Puyi Becomes the Last Emperor of China

Summary

History Daily: Puyi Becomes the Last Emperor of China – Detailed Summary

Hosted by Lindsay Graham and produced by Airship, Noiser, and Wondery, History Daily delves into pivotal moments in history. In the episode titled “Puyi Becomes the Last Emperor of China,” listeners are taken on an in-depth journey through the tumultuous life of Puyi, the final emperor of China, whose reign marked the end of over two millennia of imperial rule.

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1. The Ascension of Puyi: A Fragile Beginning

On December 2, 1908, in the heart of China’s capital, then known as Peking (now Beijing), a young boy named Puyi was crowned Emperor at the tender age of two. The ceremony took place in the Hall of Supreme Harmony within the opulent Forbidden City. The episode vividly describes the scene:

Scott Reeves [00:28]: “Prince Chun waits at the entrance to the hall of Supreme Harmony, a grand building in the lavish royal palace known as the Forbidden City.”

Despite the grandeur, Puyi's coronation was overshadowed by his evident distress. As he was carried into the hall amidst the bustling courtiers, the young emperor’s anxiety was palpable:

Scott Reeves [00:52]: “Every set of eyes is cast in his direction, but they aren't looking at him. They are looking at the two-year-old boy in Prince Chun's arms, his son Puyi, the boy who is about to be crowned Emperor of China.”

Puyi’s reluctance and fear were evident as he tried to hide from the overwhelming attention, foreshadowing the challenges his reign would face.

2. Political Turmoil and the Seeds of Revolution

The early 20th century was a period of significant unrest in China. The Qing Dynasty, ruling for over 250 years, was under immense pressure from both internal reformers and external foreign powers. The episode outlines the precarious state of the empire:

Scott Reeves [02:15]: “The boy Emperor, beginning at a time when China is desperate for strong leadership.”

With the death of Puyi’s half-uncle and the subsequent selection of Puyi by the Empress Dowager, the dynasty’s grip was already weakening. Amidst growing nationalistic sentiments and the threat of imperial partition by foreign forces, revolutionary groups like the Progressive Association were gaining momentum, demanding the end of imperial rule and the establishment of a republican government.

3. The Wuchang Uprising: Catalyst for Change

The narrative shifts to October 10, 1911, highlighting the Wuchang Uprising, a pivotal event that ignited the Xinhai Revolution leading to the fall of the Qing Dynasty. The uprising was meticulously orchestrated by revolutionaries within the Chinese army, reflecting the widespread disillusionment with the Qing regime:

Scott Reeves [05:16]: “Four days ago, Qing authorities discovered that revolutionaries in the army were planning an uprising.”

The episode dramatizes the tension within a military base in Wuchang, where revolutionaries prepare to seize control. The confrontation between the platoon leader and the sergeant underscores the volatile atmosphere:

Scott Reeves [07:55]: “The platoon leader grabs the sergeant's wrist, and as they struggle for control of the gun, the barracks erupts in chaos.”

Within an hour, the mutineers seize the base, signaling the beginning of a widespread rebellion that would swiftly spread across southern China, leading to the eventual downfall of the Qing Dynasty.

4. Abdication: The End of an Era

As the revolution gains unstoppable momentum, Prime Minister Yuan Shikai plays a crucial role in negotiating the end of imperial rule:

Scott Reeves [15:21]: “...revolutionaries insist that Puyi abdicate the throne. If he does, his life will be spared. But if Puyi does not, they will remove him by force and execute him.”

Under immense pressure, Puyi is compelled to abdicate, marking the end of the Qing Dynasty and over 2,000 years of imperial rule:

Scott Reeves [16:09]: “Under the terms of the abdication, Puyi is allowed to keep his title as Emperor and remain in the Forbidden City.”

This momentous decision signified China's transition towards a republican form of government, although Puyi's role would continue to be fraught with political manipulation and external influence.

