Chinese history

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HETE0cIKM20 The last emperor of china

LAst dynasty to rule china was Qing dynasty- which ruled from 1644 to 1900s
The Qing Dynasty people originally belonged to MAnchuria,in the north east of
china.

Puyi was the last emperor of china of Qing dynasty.

Aisin Gioro Puyi.

Born in February 1906 in Beijing.

He was the son of brother of king of Qing dynasty,Guang Xu

As the britishers and other country officials entered into china, there was great
political upheaval going on. The dynasty's power had reduced, and different
generals or war lords had taken over individual areas, and were trying to gain
control of the whole mainland(At the dawn of the 21st century)

Empress Dowager CiXi was actually rulling over china.She rose to power from a
concubine to a consort to an empress.

Puyi's uncle, the emperor also kneeled to CiXi.

In December 1908,2 yr old Puyi is sudddenly declared as king by CiXi when GuangXu
fell ill. she had no child as successor.

CiXi is summoned to the forbidden city in beijing.

Su Xi and Guang xu die within 24 hours of the arrival of PuYi to the beijing palace
of Qing dynasty

Pu Yi was given the throne of china in 1908 , when he was 2 yrs old

2nd December 1908 PuYi is elected as the 10th emperor of Qing dynasty.

At that time Sun Yat Sen of KMT Party(Kuo Min Tang) , was calling for a republic in
China.

The royal decisions were actually taken by Puyi's father Zaifeng(acting as Prince's
regent) and the GuangXu's widow Empress Dowager Long Yu.

A rebellion starts in China. Zaifeng and Long yu order it to be crushed, but they
find out that the army doesnt listen to them.

So they appoint a popular general Yuan Shikai to take charge.

The general enginners removal of Zaifeng as regent and tells LongYu that PuYi
should abdicate the throne.

In January 1912, chinese republic is proclaimed by the KMT with Sun Yat Sen as
president,

After a few days, PuYi is removed by the signing of articles of favourable

treatment , signed by teary eyed Long Yu, ending 2000 years of imperial rule in
china.
The Articles of favourable treatment is signed between KMT and Qing dynsaty which
allows PuYi to retain the title of emperor,the palace and servants, and an
allowance to meet expenses.

Long Yu dies after a few days of PuYi's abdication. Zaifeng returns to beijing to
oversee the matters.

Sun Yat Sen gives the presidency to Yuan Shikai, who after coming to power
completely strips off Qing dynasty of all its powers

But PuYi is still revered in his own palace and has a own army.
In the royal palace of china, there is a system of having eunuch servants. They
normally come from poor families, castrating themselves to have an opportunity to
serve in royal palace. The main eunuch servant tells young PuYi fanciful stories
about the lineage of Qing dynasty and how they descended from heaven, which puts a
long lasting influence on PuYi's mind.

In 1915,Yuan Shikai suddenly proclaims as the emperor, to which different provinces

revolt ,taking up arms.
The general soon gives up and soon dies of physical and mental breakdown.

In the south, republic of china government, in the north squabbling warlords.

By 1917 the chinese government officials were quarreling about china's allegiance
in world war I.

At that time a Qing general attacked the forbidden palace and reinstated PuYi as
king, after which generals of other provinces and Republic army again attacks the
palace and removes him as king.

PuJie is now summoned to the palace so that PuYi can play with his younger brother.

PuYi was taught by an englishman Johnson and was introduced to western ideas.

The royal court thinks its high time for PuYi to get married.
Suitable girls are groomed from a very young age in the palace to become future
consorts or concubines.Puyi selects 2 girls.

1n 1st december 1922 Puyi gets married.One(Wan Rong) becomes married and other(Wen
Xiu) becomes concubine

PuYi's rumoured impotence is proved after their marriage.This causes problems in

his married life.

Johnston's influence makes PuYi question their own customs and traditions.PuYi cuts
off his pigtail.

PuYi gets influenced by Johnston's ideas of the west and wants to explore the West
on his own. His will is emboldened when he expels the eunuchs from the palace(by
ordering his army) who used to steal precious jewellery from the palace.

In 1924,Because of constant war between rival war lords and republicans, it is

decided by the reigning general of republic that the forbidden city should be
vacated.As long as there is an emperor, generals will try to reinstate him, and the
wars will continue.They immediately amend the articles of favourable treatment,
thus the qing Dynasty comes to an end completely.

PuYi had to leave the palace.

PuYi finds himself back at his father's palace.

Fearful of the chinese PuYi contacts Johnston to get him a visa to the west.
But the british being wary of chinese,deny him that.He asks a japanese friend to
get him a visa.

The japanese representative tell him that they will give him and his entourage
sanctuary at their embassy, and advised him to leave beijing

He secretly goes to TianJin((1000 km south east of beijing)) ,a settlement of

japanese,french,british,russian colonisers.

PuYi and his entourage move to a building in TianJin.

When word goes out, people from all over the country come to TianJin and PuYi sets
up a court there.
He wanted to again get his status back as emperor.

TianJin becomes a weird world of opportunists where everyone wants to manipulate

PuYi to get hold of chinese resources.

The japanese help PuYi because he represents Manchuria, where there are vast iron
ore,coal reserves which they can use.
By 1927, japan wants to annexe manchuria to japan.

Japan blows up a train in which one of Manchuria's war lords were travelling.

Meanwhile KMT party members steal treasures from the forbidden palace and Puyi is
angered at this. He vows to take revenge.

The assassination of a war lord, unites the war lords and they come under the
republican KMT party.
Now the japanese see this as a threat.

So they decide to annexe manchuria and keep PuYi as the puppet leader.

In 1931, japanese army takes over Shen yang, a city in Manchuria, and within 4
months take over a large part of north eastern china.
From that time till 14 years , japan extracted resources from MAnchuria for its war
efforts.

