Who was Puyi? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Yaozhi

Died At Age: 61

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Empress Wanrong, Li Shuxian, Li Yuqin, Tan Yuling, Wenxiu

father: Zaifeng, Prince Chun

mother: Youlan

siblings: Jin Youzhi, Jin Yunying, Pujie, Yunhuan

children: no value

Emperors & Kings Chinese Men

Died on: October 17, 1967

place of death: Beijing, China

Diseases & Disabilities: Heart Disease

Cause of Death: Kidney Cancer

City: Beijing, China

Recommended For You

1

How did Puyi become the last Emperor of China?

Puyi became the last Emperor of China at the age of two when he was chosen as the new Emperor by Empress Dowager Longyu following the death of the Guangxu Emperor.
2

What role did Puyi play in Japanese-occupied Manchuria?

Puyi was installed as the puppet Emperor of the Japanese-controlled state of Manchukuo in Manchuria in 1934, where he served as a figurehead ruler under Japanese control.
3

What happened to Puyi after World War II?

After World War II, Puyi was captured by Soviet forces and handed over to Chinese authorities. He was put on trial, found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and imprisoned for over a decade.
4

How did Puyi adapt to life as a commoner after the fall of the Qing Dynasty?

After being expelled from the Forbidden City and stripped of his titles following the fall of the Qing Dynasty, Puyi struggled to adapt to life as a commoner and faced numerous challenges adjusting to the outside world.
5

What was Puyi's role during the Cultural Revolution in China?

During the Cultural Revolution in China, Puyi was subjected to public humiliation and forced to undergo "re-education" by the Communist authorities, who sought to erase all traces of his imperial past.

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Childhood & Early Life

Puyi was born on February 7, 1906, in Prince Chun Mansion, Beijing, Qing Empire, to Zaifeng, Prince Chun and Guwalgiya Youlan. Puyi was the great-grandson of Daoguang Emperor and grandson of Yixuan, Prince Chun.

He had three younger brothers and seven younger sisters.

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Enthronement

Following the death of Guangxu Emperor (first son of Yixuan, Prince Chun) on November 14, 1908, the 2 years and 10 months old Puyi was ascended to the throne with the title of Xuantong Emperor by Empress Dowager Cixi who was on her death bed and breathed her last on the very next day.

Cixi controlled the government of China for around half-a-century as regent of her son, Tongzhi Emperor, and thereafter for Guangxu Emperor.

Puyi’s father was made the Prince Regent and on December 2, 1908, his coronation ceremony was held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Little Puyi was terrified by such sudden enthronement away from his family and familiar environment, surrounded among strangers. He was accompanied by his wet nurse, Wang Wen-Chao, to the Forbidden City, the only person who could console him to certain extent.

Growing up as an emperor was way different for him from other children. The adults in his life, mostly strangers, would treat him as an emperor with men performing kowtow, a kneeling down ritual, while he passed. With time, he discovered that he could fulfil any of his whims without any restriction.

By the time he reached seven, his cruelty and love to exercise power including ill-treating and flogging innocent eunuchs and firing air-gun at anybody of his choice developed him into a sadistic boy emperor. However, the little boy in him would still love to enjoy puppet show and suckle the breasts of Wang while sleeping at night.

He received standard Confucian education and had to daily visit and report his progress to his “mothers”, five former imperial concubines led by Empress Dowager Longyu.

He disliked his “mothers” as they impeded him to meet his biological mother till he attained age 13 and particularly hated Longyu for conspiring and expelling Wang when he was aged eight on the pretext that Puyi was quite old enough to need a wet-nurse.

Forced Abdication

The ‘Xinhai Revolution’ that continued from October 10, 1911 to February 12, 1912 witnessed several revolts and uprisings resulting in the end of 2000 years of imperial rule in China and establishment of Republic of China (1912-1949).

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Puyi was compelled to renounce the throne on February 12, 1912, thus making him the last emperor of Qing Dynasty that ruled China for 267 years.

A deal was brokered by Prime Minister Yuan Shikai with the regal court in Beijing and the southern China Republicans that saw endorsement of the "Imperial Edict of the Abdication of the Qing Emperor" by Longyu on February 12, 1912.

The "Articles of Favourable Treatment of the Great Qing Emperor after His Abdication" dated December 26, 1914 signed with the new Republic of China came up with certain directives.