5. Puyi’s Later Life and Final Abdication

The episode traces Puyi’s troubled path following his initial abdication. Despite a brief restoration in 1917, Puyi remained a puppet to military leaders and foreign powers, notably the Japanese, who installed him as the Emperor of Manchukuo in 1931. His lack of genuine power and continued subjugation culminated in his final abdication:

Scott Reeves [19:53]: “In 1924, Puyi was stripped of his imperial title and evicted from the Forbidden City.”

The culmination of Puyi’s tumultuous reign occurs in 1945, with the end of World War II:

Scott Reeves [21:54]: “Puyi's arrest brings an end to the final reign of the last Chinese emperor, the man who oversaw the stuttering death of the imperial regime.”

Captured by Soviet forces, Puyi’s life came full circle from being the undesired child emperor to a powerless pawn in the hands of occupying forces. His death in 1967 as a rehabilitated citizen of Communist China starkly contrasts his early life of opulence and absolute, albeit manipulated, power.

6. Conclusion: The Legacy of the Last Emperor

Puyi’s life encapsulates the dramatic transformation of China from an imperial powerhouse to a modern republic under foreign influence and internal revolution. His story is a testament to the complexities of power, identity, and national sovereignty during a period of profound change.

Scott Reeves [22:08]: “Over more than 2,000 years of unbroken rule, Puyi was placed on the throne three times as a puppet of others, but he never held power on his own terms.”

Through “Puyi Becomes the Last Emperor of China,” History Daily provides a compelling exploration of the final chapters of imperial China, offering listeners a nuanced understanding of the forces that shaped modern China and the human stories entwined within its historical upheavals.

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Notable Quotes:

• Scott Reeves [15:21]: “Revolutionaries insist that Puyi abdicate the throne. If he does, his life will be spared. But if Puyi does not, they will remove him by force and execute him.”

• Scott Reeves [22:08]: “Over more than 2,000 years of unbroken rule, Puyi was placed on the throne three times as a puppet of others, but he never held power on his own terms.”

These quotes encapsulate the coercive circumstances surrounding Puyi’s abdication and the enduring impact of his reign as a figurehead within a crumbling imperial system.

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For those intrigued by pivotal historical moments and the personal stories behind them, History Daily offers an engaging and informative experience, making history accessible and relatable one day at a time.

Transcript

[Lindsey Graham]

There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery.

[Scott Reeves]

App as a member of Noiser plus.

[Unknown]

At noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts.

[Lindsey Graham]

Or you can get all of History.

[Scott Reeves]

Daily plus other fantastic history [e-mail] It's December 2, 1908, in Peking, the capital.

[Unknown]

Of China now known as Beijing.

[Scott Reeves]

Prince Chun waits at the entrance to the hall of Supreme Harmony, a grand.

[Unknown]

Building in the lavish royal palace known as the Forbidden City.

[Scott Reeves]

The large wooden hall is bedecked with.

[Unknown]

Colorful decorations and packed with courtiers. Prince Chun glances behind him where soldiers stand to attention in perfect lines throughout the courtyard.

[Scott Reeves]

Every set of eyes is cast in his direction, but they aren't looking at him. They are looking at the two year old boy in Prince Chun's arms, his.

[Unknown]

Son Puyi, the boy who is about to be crowned Emperor of China. At a signal from a nearby official, Prince Chun carries Puyi into the hall of Supreme Harmony. But as he steps into the barrage of noise that echoes around the hall, Puyi yelps in alarm and begins to cry. Prince Chun tries to calm Puyi as he walks past the courtiers. He turns Puyi so that the royal.

[Scott Reeves]

Audience can get a good view of their next imperial leader. But Puyi buries his face into his.

[Unknown]

Father'S chest and covers his ears with his hands. The drumming stops as Prince Chun reaches the dragon throne, but the sudden silence.

[Scott Reeves]

Only emphasizes the cries of the child.

[Unknown]

Prince Chun kneels, lifts Puyi and places him on an oversized and extravagant throne.

[Scott Reeves]

That only makes the young boy look even smaller. Puyi's feet don't touch the floor and tears continue to roll down his face.

