Xianfeng Emperor

The Xianfeng Emperor, also known by his temple name Emperor Wenzong of Qing, was born on 17 July 1831 and died on 22 August 1861. His personal name was Yizhu, and he was the eighth emperor of the Qing dynasty and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China proper. He was from the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan and was the fourth son of the Daoguang Emperor. His mother was Noble Consort Quan of the Niohuru clan, who was elevated to Empress in 1834 and is posthumously known as Empress Xiaoquancheng.

Yizhu was born at the Old Summer Palace, located eight kilometers northwest of Beijing. Known for his abilities in literature and administration, he was considered to have surpassed most of his brothers, which led his father to designate him as heir apparent. He succeeded the throne in 1850 at the age of 19 amid a period of internal unrest and external threats to the Qing dynasty.

His reign, titled "Xianfeng," meaning "universal prosperity," coincided with significant upheavals. Shortly after ascending the throne, the Taiping Rebellion broke out in southern China in December 1850. Led by Hong Xiuquan, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom rapidly gained territory, including Nanjing, which they captured in 1853. Concurrently, the Nian Rebellion started in northern China in 1851, posing further challenges to Qing authority. Other ethnic uprisings, such as the Miao and Panthay Rebellions, also occurred, causing extensive destruction and loss of life. Despite efforts by officials like Zeng Guofan and Sengge Rinchen to suppress these uprisings, their success was limited.

The Xianfeng Emperor's reign was further marked by conflicts with foreign powers. The First Foreign-Relations challenges arose in the form of the Second Opium War, triggered by disputes on the coast. The Qing initially refused foreign demands, leading to hostilities that culminated in battles such as the Battle of Palikao in September 1860, where Qing forces were defeated. Subsequently, Anglo-French forces entered Beijing and set fire to the Old Summer Palace. During this period, China also ceded territory to Russia under the Treaties of Aigun (1858) and Peking (1860), ceding large regions of Manchuria and establishing Russian dominance in the area.

In 1860, faced with military defeats and the occupation of Beijing, the Xianfeng Emperor fled to the Jehol province, where he was based at the Chengde Mountain Resort. His declining health deteriorated further in the face of ongoing conflicts and territorial losses. He died in 1861 at the age of 30, in Jehol.

On his deathbed, the emperor appointed an eight-man regency council to oversee affairs during the minority of his son, Zaichun, who became the Tongzhi Emperor. However, shortly after his death, Empress Dowager Cixi and Empress Dowager Ci'an, supported by Prince Gong, orchestrated the Xinyou Coup, removing the regents and consolidating imperial power. Empress Dowager Cixi subsequently ruled China for nearly five decades, exercising significant influence.

Yizhu was interred at the Eastern Qing Tombs, in the Ding mausoleum complex. His reign is considered by some historians to mark the last period where a Qing emperor held solitary, direct control over the empire, as subsequent rulers ruled through regents or court factions.