Page 48 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

Cixi held power over China’s emperors for more than 50 years and even exerted

influence after her death. Historically, many scholars view the empress dowager as a

villain whose self-interests, prejudices, and desire for power aided the fall of the Qing

dynasty. Scholars speculate that she was widely manipulated by those advising her,

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resulting in damaging edicts and harmful policies. The fact that Cixi was not allowed to
fulfill aspects of her imperial role and had to rely on the loyalty of others was most likely

a major contributing factor to the manipulative persona that has developed historically.

However, this study finds that Cixi is somewhat misunderstood. She ruled during

extremely tumultuous times and attempted to navigate this period of uncertainty to the

best of her abilities despite the fact that she faced restrictions due to her gender. From a

somewhat humble beginning, Cixi was able to establish herself in a powerful position as

the empress dowager. Her rule lasted for more than 50 years, making her one of China’s

longest reigning rulers who utilized her wit, feminist mindset, and power to move China

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forward into the 20 century.

1.2 Patronage and Collecting: Emulating the Past

As Cixi gained control of China, she harnessed her personal experiences and

sharp intellect to strengthen her claim on the throne. Similar to other rulers before her,

she used the successes and failures of past emperors to inform many of her decisions.

Along with this evaluation of past rulers, she also spent time studying the pastimes of the

literati. The traditional pursuits of the scholar official were a means of self-cultivation.

Records indicate that Cixi worked extensively in the literati diversions of painting and

27 Most scholars believe too much power was wielded by Cixi’s eunuchs.

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