[Unknown]

The boy lifts his arms, trying to get his father to embrace him once.

[Scott Reeves]

Again, but Prince Chun gently pushes Puyi's arms down.

[Unknown]

He bends his head toward Puyi and.

[Scott Reeves]

Whispers into his ear, don't cry. It'll be over soon.

[Unknown]

Puyi's tears mark an inauspicious start to the reign of the Boy Emperor, beginning at a time when China is desperate for strong leadership. The former emperor, Puyi's half uncle, died childless. Puyi was selected to be the next emperor by the powerful Empress Dowager, but she died a few days later, and the ancient kingdom of China is under.

[Scott Reeves]

Threat by foreign powers who want to.

[Unknown]

Carve it up for their own. Some Chinese nationalists have gone so far.

[Scott Reeves]

As to demand the end of the.

[Unknown]

Qing Dynasty and the creation of a new republican government, but even so, nobody witnessing the ceremonial ascension of Puyi as the new Son of Heaven, expects that.

[Scott Reeves]

He will be the last Emperor of China and that his reign will end more than 2,000 years of imperial rule.

[Unknown]

But Puyi will indeed be forced from the throne not just once, but three separate times during his tumultuous life.

[Scott Reeves]

And the crisis that led to his.

[Unknown]

First abdication began soon after his enthronement as a two year old emperor on December 2, 1908.

[Lindsey Graham]

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From Noiser and Airship.

[Scott Reeves]

I'm Lindsey Graham and this is History.

[Unknown]

D History is made every day on this podcast. Every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world.

[Scott Reeves]

Today is December 2, 1908 Puyi becomes the last Emperor of China.

[Unknown]

It's the evening of October 10, 1911.

[Scott Reeves]

Almost three years after Puyi became Emperor of China.

[Unknown]

A platoon leader in the Chinese army dashes across a military base in Wuchang, the biggest city in the Chinese province of Hubei. The platoon leader slinks in the shadows, trying to get back to his barracks.

[Scott Reeves]

As he knows he'll be arrested if.

[Unknown]

He'S caught wandering outside. The entire base is on lockdown amid.

[Scott Reeves]

Fears that mutiny is brewing among the soldiers.

[Unknown]

But the platoon leader isn't afraid.

[Scott Reeves]

In fact, he's excited.

[Unknown]

He's a member of a secret republican organization called the Progressive association, and one.

[Scott Reeves]

Of his fellow members in a different barracks, has just revealed that the mutiny is going to begin tonight. Over the past 100 years, China has suffered several military defeats, and foreign powers.

[Unknown]

Have taken control of its territory.

[Scott Reeves]

China's ruling Qing dynasty has faced unrest.

[Unknown]

From reformers like the Progressive association who want to introduce a modern style of government. But the emperors have been unwilling to give up power, and they've ruthlessly clamped down on any opposition. But despite the crackdown, here in Wuchang.

[Scott Reeves]

Disillusionment has been growing. Four days ago, Qing authorities discovered that revolutionaries in the army were planning an uprising. Swiftly, these authorities began arresting the leaders of the plot. Now the remaining revolutionaries are panicking that.

[Unknown]

They might be next and have decided to rise up before the Qing loyalists.

[Scott Reeves]

Get to them, too.

[Unknown]

So now the platoon leader rushes into his barracks, where his soldiers, all fellow.

[Scott Reeves]

Revolutionaries, sit on their bed, cleaning their rifles.

[Unknown]

The platoon leader grins and tells the other soldiers that the uprising will begin.

[Scott Reeves]

Tonight, and the men begin to whisper excitedly.

[Unknown]

One darkly jokes that there's no point in having a clean rifle, though he has no bullets to fire. Officers confiscated all ammunition when rumors of mutiny began. But the platoon leader tells him not to worry.

[Scott Reeves]

He reaches under his bed and pulls out several boxes. He opens the lid of one to.

[Unknown]

Reveal bullets inside and tells the soldiers.

[Scott Reeves]

He was given them by his brother.

