"She (Cixi) never considered the fate of the country but only wanted to control power" that short-sightedness of political views at a critical times sealed the fate of the dynasty, the imperial throne itself, and of China
To say the Cixi never cared for her people, I would say is not true. I mean if that was the case, her people wouldn’t have buried her in such an extravagant manner. China’s economic demise was set in stone the moment the Opium wars begun. China, being a traditional and archaic country, Military wasn’t as advanced as Europe’s. Resulting in multiple defeats, depletion of wealth, and economy. China was already in decline by the time Qianlong passed. Cixi was one of the last monarchs to actually modernize China, bringing about new technology, and was the one to preserve China, when all they could do is sit back and protect what they had left. Even having to open their borders to the same people who brought them to such a state ( economically). Her habits towards the end of her life seem selfish upon first observation. But when taking into accounts China’s extensive history, you realize that her lifestyle was what was was customary for a woman of her Immense status. She was The Huangtaihou ( Grand Empress Dowager). Not to say that certain decisions probably could’ve been made different. But I think she gets much backlash, because she’s a woman who wielded as much power as a man, if not more, like Wu Zetian, who also done many things that benefited China’s economy, immensely, but has her history covered by rumors and slander. And History is usually written by the victors. No matter who wielded power at the time, China would’ve still ended up in the same states as it towards the end of the 19th century.
@@soheesweetheartgreat comment! I think she poisoned her heir because he had been such a disaster as an emperor and she didn’t trust him as her successor.
For anyone interested in reading more about the Empress Dowager Cixi, I highly recommend the following two historical novels by Anchee Min: "Empress Orchid" and "The Last Empress." "The Last Empress" is a continuation of "Empress Orchid."
to be in power at such a level is an awesome responsibility. Too bad she didn't accept those responsibilities well and confined herself mostly to enjoying her life, bullying others, trying to control this power within her limited sphere(family). She could have done great things for China and made it a much better place.
Ultimate power corrupts ultimately. Sooner or later you die and everyone eventually finds out all the evil you have done and tried to cover up and then you are exposed, vilified and forgotten for all else.
Dowager Cixi she was actually very wicked and also powerful leader but yet she was actually very extremely weakened by the multiple countries who couldn't stop the foreigners during the Boxer Rebellion.
Foreign powers weakening her was not the main root of the problem. She should have adopted, reformed and modernize. But she didn't. Thats the nail in the coffin. Cixi herself was the problem for the fall of Qing. Not the foreign powers. Qing had a reformist emperor, that she killed. So its all her fault.
The problem is not just with the Cixi or any other emperor, though, I feel. The eunuchs and ministers at the time were all vying for power as had been the case in imperial China for centuries. Cixi was skilled at manipulating them to some degree, but I don’t see her or anyone coming after her changing the system, esp. since it was the system who also legitimized everyone. Had Cixi managed to outmaneuver the government officials and the warlords as well as balanced the foreign governments and the population of elites (the people as a whole was not yet a concern then)… maybe it would have been possible to empower China at that time, but truthfully, I doubt it could have happened.
I bought a book about CiXi a few years ago and my niece, who runs a professional college, has taken it up as a management guide. She was a political figure very much in step with Chinese traditions and she was concerned about the growing power of the Japanese.
If Cixi died early, and Emperor Guangxu had more power and influence, he could’ve start China’s own Meiji restoration, and turn China into a strong nation that would rival Japan.
You obviously haven’t read any Chinese history or you would know that under his rule Japan conquered Korea and humiliated china in battle principally because the emperor was utterly incompetent and refused to modernise his navy. His deservedly short reign was disastrous for China.
@@paulmasterson386 I know more about Chinese history then you would imagine. Emperor Guangxu, actually would want to make China a more western and modernize nation like the west. He even established the Hundred year reforms in the hopes of modernizing China. However, that reform process was short live because empress cixi and his conservative followers purge the reformers and destroy any documents that included the plans to reform and modernize China. If the reforms were carry out, the Qing Dynasty wouldn’t have collapsed, in the Xinhai Revolution of 1911.
@@paulmasterson386Yes. The corrupt system is beyond repair too. The is no money in the Treasury and so how can the army be strengthened with modern weapons and fleets?