These included allowing Puyi to retain his regal title and remain in the Forbidden City (temporarily) and then move to Summer Palace; and receiving an annual subsidy of 4,000,000 silver taels from the Republic of China, which, however, was never paid fully and was done away with after a few years.

Short-lived Restoration

General Zhang Xun made an unsuccessful attempt to restore Puyi to the throne in the Manchu Restoration of 1917 that saw Puyi enthroned from July 1 to July 12 of that year.

The period witnessed what was regarded as the first aerial bombardment in East Asia when a Republican plane dropped a small bomb over the Forbidden City.

Life in Forbidden City and Subsequent Expulsion

Puyi’s first encounter with a foreigner was with Sir Reginald Johnston, his new tutor who arrived in the Forbidden City on March 3, 1919. Johnston not only taught him different subjects but also introduced him to the "new style" Chinese books and magazines inspiring him to pen down poems that were issued anonymously in New China publications.

He was also introduced to the new technology of cinema, telephone and bicycle by Johnston. Riding cycles eventually became a lifelong passion for Puyi who was so influenced by western style that he cut off his queue and started wearing western attire instructing his eunuchs to address him as ‘Henry’.

Warlord Feng Yuxiang took control of Beijing on October 23, 1924 in a coup d’état. Yuxiang then unilaterally revised the Articles of Favourable Treatment on November 5, 1924 not only repealing the regal title and privileges enjoyed by Puyi. It not only made him to just a private citizen of the Republic of China but also expelled him from Forbidden City.

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Living in Tianjin

Following the expulsion, Puyi stayed at his father’s residence for a few days and then at the Japanese embassy in Beijing before leaving for the Japanese Concession of Tianjin on February 23, 1925.

Ruler of Manchukuo

The Japanese made him the Chief Executive of a puppet state of the Empire of Japan called Manchukuo on March 1, 1932 with the reign title Datong.

On March 1, 1934 he was declared Kangde Emperor of Manchukuo. He ruled the state till August 15, 1945, till the end of Second Sino-Japanese War.

During this reign, Yoshioka Yasunori, a senior staff officer of Kwantung Army, was designated to Puyi as Attaché to the Imperial Household in Manchukuo. Yasunori spied for Japanese government and directed and controlled Puyi by intimidating and frightening him. Puyi faced several life attempts during this period.

Facts About Puyi

Puyi, the last emperor of China, had a fascination with Western culture and often enjoyed watching Hollywood films, leading him to develop a unique perspective on the world outside of the Forbidden City.

Despite his imperial upbringing, Puyi had a love for gardening and spent hours tending to the plants and flowers in the palace gardens, finding solace and peace in the natural world.

Puyi had a pet Pekingese dog named "Little Brother" that he adored and treated as a loyal companion, showcasing his softer side and love for animals.

Puyi was known for his curiosity and appetite for learning new things, often engaging in discussions with scholars and intellectuals to expand his knowledge beyond the confines of his royal duties.

Puyi had a talent for calligraphy and enjoyed practicing the art form in his free time, showcasing his artistic skills and appreciation for traditional Chinese culture.

Later Life

Soviet Union occupied Manchuria defeating Kwantung Army in August 1945 and following the end of Second World War, as Puyi was fleeing to Japan in an aeroplane, Soviet Red Army captured him on August 16.

After the Mao Zedong led Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949 establishing People's Republic of China, negotiations between China and Soviet Union led to the repatriation of Puyi to China where he remained incarcerated for ten years as a war criminal until he was declared reformed.

He served Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference from 1964 till his death as an editor for its literary department drawing a monthly salary of around 100 yuan.

His autobiography ‘From Emperor to Citizen’ (1964) was ghost-written by Li Wenda.

Personal Life & Legacy

On November 30, 1922, he married Wanrong who became the Empress consort of Puyi. His other concubines were Consort Wenxiu, Tan Yuling, Li Yuqin and Li Shuxian, of whom the latter was a hospital nurse whom he married at age 56 on April 30, 1962.

He succumbed to complications from heart disease and kidney cancer on October 17, 1967.

Puyi Biography

You wanted to know

How did Puyi become the last Emperor of China?

What role did Puyi play in Japanese-occupied Manchuria?

What happened to Puyi after World War II?

How did Puyi adapt to life as a commoner after the fall of the Qing Dynasty?

What was Puyi's role during the Cultural Revolution in China?