[Unknown]

Then another man pulls a handful of.

[Scott Reeves]

Bullets from his coat pocket. Smirking, he says he pinched them when the sergeant wasn't looking.

[Unknown]

But as the soldiers laugh, the barrack door bursts open. The very same sergeant stands in the doorway, taking in the scene. With his hands on his hips, he looks suspiciously at them and asks why they have bullets in their hands.

[Scott Reeves]

Nobody answers.

[Unknown]

The platoon leader is unsure whether to tell the truth. Perhaps the sergeant would join them in the uprising, or maybe he'd try to stop them.

[Scott Reeves]

Eventually, the platoon leader answers that the.

[Unknown]

Rumored mutiny is about to begin, and the sergeant quickly draws his pistol, telling the platoon leader that he's under arrest. The other soldiers begin to protest as the sergeant grabs the platoon leader's arm to lead him out. But he refuses to move. So the sergeant cocks his pistol. In a swift move, the platoon leader.

[Scott Reeves]

Grabs the sergeant's wrist, and as they.

[Unknown]

Struggle for control of the gun, the.

[Scott Reeves]

Barracks erupts in chaos.

[Unknown]

As the soldiers leap up to help their platoon leader, one strikes the sergeant.

[Scott Reeves]

Another fires his rifle.

[Unknown]

The sound of the gunshots soon brings others running to see what's happened. But these new arrivals do not assist.

[Scott Reeves]

In the arrest of the platoon leader.

[Unknown]

The first few soldiers on the scene cheer and shout cries of revolution. Then the soldiers hear other rifles firing elsewhere. It tells the platoon leader that revolutionaries in other barracks have begun to mutiny too. Within an hour, the entire base has.

[Scott Reeves]

Fallen to the mutineers. Uncooperative loyalists are executed, phone lines are.

[Unknown]

Cut, ammunition is distributed and buildings are set ablaze.

[Scott Reeves]

Then the mutineers march out of the barracks with their heads held high.

[Unknown]

They've taken control of the army base.

[Scott Reeves]

Now they need to take control of the city.

[Unknown]

Wuchang will be the first of many.

[Scott Reeves]

Cities to fall to the rebels.

[Unknown]

And over the next three months, similar.

[Scott Reeves]

Uprisings will occur across the south of China, and a provisional revolutionary government will be formed in Nanking. The Qing government, ruling on behalf of.

[Unknown]

The five year old Emperor Puyi, will appoint Yuan Shikai as prime Minister. They will order Yuan to quash the rebellion. But the new prime minister will prove a careful politician who cares about his.

[Scott Reeves]

Own power above all else. He will choose to negotiate rather than fight.

[Unknown]

And the results of those talks will be the abdication of the emperor he.

[Scott Reeves]

Is supposed to serve.

[Unknown]

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[Lindsey Graham]

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[Scott Reeves]

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[Scott Reeves]

It's February 12, 1912, four months after the Wuchang uprising, 25 year old Wang Lianzhao, Puyi's wet nurse, walks along a corridor in the Forbidden City Royal palace in Peking. But as she nears Puyi's room, she hears the six year old Emperor's high pitched shouting. She sighs, wondering what he's done this time.

[Unknown]

When Puyi was plucked from his family.

[Scott Reeves]

Home and named the next Emperor, Nurse Wang was the only person allowed to accompany him to the Forbidden City. For the past four years, Puyi has not seen his mother once and he is indulged by his castrated servants known as eunuchs, who bow down, avoid eye contact and cater to his every desire. But this coddling has turned Puyi into a callous child with a vicious temper. Servants are flogged for any misdemeanor, no matter how minor.

[Unknown]

One of Puyi's favorite pastimes is to jump out on unexpecting eunuchs and shoot.

[Scott Reeves]

Them with pellets from his airgun.

[Unknown]

On one occasion, Puyi ordered a eunuch.

[Scott Reeves]

To eat a cake with iron filings baked into it. Puyi wanted to see what effect it.