That is an interesting perspective on Empress Cixi. However, she was the second concubine who ruled behind the veil. She was an incredibly intelligent woman who brought China into an era of railways and electricity. She was an advocate for peace and her reign was nothing short of miraculous bearing in mind her position to the emperor.
When the Manchu took over, China went backwards. Manchu only cared about power, money and sex while Hans Chinese were highly developed in science, math.......
Its easy to blame the fall of a dynasty on the last monachs. Qing dynasty had already started its decline since Qianlong's reign 200 years before Puyi was born.
Cixi was a ruthless politician and dictator. But she doesn't have any skill to rule the country. She was a big part of the Qing dynasty falling apart in such a great speed.
Pinyin sucks, that's why. If only these Manchurian people used their Manchurian names and not the Chinese modern mess of Putonghua transcription into a hot mess in a language unsuitable for most languages called Latin but using the original Chinese or Manchurian scripts would be better.
I don't get it. You pronounced Puyi completely incorrectly - except for one time, when you pronounced it correctly. How does that happen? The two pronunciations aren't even close. So how do you go from one to the other?
Thank you for the research and making of the documentary. However, it would be very helpful if the pronunciations of these historical characters' names could be closer to the mandarin pronunciations, which would make it easier for people who speak and read Chinese to make out the written names in Chinese. Or, include the written names in Chinese- since all the names in the documentary are transliterated into English. Thank you.
Y’all are obsessed. No Asian person has ever been represented by blsck people in cinema history. But people have used white people to represent Asians in racist characters like fu Manchu. so don’t take your anger out on black people because the white people u worship are actually the ones doing this.
This is a very simplistic and westernized view of complex political events in a very socially and culturally complex environment. This is just made to satisfy the western hunger for clichés and dramas.... Please make a real and profound investigation of historical facts and make your homework on Chinese culture and society during the Qing dynasty ...
Maybe YOU should investigate what "western" people truly want instead of making such a "simplistic" comment about an entire group of people. (Doesn't feel good to be told what you must think based on your location and assumed culture, does it? 🙄)
@@angiec1960too yeap, but that is EXACTLY what the west has done and does...they tell us what and how to think .... the destructive way of western life has been imposed all over the world, but yeap you as a white westener have all priviledges, your culture and ways are not threaten ....
The Han Chinese had no love for their Manchurian masters. That the Qing Dynasty rotted from within and fell, being helped into ruin by dowager empress Cixi, was no doubt a time of relief for the beleaguered Chinese nation. But this time there would be no Han Chinese emperor and a new dynasty. The Chinese would opt for a democratic republican form of government.
She knew his capacity for revenge, war, and cruelty would be unleashed on the very structures she created to maintain prosperity and peace. So, she made sure to take care of the problem for the peaceful passing of power.
if they changed their govt structure like Japan/UK. give power to prime minister, and the Emperor become like a god figure to ppl, Qing Dynasty might still survive today. Japan Emperor learned this trick thousand years ago that's why they survive thousand years without overthrown til today.
Zaifeng (or Prince Chun) could never have become emperor: it was an old habit (also in earlier dynasties) that the brother of a former emperor did not succeed him
So she was a powerful and smart. She behaved as her male counterparts, but of course she’s portrayed as such an awful person as to be uniquely evil with no other accomplishments than to have maintained power by any means necessary (which I am not saying she did not), but there’s so much more to her story and her maneuvers than that. 🤦🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️
History is written by the victors. Her last few (male) predecessors weren’t exactly remembered glowingly either as the dynasty was in decline. Also she poisoned her son. That’s pretty vile
Thank you for the history lesson. Please do try to pronounce the names correctly. Li Lian Ying is pronounced lee, the ia in lian is pronounced like shan’t and ying is pronounced yeeng. Pu yi is pronounced poo yee not pie.
"She (Cixi) never considered the fate of the country but only wanted to control power" that short-sightedness of political views at a critical times sealed the fate of the dynasty, the imperial throne itself, and of China
Reminds me of many politicians today in USA...
@@oneofus5634 most politicians all over the world my friend
She is good for China on hindsight. She caused the collapse of the ancient concept of absolute monarchy.
