The Imperial Order of the Double Dragon () was an

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

awarded in the late

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. The Order was founded by the

Guangxu Emperor The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), also known by his temple name Emperor Dezong of Qing, personal name Zaitian, was the tenth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China ...

on 7 February 1882 as an award for outstanding services to the throne and the Qing court. Originally it was awarded only to foreigners but was extended to Chinese subjects from 1908. It was the first Western-style Chinese order, established in the wake of the

Second Opium War The Second Opium War (), also known as the Second Anglo-Chinese War or ''Arrow'' War, was fought between the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the United States against the Qing dynasty of China between 1856 and 1860. It was the second major ...

as part of efforts to engage with the West and adopt Western-style diplomatic practices. Traditionally the Chinese court did not have an honours system in the Western sense; however hat buttons, rank badges, feathers and plumes were routinely awarded by the Emperor to subjects and foreigners alike prior to and after the introduction of the Order of the Double Dragon. The order was replaced in 1911 during the last days of the Qing dynasty by the Order of the Imperial Throne, although this replacement was never fully implemented and the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

discontinued the imperial orders after its establishment in 1912.

Design

The order took on many different designs and forms until its abolition in 1911. Gradations were distinguished most commonly by differentiation in the type and size of

precious stones A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, semiprecious stone, or simply gem) is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewellery, jewelry or other adornments. Certain Rock (geology), rocks (such ...

inlaid, the shape of the medallion, the length of the

ribbon A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, and jute and of synthetic mate ...

, and the material used to construct the

medallion A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be in ...

Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

and

pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...

were reserved for the higher classes, enamel and

coral Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...

for the lowest classes. The original designs were similar in style and appearance to traditional Chinese insignia, but they proved cumbersome for many to wear and in 1897 they were redesigned in the form of a Western-style breast-badge, although the original designs were still awarded for some time afterwards. Similar symbolic motifs accompanied all designs over the award's history, most notably two dragons surrounding a central precious stone and flames which were connotative

symbols A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise different concep ...

of imperial authority. Other symbols of imperial authority - mountains, clouds, plum blossoms and characters with providential meanings - were added to variations of the designs over time.

Classes

AM079644 Insignia Order of the Double Dragon

The order consisted of five classes, the first three of which were divided into three grades. The rules for award and the nature of the gradations was set out in the statues establishing the award in 1882. The rules were modified somewhat in 1897. *First Class, First Grade: for emperors and kings of foreign nations *First Class, Second Grade: for princes, and royal family members and relatives (later limited to royal family members who had earned, and not inherited, senior positions in government) *First Class, Third Grade: for ministers of who had inherited their position, general ministers, and diplomatic envoys of the first rank. *Second Class, First Grade: for diplomatic envoys of the second rank *Second Class, Second Grade: for diplomatic envoys of the third rank and customs commissioners *Second Class, Third Grade: for counselors of the first rank, consuls-general and military generals *Third Class, First Grade: for counselors of the second and third rank, the entourage of consuls-general, and second-tier military officers *Third Class, Second Grade: for deputy consuls, and third-tier military officers *Third Class, Third Grade: for translators and military officers of the fourth and fifth tiers *Fourth Class: for soldiers and non-commissioned officers *Fifth Class: for businessmen and traders

Recipients

Despite the comprehensive ranking system, the actual awarding of the classes was lopsided, and very few Fourth or Fifth class were ever given. The much higher ranking of translators and other civil servants in the system compared to even the wealthiest Western industrialists and businessmen was in part reflecting of the traditional Chinese antipathy towards profit-seeking and commercial individuals, compared to the honour accorded to the civil service. Despite patriarchal traditions however, foreign women were bestowed the order, including Canadian missionary Leonora King and American artist Katherine Carl. Native Chinese were granted the right to order in 1908, but very few Chinese ever received the award and it remained an order overwhelmingly awarded to foreigners.

Awards to the imperial family

Sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title that can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to ...

* Xuantong Emperor,

* Zaitao

Chinese recipients

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

* Yinchang *

Liang Dunyan Liang Dunyan (; 1857, Foshan, Guangdong, Qing Empire – May 10, 1924, Tianjin, Republic of China) was a Qing dynasty diplomat and politician. A graduate of Yale University, he served as the minister of foreign affairs in the first cabinet of C ...

