; 1830–1904), courtesy name Shuping (), was a Chinese Confucian scholar and imperial tutor who lived in the Qing dynasty. In 1856, he obtained the position of ''zhuangyuan'' (or top scholar) in the imperial examination and was subs ...

, advised Guangxu to cut all funding to the navy and army, because he did not see Japan as a true threat, and there were several natural disasters during the early 1890s which the emperor thought to be more pressing to expend funds on. Yixuan died on 1 January 1891, shortly before the enlargement works on the Summer Palace were completed. His fifth son,

, inherited his title "Prince Chun of the First Rank". Yixuan was granted a

posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments or ...

''xian'' (賢), so his full posthumous title became "Prince Chunxian of the First Rank" (醇賢親王).

Names and titles

* Names: ** Clan name / family name:

Aisin-Gioro The House of Aisin-Gioro was a Manchu people, Manchu clan that ruled the Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin dynasty (1616–1636), the Qing dynasty (1636–1912), and Manchukuo (1932–1945) in the history of China. Under the Ming dynasty, member ...

() **

Personal name A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is known ...

: Yixuan () **

Courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...

: Pu'an () **

Pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

: Master of the Jiusi Hall () or Withdrawn Master () * Titles: ** Prince Chun of the Second Rank (). Yixuan held this title from 1850 to 1872. ** Prince Chun of the First Rank (), simplified to Prince Chun (or Prince Ch'un in

Wade–Giles Wade–Giles () is a romanization system for Mandarin Chinese. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Francis Wade, during the mid-19th century, and was given completed form with Herbert A. Giles's '' Chinese–English Dictionary'' of ...

). Yixuan held this title from 1872 until his death in 1891. **

Posthumous title A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments or ...

(in full): Prince Chunxian of the First Rank () * Other references: ** Seventh Prince ()

Prince Chun Tomb

Yixuan was interred in a tomb of princely status, now popularly known as the "Seventh Prince's Grave" (七王墳), located 35 km/22 miles northwest of

. According to

's autobiography, a

ginkgo ''Ginkgo'' is a genus of non-flowering seed plants. The scientific name is also used as the English name. The order to which it belongs, Ginkgoales, first appeared in the Permian, 270 million years ago, and is now the only living genus within ...

tree grew on the tomb of Yixuan, and became very tall and imposing. This fact was reported to

and greatly alarmed her. In the Chinese language, the first character of the word "ginkgo tree" is ''bai'' (白), while the first character of the word "emperor" is ''huang'' (皇), which combines the character ''bai'' with the character ''wang'' (王 – meaning "prince", 親王). A ginkgo (白) growing on the tomb of Yixuan (王) was interpreted as a sign that a new emperor (皇) would emerge in the house of Yixuan. This was unacceptable for the very superstitious Cixi, as obsessed as ever with thwarting any challenge to her power, and so she promptly had the tree felled. The tomb of Yixuan was restored by the People's Republic of China after 1949 and is now one of the tourist attractions around Beijing. The tomb and surrounding area appears in

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...

's 2004 film '' Kill Bill: Volume 2'' as the home and training grounds of the legendary Shaolin monk Pai Mei.

Prince Chun Mansion

A former residence of Yixuan, now known as the

Prince Chun Mansion The Prince Chun Mansion (), also known as the Northern Mansion (北府, ''Běifǔ''), is a large residence in the siheyuan style with lavish private garden located near the Shichahai neighborhood in central Beijing. The grounds had been part of a ...

, is located near

Shichahai Shichahai () is a historic scenic area consisting of three lakes in the north of central Beijing. They are located directly northwest of the Forbidden City and north of the Beihai Lake. Shichahai consists of the following three lakes: Qianhai ( ...

Family

Primary Consort *

, Imperial Princess Consort Chunxian of the

clan (醇賢亲王福晋葉赫那拉氏; 13 September 1841 – 17 June 1896) ** ''First daughter'' (11 April 1861 – 24 November 1866) ** ''Zaihan'' (載瀚; 4 February 1865 – 9 December 1866), first son ** Zaitian, the

(德宗載湉; 14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), second son ** ''Third son'' (13 February 1875 – 14 February 1875) ** ''Zaiguang'' (載洸; 27 November 1880 – 18 May 1884), fourth son Secondary Consort * Yujuan, Secondary Consort of the

Yanzha Yanja () was one of the Manchu clans belonging to the Plain Yellow Banner. Notable figures Males * Zhaotu (兆图), a jiduwei ** Tana (塔纳), a yunjiwei *** Tuzhu (图珠), a third class qingche duwei * Andali * Buyantai (布彦泰; 1791–1 ...

clan (側福晉顏扎氏; 1845–1881) * Cuiyan, Secondary Consort of the Liugiya clan (側福晉劉佳氏翠妍; 1867–1925) **

, Prince Chun of the First Rank (醇親王載灃; 12 February 1883 – 3 February 1951), fifth son ** ''Second daughter'' (31 January 1884 – 24 June 1885) ** Zaixun, Prince of the Third Rank (貝勒載洵; 20 May 1885 – 1949), sixth son **

Zaitao Zaitao (23 June 1887 – 2 September 1970), courtesy name Shuyuan, art name Yeyun, was a Manchu prince of the Qing dynasty. He was a half-brother of the Guangxu Emperor and an uncle of Puyi, the last Emperor of China. Biography Zaitao was bor ...

, Prince of the Third Rank (貝勒載濤; 23 June 1887 – 2 September 1970), seventh son * Daniu, Secondary Consort of the Ligiya clan (側福晉李佳氏; 1869–1927) ** Lady of the First Rank (郡君; 23 November 1887 – 13 December 1914), third daughter *** Married Songchun (松椿; d. 1927) of the Manchu Fuca clan in September/October 1905

Ancestry

References

* ''Veritable records of Emperor Wenzong of Qing'' (清文宗实录). * ''Veritable records of Emperor Dezong of Qing'' (清德宗實錄). * ''Royal archives of the Qing dynasty'' (清宫档案). * ''Qing imperial genealogy'' (清皇室四谱). * ''Draft history of the Qing dynasty'' (清史稿). * Sterling Seagraves, "Dragon Lady" . * Maria Warner", "The Dragon Empress": Life and Times of Tz'u-Hsi, 1835–1908, Empress of China". . * Daily life in the Forbidden City, Wan Yi, Wang Shuqing, Lu Yanzhen. . * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yixuan 1840 births 1891 deaths Daoguang Emperor's sons Manchu politicians Manchu Bordered White Bannermen Qing dynasty politicians from Beijing Prince Chun (醇)