The Qing dynasty, established by the Manchus in 1644, was once a magnificent empire that ruled over a vast land with hundreds of millions of people from the Mongolian steppes to the East China Sea. But by that time, the palace was shaking violently, and no one could stop the approaching storm.
The first reason for the Qing's decline was widespread dissatisfaction among the people. It collapsed from within. Farmers toiled in the fields, sweat pouring down, but the harvest was not enough to pay the officials. Meanwhile, the officials in the Forbidden City lived in luxury, throwing lavish parties and engaging in corruption like a chronic disease eroding the ruling apparatus. The people were impoverished, social injustice was rampant, and faith in the court gradually faded. Stories of high-ranking officials accepting bribes and neglecting the populace during floods or droughts became a smoldering fire, ready to erupt at any moment.
Not only were there domestic issues, but the Qing also faced pressure from foreign powers. In the 19th century, Western countries like Britain and France, and later Japan in the East, continuously pressured China. Modern warships with booming cannons offshore haunted the court. After the Opium Wars, the Qing was forced to sign unequal treaties, cede land, open ports, and lose its autonomy. The image of Shanghai, where foreign merchants lived in luxurious concessions while Chinese citizens were treated as second-class citizens in their own country, was an indelible stain.
These defeats severely diminished the Qing's prestige, as if the throne was teetering on a crumbling foundation. Additionally, the Qing court failed to modernize the country. By the end of the 19th century, a group of reformers led by figures like Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao tried to persuade the court to implement the 1898 Gengzi Constitution. They wanted to reform education, the military, and the administrative system to bring China in line with powers like Japan or the West.
However, Empress Dowager Longyu, who held real power in the court, ruthlessly crushed this movement. She believed these reforms threatened her power and the Manchu tradition. As a result, China continued to lag behind while the world around it advanced. Ultimately, the revolutionary fire was ignited by new ideas. Sun Yat-sen, a doctor trained in the West, became the flagbearer of the revolutionary movement. Ideas of democracy, freedom, and equality spread among intellectuals, students, and even within the military.
Small uprisings began to erupt like small sparks on a dry field. Then, on October 10, 1911, a rebellion in Wuchang ignited that fire into a revolutionary storm, the Xinhai Revolution. Within weeks, numerous provinces declared independence, established local governments, and the Qing court was nearly out of control. Now, let us step into the Forbidden City, the center of power of the Qing, where all eyes were focused on the final days of the dynasty.
At the center of it all was a special figure. Emperor Puyi, a boy of only 6 years old, the last king of the Qing. He was a child with an innocent face, dressed in a dragon robe, sitting on a throne far too large for his small body and abilities. Puyi ascended the throne at just two years old after the death of Guangxu. But how could a child govern a country in turmoil? The real power was held by Empress Dowager Longyu, Puyi's adoptive mother. Longyu was not as famous as Cixi, but she was a powerful woman, always striving to protect the throne for the Qing in its final days.
However, in 1911, when the Xinhai Revolution broke out, Longyu and the high-ranking officials realized they were facing an almost irretrievable situation. The southern provinces had fallen into the hands of revolutionary forces. The provisional government of the revolution was established in Nanjing, with Sun Yat-sen elected as provisional president on January 1, 1912. The Qing army, although initially had some elite units, could not quell the wave of uprisings. The Forbidden City now resembled an isolated island amid the revolutionary storm, with high walls insufficient to protect the court from the inevitable change.
In this context, an important figure entered the story: Yuan Shikai, a powerful and ambitious general. Yuan Shikai was the commander of the New Army, the most modern military force of the Qing at that time. He was a wise, cunning man but also very calculating. When the Xinhai Revolution broke out, the court called upon him to suppress the revolutionary forces. But Yuan Shikai realized that the Qing was finished.