To say the Cixi never cared for her people, I would say is not true. I mean if that was the case, her people wouldn’t have buried her in such an extravagant manner. China’s economic demise was set in stone the moment the Opium wars begun. China, being a traditional and archaic country, Military wasn’t as advanced as Europe’s. Resulting in multiple defeats, depletion of wealth, and economy. China was already in decline by the time Qianlong passed.
Cixi was one of the last monarchs to actually modernize China, bringing about new technology, and was the one to preserve China, when all they could do is sit back and protect what they had left. Even having to open their borders to the same people who brought them to such a state ( economically). Her habits towards the end of her life seem selfish upon first observation. But when taking into accounts China’s extensive history, you realize that her lifestyle was what was was customary for a woman of her Immense status. She was The Huangtaihou ( Grand Empress Dowager).
Not to say that certain decisions probably could’ve been made different. But I think she gets much backlash, because she’s a woman who wielded as much power as a man, if not more, like Wu Zetian, who also done many things that benefited China’s economy, immensely, but has her history covered by rumors and slander. And History is usually written by the victors. No matter who wielded power at the time, China would’ve still ended up in the same states as it towards the end of the 19th century.
@@soheesweetheartgreat comment! I think she poisoned her heir because he had been such a disaster as an emperor and she didn’t trust him as her successor.
For anyone interested in reading more about the Empress Dowager Cixi, I highly recommend the following two historical novels by Anchee Min: "Empress Orchid" and "The Last Empress." "The Last Empress" is a continuation of "Empress Orchid."
DUDE I CANT AGREE MORE!!!! FANTASTIC WRITING’!! Amazing story too. I love those novels.
❤
Ty for recommending. I got the orchid series.
@@mouseandryforever6848 Great! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Millions suffered because of her.
to be in power at such a level is an awesome responsibility. Too bad she didn't accept those responsibilities well and confined herself mostly to enjoying her life, bullying others, trying to control this power within her limited sphere(family). She could have done great things for China and made it a much better place.
Ultimate power corrupts ultimately. Sooner or later you die and everyone eventually finds out all the evil you have done and tried to cover up and then you are exposed, vilified and forgotten for all else.
Sounds like a description of the CCP
And she will never be forgotten...
What a witch. Bloody Mary of England paled in comparison
@@poopypoop9021 ccp is not a single person but a party of 90 million. That is more people than the entire country of Canada buddy.
@@IamAWESOME3980 So?
Thanks for the explanation. One photo’s description is wrong. That adult is Zaifeng not Puyi
Even the explanation is wrong!
Dowager Cixi she was actually very wicked and also powerful leader but yet she was actually very extremely weakened by the multiple countries who couldn't stop the foreigners during the Boxer Rebellion.
Foreign powers weakening her was not the main root of the problem.
She should have adopted, reformed and modernize. But she didn't. Thats the nail in the coffin.
Cixi herself was the problem for the fall of Qing. Not the foreign powers. Qing had a reformist emperor, that she killed. So its all her fault.
I think you forgotten one factor.. It's guang xu's closeness to Japan that got the imperial court worried.
amazed to see these royals were so huge & manly faced
definitely opposite from dramas
Thank you for this video
The problem is not just with the Cixi or any other emperor, though, I feel. The eunuchs and ministers at the time were all vying for power as had been the case in imperial China for centuries. Cixi was skilled at manipulating them to some degree, but I don’t see her or anyone coming after her changing the system, esp. since it was the system who also legitimized everyone.
Had Cixi managed to outmaneuver the government officials and the warlords as well as balanced the foreign governments and the population of elites (the people as a whole was not yet a concern then)… maybe it would have been possible to empower China at that time, but truthfully, I doubt it could have happened.
I bought a book about CiXi a few years ago and my niece, who runs a professional college, has taken it up as a management guide.
She was a political figure very much in step with Chinese traditions and she was concerned about the growing power of the Japanese.
while spending millions on her 60th birthday, instead of putting the money in good use for national defence.
She's so hungry for power see implement the policy that later destroyed the Qing dynasty.
If Cixi died early, and Emperor Guangxu had more power and influence, he could’ve start China’s own Meiji restoration, and turn China into a strong nation that would rival Japan.