Upon successful conquest of MAnchuria, Japan launches "Greater East Asia Holy War"
to invade more chinese territory.

Chinese KMT govt then calls the League Of Nations to help them against the
invasion.
The League responds by setting up a committee for investigation into this
matter(containing representatives from england,germany,france,italy,USA).

At the same time,concubine Wang Xu disappears,and files divorce with PuYi.

She was not satisfied just with the palace luxuries.

The Japanese then force PuYi to leave Tian Jin.He even gets a bomb delivered in a
fruit basket.

The japanese hire 2000 ex soldiers to start a riot in Manchuria.

KMT govt tries to get PuYi back by offering him money and home in Shanghai.But Puyi
refuses and reminds them of the desecration of his ancestor's tomb in forbidden
palace.

In Nov 1931, secretly leaves TianJin for Shen Yang,deciding to listen to the
japanese.
The japanese then move him to Lushun,more south near the coast.

while the japanese were trying to decide how to proceed, PuYi suspects the japanese
intentions. He had initially thought of them as good people.

Tired, PuYi writes a letter to japanese general Itagaki, mentioning 12 points why
he should be crowned emperor.

Itagaki goes to meet PuYi. He says that japanese want to build a nation Manchukuo
with PuYi as emperor.If PuYi doesnt listen to them, then they will treat him as
hostile.

In March 1932,PuYi leaves Lushun for Manchukuo's new capital ChangChun.

japan established a kingdom manchuko where he was actually a puppet emperor, having
few administrative,legislative and military powers.

He is made Executive ruler of manchukuo. He has administrative,legislative, and

jurisdictional authority, and command of army,navy and air forces.

PuYi soon discovers that the real powers are held by general affairs,directly
controlled and staffed by the japanese army.

Commander of general affairs and the Deputy commander actually controlled

MAnchukuo.

Japanese govt implements a huge mass migration plan. The plan was to move 20
million japanese to manchukuo in a period of 20 years.

KMT govt under Shang Kai Shek is distracted from the issue of mass encroachment of
chinese territory, to defeating the communist party growing under Mao Ze Dong.

since 1921 The communist party had been growing in China under the leadership of
Mao Ze Dong

In 1931, KMT signs a ceasefire agreement with the japanese army and declares
several zones as non military.

In 1932 , the league of nations representatives arrive in manchukuo,meet PuYi and

the japanese. They find out that this was unlawfully formed japanese occupation,
and seek international intervention in the matter.

The japanese express their dissent and withdraw from the League of Nations.
In OCtober 1933, japanese inform PuYi that he will be recognised as emperor, in
order to view themeselves as good in front of the world.

In march 1934 , PuYi is crowned emperor of Manchukuo

In march 1935, PuYi meets japanese emperor Hirohito and visits shrines and
different areas of japan.

Japan now faced with increase resistance, increases its expansionist policies,
displacing more and more chinese villagers in manchukuo and occupying their land.
Cvilians were massacred and a network of concentration camps constructed.

PuYi's wife Wan Rong gets addicted to opium because of the loneliness and
depresson.
She had an affair with their servant and they have a baby which is killed by
Puyi's orders.
PuYi takes another concubine,TanYuLing. He actually loves her.

Japanese orchestrate a marriage between PuJiye,PuYi's brother and lady Hirosaga,

relative of japanese emperor Hirohito.

Japan now launches a full scale invasion , which is repelled by the reluctant
cooperation of KMT and Communist party.

PuYi donates gold and jewellery to the japanese ,in an attempt to convince his
people to support the japanese with their war efforts.

Manchukuo is an industrial place which supplied japan with the arms for her war
against china. PuYi blindly signs all documents submitted by the japanese army,
which are discriminatory in nature against the chinese people. millions of chinese
die under forced slavery and they are dumped in mass graves,unceremoniously.
In December 1941 Japanese launch an attack on the US Naval Base Pearl Harbour

On 6th and 9th August, atomic bombs are dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the
US.
At the same time Mao Ze dong launches a strong attack on japan. Soviet union
declares war on japan.

Japan surrenders 2 days later.

KMT party members leave china for Taiwan.

puyi packs his items and leaves for japan. PuYi is arrested when he reached Shen
Yang airport by the soviets.He is transported to a russian town Chita.He is moved
to Khabarosk, near the russia northeast china border.

Empress Wanrong is arrested, and dies in prison.

PuYi is transported to Japan in 1946, for testifying against the japanese accused
of war crimes.
He testifies for 7 days straight.
The communist party intensifies its fight with the KMT.
Following japan's surrender Chiang Kai shek expected to defeat Mao's forces within
a year.But after 2 years, Mao is still not defeated.
Finally Mao's forces win over china and KMT and his followers leave for Taiwan.
In 1st October 1949, people's republic of china is officially founded

After the establishment of communist govt in china, puyi was brought back to china
and sent to jail.

He spent 10 years in jail, while doing his daily chores and writing his biography.

There he had to daily read and re read communist history and texts.

The mao govt investigates into PuYi's actions by asking his family members.They
expose him completely.
They accuse him of multiple crimes- trying to revive feudal Qing dynasty rule by
siding with japanese,destroying evidence of his actions,signing treasonous treaty
with the japanese,willingly complying to japanese wishes and endorsing laws whhich
were anti communist,supporting war of aggression, attempting to abscond japan.

PuYi writes a detailed confession.

Mao Ze Dong writes a book PuYi and KArl Marx, where he says that once a emperor, he
will always want to be an emperor again. But ironically mao doesnt allow Puyi to be
executed, and rather wants him to be reeducated to be of service to others.

PuYi dies in 1967 of bladder and kidney cancer and is buried near the site of Guang
Xu