Zaixun (24 January 1853 – 21 February 1901), formally known as

Prince Zhuang Prince Zhuang of the First Rank (Manchu: ; ''hošoi ambalinggū cin wang''), or simply Prince Zhuang, was the title of a princely peerage used in China during the Manchu-led Qing dynasty (1644–1912). It was also one of the 12 "iron-cap" princel ...

, was a

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 ...

prince 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 is best known for his involvement in 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, by ...

Life

Zaixun was born in the

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 c ...

clan as the second son of Yiren (奕仁; 1824–1874), the ninth successor to the Prince Zhuang peerage, one of the 12 " iron-cap" princely peerages of the Qing dynasty. Born during the reign of 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 ...

, Zaixun initially held the title of a ''fuguo gong''. In 1875, during the reign of the Guangxu Emperor, he was promoted to ''qinwang'' (first-rank prince), and inherited the title "Prince Zhuang of the First Rank" (莊親王) from his father. In 1900, Zaixun strongly advocated making use of the Righteous and Harmonious Society (or "Boxers") to counter foreign aggression. The following year, after Empress Dowager Cixi issued the

Imperial Decree of declaration of war against foreign powers The Imperial Decree of declaration of war against foreign powers () was a simultaneous declaration of war by the Qing dynasty in 1900 against eleven foreign powers which held varying degrees of influence in China: Russia, the United States, the ...

, war broke out between the Qing Empire and

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 fo ...

, leading to the

. Zaixun and Gangyi (剛毅) were placed in command of Boxer groups to fight the foreigners. Zaixun had an altar set up in his residence, while he personally donned garments similar to those of the Boxers. Not long afterwards he was appointed as the

Nine Gates Infantry Commander The Nine Gates Infantry Commander () was a military appointment used in the Qing dynasty (1644–1912) of China. The officer holding this appointment was in charge of safeguarding and monitoring traffic, and overseeing the opening times of the nine ...

, and he gave out rewards for the capture and killing of foreigners. All the Boxers throughout China first gathered in Zaixun's residence after arriving in

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 ...

to receive their respective missions. When Beijing fell to the Eight-Nation Alliance in 1900, Empress Dowager Cixi fled to

Xi'an Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by #Name, other names, is the list of capitals in China, capital of Shaanxi, Shaanxi Province. A Sub-provincial division#Sub-provincial municipalities, sub-provincial city o ...

in western China. She was accompanied by Zaixun, who took on the post of Camp Inspecting Minister (查營大臣). 1,700 Boxers in Zaixun's residence were killed by foreign soldiers. During the negotiations for 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 ...

, Zaixun was accused of being one of the masterminds of the Boxer Rebellion by the foreign powers. In 1901, he was impeached and stripped of his titles, and on February 21 he committed suicide by hanging himself in Puzhou (present-day Yongji,

Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...

).http://www.bjxch.gov.cn/pub/xch_wenziban/B/xcly/xcly_4/200812/t20081209_1131407.html 平安里的诞生日就是辉煌了十三代的庄王府覆灭时 Zaixun's residence previously belonged to Liu Jin, a court eunuch of the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

. The house was destroyed when the armies of the Eight-Nation Alliance occupied Beijing. During the early Republican era, it was purchased by the warlord

Li Chun Li Chun or Lichun may refer to: People Given name "Chun" surname "Li" *Emperor Xianzong of Tang (778–820), personal name Li Chun, emperor of the Tang dynasty *Li Chun (warlord) (1867–1920), Chinese general * Li Chun (diplomat) (1892–1948), C ...

(李純) and shifted to

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 popul ...

, where a Li Family Shrine (now the Nankai Cultural Palace 南開文化宮) was built.

Family

Consorts and issue: * Primary consort, of the Wuliyahan clan, daughter of prince of the second rank Seboke Dorji * Step consort, of the

Magiya Magiya Hala (Manchu: ; Chinese: 馬佳氏) was one of the Manchu Great Eight Clans. Originated from Giyaliku Magiya area, named by the place. After the demise of the dynasty, some of its descendants sinicized their clan name to the Chinese surnam ...

clan, daughter of Shaoqi * Secondary consort, of the Huanggiya clan, daughter of Qiming * Mistress, of the Huang clan, daughter of Huang Sheng * Mistress, of the Song clan, daughter of Changming Issue: # Pugang (溥纲), lesser bulwark duke # Puqi (溥绮) # Pushen (溥绅) # Puji (溥继) # Pujian (溥缄), a sixth rank literary official (笔贴式, pinyin:bitieshi) # Pujing (溥经), a sixth rank literary official (笔贴式) # Pushao (溥绍), a sixth rank literary official (笔贴式)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaixun Qing dynasty imperial princes Chinese people of the Boxer Rebellion 1853 births 1901 deaths Suicides by hanging in China Prince Zhuang

Life

Family

See also

References