* Lu Zhengxiang * Hu Weide *

Wu Lien-teh Wu Lien-teh ( zh, t=伍連德, p=Wǔ Liándé, poj=Gó͘ Liân-tek, j=Ng5 Lin4 Dak1; Goh Lean Tuck and Ng Leen Tuck in Minnan and Cantonese transliteration respectively; 10 March 1879 – 21 January 1960) was a Malayan physician renowned for ...

Foreign recipients

Class I

* Nicholas II,

Emperor of All Russia The emperor and autocrat of all Russia (, ), also translated as emperor and autocrat of all the Russias, was the official title of the Russian monarch from 1721 to 1917. The title originated in connection with Russia's victory in the Great Nor ...

, Class I Grade I in Diamonds, 4 May 1896 * Frederick III,

German Emperor The German Emperor (, ) was the official title of the head of state and Hereditary monarchy, hereditary ruler of the German Empire. A specifically chosen term, it was introduced with the 1 January 1871 constitution and lasted until the abdicati ...

, Class I Grade I * Leopold II,

King of the Belgians The monarchy of Belgium is the Constitutional monarchy, constitutional and Inheritance, hereditary institution of the monarchical head of state of the Kingdom of Belgium. As a popular monarchy, the Belgian monarch uses the title king/quee ...

, Class I Grade I * Albert I,

, Class I Grade I * Meiji,

Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

, Class I Grade I, 20 December 1898 * Gojong, Emperor of Korea, Class I Grade I, 1 December 1903 * Abu Bakar,

Sultan of Johor The Sultan of Johor (Malay language, Malay: ''Sultan Johor''; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a hereditary seat and the sovereign ruler of the Malaysian state of Johor. In the past, the sultan held absolute power over the state and was advised by a '' ...

, Class I Grade I, 1892 *

Pakubuwono X Pakubuwono X (also transliterated Pakubuwana X, sometimes abbreviated PB X; Surakarta, 29 November 1866 – Surakarta, 22 February 1939) was, despite his regnal name, the ninth Susuhunan (Monarch) of Surakarta. He reigned from the 1893 to ...

, Susuhunan of Surakarta, Class I Grade I * Sadanaru, Prince Fushimi, Class I Grade I, 27 April 1909 (Class I Grade II: 27 November 1904) *

Henry Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

, Prince of Prussia, Class I Grade II * Georg, Prince of Bavaria, Class I Grade II, 1903 * Eitel Friedrich, Prince of Prussia, Class I Grade II * Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Class I Grade II * Wilhelm, German Crown Prince, Class I Grade II * Morimasa, Prince Nashimoto, Class I Grade II, 20 May 1903 * Hiroyasu, Prince Fushimi, Class I Grade II, 9 May 1903 * Kotohito, Prince Kan'in, Class I Grade II, 27 January 1904 * Baron Edmond de Gaiffier d'Hestroy, Belgium, Class I * Prince Scipione Borghese, Class I Grade II, 1907 * Prince Katsura Tarō,

Prime Minister of Japan The is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its ministers of state. The prime minister also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Force ...

, Class I Grade II, 21 December 1907 (Class I Grade III: 18 December 1899) * Georg von der Marwitz, Germany, Class I Grade II * Erich von Gündell, Germany, Class I Grade II * Duke

Itō Hirobumi Kazoku, Prince , born , was a Japanese statesman who served as the first prime minister of Japan from 1885 to 1888, and later from 1892 to 1896, in 1898, and from 1900 to 1901. He was a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior state ...

, Class I Grade III, 5 December 1898 *

Herbert von Bismarck Nikolaus Heinrich Ferdinand Herbert, Prince of Bismarck (born Nikolaus Heinrich Ferdinand Herbert Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen; 28 December 1849 – 18 September 1904) was a German politician, who served as Foreign Secretary from 1886 to 1890. ...

Prince of Bismarck Prince of Bismarck () is a title of the German nobility. The German word ''Fürst'' historically denotes a sovereign ruler, and is a higher title than ''Prinz''; however both titles are conventionally rendered as ''Prince'' in English. The Prince ...