[Unknown]

Would have on the eater. The only person able to control the boy Emperor and his cruel directives is Wang, and now her services are about.

[Scott Reeves]

To be called upon once again.

[Unknown]

Wang walks into her room where the Emperor is kicking a eunuch who is.

[Scott Reeves]

Curled up on the floor. Wang gently places a hand on the Emperor's shoulder and turns him away. She asks Puyi why he is attacking his servant.

[Unknown]

The Emperor's cheeks are streaming with tears as he says, he looked at me. He didn't avert his eyes. Wang gestures behind Puyi's back, and the eunuch scurries out of the room, bowing low. Wang then sits down on a seat and lifts the Emperor onto her lap.

[Scott Reeves]

Puyi gradually calms down as Wang locks.

[Unknown]

Him in a long embrace and gently rocks him back and forth. After several minutes, they stand, and Wang reminds Puyi it is time for his.

[Scott Reeves]

Audience with the new Empress Dowager.

[Unknown]

Soon, Wang escorts Puyi to the chambers.

[Scott Reeves]

Of Empress Dowager Longyu, the regent who controls the government. Since Puyi is too young to actually.

[Unknown]

Rule China, every day, Puyi must visit the Empress Dowager to report the progress of his studies. But today, there is another person present for their audience. Prime Minister Yuan Shikai.

[Scott Reeves]

The Empress Dowager asks Puyi what he knows about the state of the country. Puyi says nothing, and Wang is not surprised. The Emperor is isolated inside the Forbidden City and has no contact with the outside world. So, with tears in her eyes, the Empress Dowager tells Puyi that the army has mutinied. Wang looks at the Emperor, whose young face is twisted into a confused frown. Puyi replies, so execute the mutineers. But Prime Minister Yuan interrupts.

[Unknown]

It's a breach of protocol to speak over the Emperor.

[Scott Reeves]

But Yuan ignores Puyi's furious look as he says the rebellions have spread throughout the country and that the revolutionaries insist.

[Unknown]

That Puyi abdicate the throne.

[Scott Reeves]

If he does, his life will be spared. But if Puyi does not, they will remove him by force and execute him. Wang's stomach lurches as Puyi's face drains of color. More tears begin to roll down his cheeks.

[Unknown]

She wants to comfort Puyi again, but the etiquette of court means she must stand in silence. Puyi stammers as he asks the Empress.

[Scott Reeves]

Dowager what would happen next. But before the Empress Dowager can speak.

[Unknown]

Prime Minister Yuan replies that he has prepared an edict on behalf of the Emperor. He pulls out a paper and hands it to Puyi. Wang glances at the document over the boy Emperor's shoulder. She gulps when she reads the section stating that the Emperor agrees to transfer.

[Scott Reeves]

The ruling power to the common citizenry.

[Unknown]

And she recognizes the four Chinese characters making up the Empress Dowager's personal seal. Puyi's regent has already signed it on his behalf. Wang is heartbroken. She knows that Puyi's world has just.

[Scott Reeves]

Been turned upside down.

[Unknown]

Under the terms of the abdication, Puyi.

[Scott Reeves]

Is allowed to keep his title as.

[Unknown]

Emperor and remain in the Forbidden City. He continues to impose his cruel will on the imperial household, mistreating eunuchs and demanding total submission. But though he has absolute power inside.

[Scott Reeves]

The walls of the Royal palace, he no longer has any control outside it. The monarchy is briefly restored in 1917, when 11 year old Puyi is restored to the throne after a general leads.

[Unknown]

A coup in Peking. But still, Puyi has little say in the matter.

[Scott Reeves]

He is nothing more than a figurehead to legitimize the general's grab for power. But ultimately the general finds little support and within only 12 days, Puyi is.

[Unknown]

Forced to abdicate for a second time. Over the next few years, Puyi will.

[Scott Reeves]

Continue to be manipulated by the forces.

[Unknown]

Who battle for control of China. But he will never give up his hope of becoming Emperor once again. An ambition that will lead him to.

