Portrait: AI-generated imagined likeness
Emperor · Monarch · Writer
The last emperor of the Qing Dynasty. He ascended the throne at a young age, and after abdicating during the Xinhai Revolution, he became Emperor of Manchukuo with Japanese support. He is a person who thinks about the collapse of dynasties and imperialism in modern China.
View in catalogBeijing
Residence
From Emperor to Citizen
1964
Book
Abdication of the Qing emperor
1912
Political event · Subject
Enthronement in Manchukuo
1934–1945
Political event · Leader
Map: Natural Earth (PD)
He was born in Beijing as a member of the imperial family of the Aixinjuluo clan, and ascended the throne as Emperor Xuantong at the age of three. In China at the end of the Qing Dynasty, pressure from the great powers, revolutionary movements, and the failure of constitutional reform pushed the dynasty into a corner.
Although he abdicated in 1912 and the Qing Dynasty ended, he continued to live a special life in the Forbidden City, maintaining his title of emperor. In the 1930s, he became emperor of Manchukuo under Japanese rule, and was interned as a war criminal after the war.
Puyi's life changed dramatically: from emperor to head of a puppet state to war criminal to citizen of the People's Republic of China. The fate of individuals reflects the turbulent changes in 20th century China.
When you study Puyi, you can see that China's dynastic system came to an end, and the political system drastically changed from a republic to a warlord, to a Japanese invasion, and to a socialist state. He is a person who symbolizes the transformation of modern East Asia. You can also see the intersection between personal history and international politics.
