My library had Empress Dowager Cixi on Overdrive this month as part of Asian American History Month and, knowing very little about Chinese history, decided to check it out. Chang’s biography of the Dowager Empress is both exhaustive and exhausting. While it has its moments 19th century history isn’t always interesting and Chang, who essentially regurgitates facts for 400 pages, does little to spice up the narrative. That’s a bit unfair to Cixi, whose story requires very little extra spice, but more a critique of Chang’s writing style.
Few of her achievements have been recognised, and when they are, the credit is invariably given to the men serving her. This is largely due to a basic handicap: that she was a woman and could only rule in the name of her sons … In terms of groundbreaking achievements, political sincerity and personal courage, Empress Dowager Cixi set a standard that has barely been matched.
The illiterate Cixi was selected as a concubine for Emperor Xianfeng; she was in the lower tier of wives but as the first to provide a male heir Cixi rose to prominence overnight. When her husband died only five years later Cixi’s son was named emperor but a group of advisers would be ruling in his stead. Cixi and Empress Cian (who was the first & favored wife of the late emperor) did not agree with this decision or the men chosen to rule. The women, who had no romantic or political disagreements between them, staged a nearly bloodless coup which ousted the advisers. Following their success the women ran the Chinese government from behind a literal curtain while their* son was the figurehead for the government.
Chinese politics during this time were messy as hell. You had the lingering effects of the second Opium War along with increasing conflict with Japan. On top of that China was beginning to have relationships with western governments which was not always smooth. And at the turn of the century was the Boxer rebellion. Despite being a woman, and the limitations that came with in China at the time, Cixi was able to rule fairly effectively especially while the other Dowager Empress, a strong ally, and her young, easily controlled son were alive. As he grew up things did get more complicated and after he died young, without an heir, the Empress adopted her nephew so she could continue to rule behind a male leader. After her son’s death Cixi had a harder time maintaining control. Her relationship with her adopted son Emperor Guangxu was fraught with conflict and after his death (again without an heir) Cixi was essentially exiled to retirement. However, she did not go quietly into that goodnight and, following Guangxu’s death, was able to rise back into power. She was still calling the shots in some capacity up until her last breath.
I really wanted to like this and it was very interesting but it read very much like a textbook. I also struggled to keep track of who was who as many of the names are complicated and sounded similar (inward listening to an audiobook). I read a lot of non-fiction and I know the genre can be both informative and entertaining so I was a bit disappointed. I am glad I branched out into a part of history I was less informed on and will happily take your suggestions on other Chinese figures and time periods to look into!
Other things I learned: The Chinese had some horrible death sentences including death by 1,000 cuts. They also glorified suicide as a noble way of dying.
*Cixi gave birth to Zaichun and was acknowledged as his mother but as the “true” Empress it was Cian who was considered his official mother.