[Scott Reeves]

Rely upon the might of foreign invaders.

[Unknown]

And will make him a puppet of.

[Scott Reeves]

The Japanese.

[Unknown]

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[Scott Reeves]

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[Unknown]

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It's August 16, 1945, 37 years after Puyi became Emperor of China.

[Scott Reeves]

The now 39 year old Puyi stares blankly out of the window of Mokdan.

[Unknown]

Airport, flanked by his personal servant on.

[Scott Reeves]

One side and General Yoshioka, his military advisor, on the other.

[Unknown]

But neither man disturbs Puyi's thoughts, so overwhelmed is he by the day's events. Hours earlier, for the third time in his life, Puyi issued an edict abdicating as emperor.

[Scott Reeves]

In 1924, Puyi was stripped of his.

[Unknown]

Imperial title and evicted from the Forbidden City. Following another coup in Peking, Puyi sought.

[Scott Reeves]

Refuge in the embassy of China's geopolitical rival, Japan.

[Unknown]

But the Japanese took advantage of their royal guest. In 1931, they invaded China and annexed the province of Manchuria, renaming it Manchukua, and Puyi was installed as its ruler. But the new Emperor of Manchukua was again little more than a puppet. He had no more control over this realm than when he was a boy emperor in the Forbidden City. The people of Manchukua made their feelings.

[Scott Reeves]

Clear by spitting at Puyi's car as it drove around the capital.

[Unknown]

But now the Japanese have surrendered, ending the Second World War, and Puyi is.

[Scott Reeves]

Fleeing before Manchurian resistance.

[Unknown]

Resistance fighters string him up by his neck. Puyi lifts his head as servants point out the window. He sees a large aircraft touching down on the Runway. Puyi turns to the general and smiles. It's the plane they were waiting for. The one the Japanese promised they would.

[Scott Reeves]

Send to help Puyi get out of the country.

[Unknown]

But Puyi's smile fades when he sees.

[Scott Reeves]

The plane isn't emblazoned with the red.

[Unknown]

Circle of the Japanese air force. It's a red star instead. A Soviet plane, an enemy of the Japanese. Puyi stands and presses his face up.

[Scott Reeves]

To the glass to get a better look.

[Unknown]

As the plane's doors open, several dozen soldiers jump out and hustle to the airport buildings.

[Scott Reeves]

Puyi wonders out loud whether they should run, but the general shakes his head.

[Unknown]

He says all it will get them.

[Scott Reeves]

Is a bullet in their backs.

[Unknown]

When the Soviet soldiers enter the airport terminal, Puyi and his companions stand and.

[Scott Reeves]

Hold up their hands to show they carry no weapons. Puyi attempts to maintain his demeanor when a soldier who speaks the Manchu language aggressively demands to know who they are. Puyi answers that until a few hours ago, he was the Emperor of Manchukua. The Soviet soldier's eyes widen in amazement.

[Unknown]

Then he points his rifle at Puyi.

[Scott Reeves]

And tells him he is now a prisoner of war. Puyi's arrest brings an end to the final reign of the last Chinese emperor, the man who oversaw the stuttering death of the imperial regime. After more than 2,000 years of unbroken.

[Unknown]

Rule, Puyi was placed on the throne three times as a puppet of others, but he never held power on his own terms. Puyi will eventually die in 1967, a rehabilitated citizen of Communist China, far removed.

[Scott Reeves]

From his life as emperor, which began when Puyi was enthroned in the hall.

[Unknown]

Of Supreme Harmony on December 2, 1908. Next on History Daily December 3, 1984.

[Lindsey Graham]

The city of Bhopal in central India.

[Scott Reeves]

Suffers the worst industrial accident on record.

[Unknown]

From Noiser and Airship. This is History Daily Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Molly Bach Sound design by Derek Barrons Music by Lindsey Graham. This episode is written and researched by Scott Reeves.

[Scott Reeves]

Executive producers are Stephen Walters for Airship.

[Unknown]

And Pascal Hughes for Noisy.

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