You obviously haven’t read any Chinese history or you would know that under his rule Japan conquered Korea and humiliated china in battle principally because the emperor was utterly incompetent and refused to modernise his navy. His deservedly short reign was disastrous for China.
@@paulmasterson386 I know more about Chinese history then you would imagine. Emperor Guangxu, actually would want to make China a more western and modernize nation like the west. He even established the Hundred year reforms in the hopes of modernizing China. However, that reform process was short live because empress cixi and his conservative followers purge the reformers and destroy any documents that included the plans to reform and modernize China.
If the reforms were carry out, the Qing Dynasty wouldn’t have collapsed, in the Xinhai Revolution of 1911.
m.th-cam.com/video/t4a3o8kGHHU/w-d-xo.html&pp=ygUaUmVmb3JtaW5nIHRoZSBxaW5nIGR5bmFzdHk%3D
Nobody could have saved the Qing dynasty. It's rotted inside out. But thanks to Cixi, the Qing dynasty fell earlier.
@@paulmasterson386Yes. The corrupt system is beyond repair too. The is no money in the Treasury and so how can the army be strengthened with modern weapons and fleets?
That is an interesting perspective on Empress Cixi. However, she was the second concubine who ruled behind the veil. She was an incredibly intelligent woman who brought China into an era of railways and electricity. She was an advocate for peace and her reign was nothing short of miraculous bearing in mind her position to the emperor.
When the Manchu took over, China went backwards. Manchu only cared about power, money and sex while Hans Chinese were highly developed in science, math.......
Its easy to blame the fall of a dynasty on the last monachs.
Qing dynasty had already started its decline since Qianlong's reign 200 years before Puyi was born.
Cixi was a ruthless politician and dictator. But she doesn't have any skill to rule the country. She was a big part of the Qing dynasty falling apart in such a great speed.
It’s pronounced POO YEE for Puyi. Why is this AI sounding voice saying it as PWHY at times.
it later self corrected... lol
Pinyin sucks, that's why. If only these Manchurian people used their Manchurian names and not the Chinese modern mess of Putonghua transcription into a hot mess in a language unsuitable for most languages called Latin but using the original Chinese or Manchurian scripts would be better.
CiXi wanted to be the next Wu Zhe Tian .... But in the end..... It was her doom 🤣🤣🤣
I don't get it. You pronounced Puyi completely incorrectly - except for one time, when you pronounced it correctly. How does that happen? The two pronunciations aren't even close. So how do you go from one to the other?
The voice is computer generated..
Yuan shikai is the most greedy and greatest traitor in chinese history, imagine how many governments has been on the palm of yuan shikai
The last black and white image shows a deceased Manchu noblewoman. But that's not the aged dowager empress Cixi. Who is it?
This is a Hong Kong actress in the 90's that played Cixi. This was from a scene in the drama series and not a RL depiction.
Thank you for the research and making of the documentary. However, it would be very helpful if the pronunciations of these historical characters' names could be closer to the mandarin pronunciations, which would make it easier for people who speak and read Chinese to make out the written names in Chinese. Or, include the written names in Chinese- since all the names in the documentary are transliterated into English. Thank you.
Can't wait for Netflix to make movie about her with black actress.
white actress......
No, an all-white cast!
You’re obsessed ❤
God no
Y’all are obsessed. No Asian person has ever been represented by blsck people in cinema history. But people have used white people to represent Asians in racist characters like fu Manchu. so don’t take your anger out on black people because the white people u worship are actually the ones doing this.
Very interesting indeed
I 've read a lot about this woman: a concubine who became the major calamity in the history of China!
she was really a disaster, perhaps this is the reason why she rise to power, to end the qing dynasty
Pity party bullshit, did you know CiXi was the Goddess Guan Yin/Demeter/Durga and if she did such a thing, it was celestially decreed
Why would you think she is Guan Yin? That's a mythical figure.
On the lighter side, I heard an announcer on a book program pronounce her name: "sixee." I realize now it must have been AI.
This is a very simplistic and westernized view of complex political events in a very socially and culturally complex environment. This is just made to satisfy the western hunger for clichés and dramas.... Please make a real and profound investigation of historical facts and make your homework on Chinese culture and society during the Qing dynasty ...