Instead of fully committing to protect the court, he began to play a double game, negotiating with Empress Dowager Longyu while secretly negotiating with the revolutionary forces. He knew that if he sided with the revolution, he could become the ruler of a new China. Yuan Shikai was the one who acted as a mediator, pushing the court to accept abdication and ensuring that the transfer of power occurred with as little bloodshed as possible.
Now let us come to the fateful day, February 12, 1912, the day the Great Qing court officially came to an end. The scene in the Forbidden City that morning was heavy, as if the entire palace was holding its breath. The high-ranking officials in their splendid court robes and anxious faces gathered in a large room. Flickering candles illuminated the walls that told of the Qing's golden age. At the center was no longer Cixi; she had died. Empress Dowager Longyu sat in an intricately carved chair, in front of her was the draft of the Abdication Edict, a document that would end centuries of rule by the dynasty.
Abdication Edict
The Abdication Edict was not a hastily written document; it was the result of tense negotiations lasting several weeks between the Qing court and representatives of the revolutionary forces, with Yuan Shikai acting as a mediator. This document was carefully drafted to maintain the dignity of the Qing while meeting the demands of the revolution. The main content of the Edict stated that Puyi, in the name of aligning with the people's will, would abdicate the throne and transfer power to a republican government. The Edict emphasized that this decision was made to avoid further bloodshed and maintain peace for the country.
Additionally, it included several special provisions known as preferential terms that allowed the Qing to retain certain privileges, such as living in the Forbidden City and receiving subsidies from the new government. Empress Dowager Longyu, holding a brush, with a trembling hand, signed the Edict on behalf of Puyi. A 6-year-old child like Puyi could hardly understand the significance of this. There is a legend that when asked about abdication, the innocent boy said, "So can I still play?" For Puyi, the throne was perhaps just a chair too large, while the Forbidden City was a world full of long corridors and stern adults. Despite being a momentous historical event, February 12, 1912, was not marked by scenes of war or chaos in the Forbidden City. Instead, it resembled a sad and quiet ceremony.
The eunuchs and palace maids continued their daily tasks, cleaning the statues and sweeping the courtyards. Some loyal officials to the Qing may have quietly shed tears, mourning a once-mighty dynasty. Others, like Yuan Shikai, began to think about the future, a future in which they would play a central role. Outside the Forbidden City, news of the abdication spread quickly. In Nanjing, Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary government celebrated victory with cheers and waving flags. But this joy did not last long as Yuan Shikai quickly maneuvered to become the President of the Republic of China, sidelining Sun Yat-sen. Puyi's abdication not only ended the Qing dynasty but also marked the beginning of a tumultuous period in Chinese history.
What happened after February 12, 1912, in history
As the curtain of the feudal regime closed. Puyi's fate is a special story. According to the preferential terms, the boy was allowed to stay in the Forbidden City, living as an honorary emperor with a budget provided by the republican government. However, this life did not last forever. In 1924, Puyi was expelled from the Forbidden City and began a journey full of hardships. In 1932, Japan invaded Manchukuo, a puppet state in Northeast China, and installed Puyi as a puppet emperor. After the war, he was captured, re-educated, and ultimately lived an ordinary life as an average Chinese citizen.
Puyi's life from emperor to gardener is one of the most incredible stories of the century. Meanwhile, China entered the Republican era, but it was not a stable republic as many had hoped. Yuan Shikai, with personal ambitions, became president and attempted to declare himself emperor in 1915. But this plot completely failed, causing him to lose credibility and die shortly thereafter. China fell into a warlord era, where local powers vied for control, leading to decades of civil war and instability.
The image of a country divided with warlords ruling over different regions serves as a testament to the chaos of the Qing's collapse. Although the Qing ended, it left behind a complex legacy. On one hand, they built one of the most powerful empires of many ethnicities, expanding China's territory. On the other hand, their conservatism and failure to adapt to the times led to their downfall. The collapse of the Qing was inevitable, and it serves as a significant lesson that no dynasty, no matter how powerful, can survive without meeting the needs of the people and the times.