Guangxu

The Guangxu Emperor (1871–1908) was the eleventh emperor of the Qing dynasty, ruling from 1875 to 1908. He ascended the throne at age four after the death of the Tongzhi Emperor and reigned largely under the regency of his adoptive mother, Empress Dowager Cixi, who controlled the imperial government for much of his reign.

His era saw renewed efforts at modernization and reform. The most notable attempt was the Hundred Days' Reform of 1898, led by reformers such as Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao and supported by some officials and scholars. The program sought to modernize government, education, the military, and industry, and to adopt constitutional institutions. However, conservative factions, led by Cixi, opposed the changes; a coup ended the movement and Guangxu was placed under house arrest.

After the setback, Guangxu remained under tight supervision as the Qing state pursued more incremental reforms known as the late Qing reforms or New Policies (begun in the early 1900s). He largely remained a symbolic figure in governance, while the government implemented changes from behind the scenes.

Guangxu died in 1908 while under house arrest; the exact cause of death remains disputed, fueling historical speculation that he may have been harmed. His death preceded the 1911 Revolution and the eventual fall of the Qing dynasty, and his brief reign is often cited as emblematic of the late imperial reform efforts and the limits of change under conservative rule.