Maybe YOU should investigate what "western" people truly want instead of making such a "simplistic" comment about an entire group of people. (Doesn't feel good to be told what you must think based on your location and assumed culture, does it? 🙄)
@@angiec1960too yeap, but that is EXACTLY what the west has done and does...they tell us what and how to think .... the destructive way of western life has been imposed all over the world, but yeap you as a white westener have all priviledges, your culture and ways are not threaten ....
In a nutshell she screwed up…..due to a lack of dispassionate foresight.
"Puyi" is continuously mispronounced.
The Han Chinese had no love for their Manchurian masters. That the Qing Dynasty rotted from within and fell, being helped into ruin by dowager empress Cixi, was no doubt a time of relief for the beleaguered Chinese nation. But this time there would be no Han Chinese emperor and a new dynasty. The Chinese would opt for a democratic republican form of government.
@jeffyyoung
By then the Chinese were no longer Han except in culture.
Westerners' version of Chinese history is like the American indigenous Indians history written by the western cowboys!
After watching Story of Yanxi Palace, I assume this diary was manufactured evidence.
She knew his capacity for revenge, war, and cruelty would be unleashed on the very structures she created to maintain prosperity and peace. So, she made sure to take care of the problem for the peaceful passing of power.
if they changed their govt structure like Japan/UK. give power to prime minister, and the Emperor become like a god figure to ppl, Qing Dynasty might still survive today.
Japan Emperor learned this trick thousand years ago that's why they survive thousand years without overthrown til today.
Well, that was Cixi did after the Boxer disaster. Unfortunately it was too little too late and she already getting older.
Great Western theory on Oriental history. At the end of the day, divide and conquer still prevail till this day
Zaifeng (or Prince Chun) could never have become emperor: it was an old habit (also in earlier dynasties) that the brother of a former emperor did not succeed him
Handai saja cixi masih hidup apakah dia bisa menghindari jatuh nya kerjaan?
"Poo-Ai" 😂😂😂
So she was a powerful and smart. She behaved as her male counterparts, but of course she’s portrayed as such an awful person as to be uniquely evil with no other accomplishments than to have maintained power by any means necessary (which I am not saying she did not), but there’s so much more to her story and her maneuvers than that. 🤦🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️
She was short sighted she squandered any hope China had for the 20th century because she was afraid of change.
History is written by the victors. Her last few (male) predecessors weren’t exactly remembered glowingly either as the dynasty was in decline. Also she poisoned her son. That’s pretty vile
@@mattkennedy6115not for Chinese monarchy standard, it's pretty tame.
Fear of being at the mercy of others after his death, Exactly like Singapore prime minister Lee Yuan Yew who handed control to his son Lee Hsien Loong
Thank you for the history lesson. Please do try to pronounce the names correctly. Li Lian Ying is pronounced lee, the ia in lian is pronounced like shan’t and ying is pronounced yeeng. Pu yi is pronounced poo yee not pie.
Puyi = poo yee, my goodness it becomes Poo-why 😢
End of the Machus…back to the Hans.
xixi was a killer poisoning competitor
❤ incredible China 💪 🇨🇳 🎉
Pu i not pu ai 😂
Emperor Guang Xu was poisoned with arsenic in his final meal...
Since when did PUYI pronounced as PUAY???
I love historical information videos. 🤩
Are u for real beautifull consort zhen???
The name Puyi is not pronounced as Puai but Poo Yee...
She is the one roasted the country
Типичная восточная тёща )))
it's always the old farts casting evil to everyone
Does "closer than close" mean inbreeding.
It is the same now they have one with the power
the way he say puyi's name is annoying
Puyi is pronounced poo-yee not pui or puai wtf lol
Pooh-yee
Clearly she didnt believe in "mandate of heaven"
They’re not mother and son 😂
she had blood on her hands
What Emperor does not?
Certainly.
Please... you are re-telling foreign histories at least you can learn to pronounce the names correctly before that...
Poo Yee
so not cool man
YOU ARE MISPRONOUNCING THE CHINESE NAMES, THIS IS VERY INSULTING. DISLIKED!
Sounds so much like what Trump is doing now
REALLY BAD FAKE AI !!😢