, Class I Grade III *

Vladimir Sukhomlinov Vladimir Aleksandrovich Sukhomlinov ( rus, Владимир Александрович Сухомлинов, p=sʊxɐˈmlʲinəf; – 2 February 1926) was a Russian general in the Imperial Russian Army who served as the Chief of the General Staf ...

, Minister of War of Russia, Class I Grade III, 1911 *

Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915) was a General (Mexico), Mexican general and politician who was the dictator of Mexico from 1876 until Mexican Revolution, his overthrow in 1911 seizing power in a Plan ...

President of Mexico The president of Mexico (), officially the president of the United Mexican States (), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the Constitution of Mexico, the president heads the executive branch of the federal government and ...

, Class I, 1910 * Martin Friedrich Kautzsch, Medical Doctor of the Court, Class I Grade III, 1911 * Alfred Meyer-Waldeck, Class I Grade II

Class II

* Dejan Subotić, Russia, Class II Grade I, 1896 * Konstantin Glinka, Russia, Class II Grade III, 1898 * Sir Halliday Macartney, United Kingdom, Class II Grade I, 1902 *Robert Bredon, United Kingdom, Deputy Inspector-general of Customs at Shanghai, Class II Grade III, 1902 * Rudolf Stöger-Steiner von Steinstätten, Austria, Class II Grade II, 1911 * Okura Kihachiro, Japan, Class II Grade II, 10 February 1912 * Paul von Buri, Germany, Class II Grade III * John Edward Foley, United Kingdom, Traffic Manager of the Imperial Chinese Railways, Class II Grade III, 1902 * Rihachirō Banzai, Japan, Class II, 2 July 1908 * Adolf von Deines, Germany, Class II Grade I

Class III

* Rudolf, Prince of Liechtenstein, Class III Grade I * Claude William Kinder CMG, United Kingdom, Chief Engineer Imperial Railways of North China, Class III Grade I, 1891 *

Erich Raeder Erich Johann Albert Raeder (24 April 1876 – 6 November 1960) was a German admiral who played a major role in the naval history of World War II and was convicted of war crimes after the war. He attained the highest possible naval rank, that of ...

, Germany, Class III Grade II, 10 October 1898 * John Penniell, United Kingdom, Chief Instructor at the Nanking Naval College, Class III Grade II, 1902 * Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki, Russia, Class III * Frank Arthur Morgan (1844–1907), United Kingdom, Commissioner of Imperial Chinese Maritime Customs, Class III, Grade 1

Unknown

* Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia * Camillio Romano Avezzana, Italy * Major General

Charles George Gordon Major-general (United Kingdom), Major-General Charles George Gordon Companion of the Order of the Bath, CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, Gordon of Khartoum and General Gordon , was a British ...

, United Kingdom * Cardinal

Désiré-Joseph Mercier Désiré Félicien François Joseph Mercier (21 November 1851 – 23 January 1926) was a Belgian Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Mechelen from 1906 until his death in 1926. A Thomist scholar, he had several of his works translated i ...

, Belgium * Dr Leonora King, Canada * Heinrich Johannes Bleeker, Germany * Richard Theodore Greener, United States, 1902 * Baron

Julien Liebaert Julien Auguste Marie Joseph, Baron Liebaert (22 June 1848 in Kortrijk – 16 September 1930 in Ternat) was a Belgian Member of Parliament, Senator and Minister for the Catholic Party. Biography Liebaert was a son of Auguste and Louise Liebaer ...

, Belgium, Knight Grand Cross * Victor Vifquain, United States * Viscount João Vieira Lins Cansanção,

Prime Minister of Brazil A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...

* Thomas Adamson Consul General, United States * Pernot Claudius Ferdinand, France * Katharine Carl, United States * Dr Dugald Christie, Scottish medical missionary, associated with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland, 1897.United Presbyterian Missionary Record, ''UPCoS'', July. 1897, 257.

Notes and references

{{Reflist

External links

Classification of the Qing Dynasty Double Dragon Orders, Chinese Medal Blog
Orders, decorations, and medals of Imperial China Dynastic orders Awards established in 1882 1882 establishments in China Foreign relations of Imperial China Orders of chivalry awarded to heads of state, consorts and sovereign family members