The Rise of the Two Empresses

The mid-19th century marked a turbulent period in Qing Dynasty history. Following the death of the Xianfeng Emperor in 1861, China faced internal rebellions and foreign encroachments. With the heir, the Tongzhi Emperor, too young to rule, power fell to his mother, Empress Dowager Cixi, and the senior empress dowager, Ci’an. This unprecedented arrangement—known as “regency behind the curtain”—placed two women at the helm of the world’s most populous empire.

Ci’an, the Eastern Empress Dowager, was revered for her virtue and literary talent. Preferring solitude, she devoted hours to reading and writing, earning the epithet “The Literary Empress.” Though she delegated daily affairs to Cixi, major state decisions required her approval. In contrast, Cixi, the Western Empress Dowager, was a political strategist, mastering court intrigues. Yet, as history often emphasizes her ruthlessness, her intellectual pursuits—poetry, calligraphy, and patronage of the arts—remain overshadowed.

The Mechanics of Shared Power

The regency began with the Xinyou Coup (1861), where Cixi and Ci’an ousted conservative regents to secure their authority. For two decades, their partnership stabilized the Qing, albeit uneasily. Ci’an’s death in 1881, under mysterious circumstances, left Cixi as sole regent. While conspiracy theories persist, historical records suggest Ci’an’s demise was due to illness. Regardless, Cixi’s unchallenged rule thereafter reshaped China’s trajectory.

Cultural Patronage and Intellectual Pursuits

Both empresses defied stereotypes of cloistered royal women. Ci’an’s essays, praised for their elegance, reflected Confucian ideals of refinement. Cixi, meanwhile, composed poetry with a blend of lyrical grace and political undertones. Her favorite subject was Hua Mulan, the legendary warrior maiden—a telling choice for a ruler navigating a male-dominated court.

Cixi’s artistic passions extended to theater. She revised scripts for imperial performances, favoring historical dramas over contemporary fare. Her court became a cultural hub, blending Manchu traditions with Han Chinese arts. Notably, she championed Peking opera, elevating its status through lavish productions.

The Art of Governance and Aesthetics

Cixi’s court was a study in contrasts. She enforced strict linguistic standards, dismissing officials with heavy dialects, yet made exceptions for brilliant minds like Li Hongzhang. Her calligraphy, bold and unflinching, mirrored her governance style. Gifted to loyal ministers, these works symbolized both favor and authority.

Her personal aesthetics were equally meticulous. She designed jewelry, mixed perfumes from botanical extracts, and commissioned over 2,000 garments. Yet, amid this opulence, she retained simple tastes—preferring corn porridge and medicinal fuling cakes, a nod to her frugal exile during the Second Opium War.

Nature and the Supernatural

Cixi’s bond with animals bordered on the mystical. Accounts describe her summoning escaped birds with melodic calls—a metaphor, perhaps, for her ability to command loyalty. This harmony with nature aligned with Daoist principles, though skeptics attribute such tales to courtly mythmaking.

Legacy: Between Tyranny and Talent

Modern portrayals often reduce Cixi to a despot, yet her reign was nuanced. She modernized infrastructure (telegraphs, railways) while clinging to imperial traditions. Her patronage of the arts preserved cultural heritage even as her political choices hastened the Qing’s decline. Ci’an, though lesser-known, exemplified Confucian erudition, proving that women could wield intellectual influence in a rigidly patriarchal system.

Their dual regency remains a fascinating chapter—a fleeting moment when two extraordinary women steered an empire, leaving legacies as complex as the era they inhabited.