The early 20th century saw widespread political upheaval, industrialization, and colonial expansion, leading to the end of World War I and the toppling of numerous monarchies. Amidst this global transformation, China was also undergoing significant change.
Within the vast Forbidden City in Beijing, Emperor Puyi, China's last imperial ruler, lived a unique life. Crowned at age two and deposed at six, his story is one of rapid ascent and dramatic fall, documented in sinologist Paul French's biography.
Puyi was born in 1906 into a Manchurian noble family during the late reign of Dowager Empress Cixi. Cixi designated the two-year-old Puyi as her successor. Whisked away to the Forbidden City, he was informed he was the link between Heaven and Earth, a claim he later recalled with tears and screams during his coronation.
Following the 1911 revolution, China was established as a republic. Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a key figure in the new China, advocated for preserving a semblance of the past and recognized the political undesirability of executing a child emperor. Consequently, Puyi and his family were allowed to remain in the Forbidden City, albeit stripped of power, living in opulent isolation with a substantial annual stipend.
Life in the Forbidden City
Reginald Johnston, a British colonial official fluent in Chinese, served as Puyi's tutor from 1918 to 1924. Johnston developed a paternal bond with the young emperor, who became reliant on him. Johnston encouraged Puyi's marriage, and in 1922, Puyi chose Wanrong from a selection of photographs. Their wedding was a blend of royal tradition and republican fanfare, drawing large crowds in Beijing.
Puyi and Wanrong's early years were marked by playful activities, including cycling through the Forbidden City and taking photographs. However, their existence was confined. Puyi increasingly desired freedom from the palace and its inhabitants.
The Role of Eunuchs
Eunuchs played a significant role in palace life for over a millennium, serving the emperor without the risk of diluting the imperial bloodline and free from familial distractions. Many were castrated as children, their families hoping for a better future for them as imperial servants. For Puyi, eunuchs served in various capacities, from servants and clerks to playmates, and sometimes targets for his airgun. Puyi himself admitted to flogging eunuchs as part of his daily routine when in a bad mood.
Despite their critical roles, eunuchs faced the constant threat of expulsion. To survive, many resorted to looting the Forbidden City's treasures, selling them to tourists. Upon discovering this, Puyi, in a fit of anger, expelled all 600 eunuchs. This act led to destitution and suicides among the eunuchs and was soon followed by Puyi's own expulsion.
Expulsion and Later Life
In November 1924, Puyi and Wanrong were forced to leave the Forbidden City. This occurred during a period of political instability in the new republic, with warlords vying for power. Warlord Feng Yuxiang seized control of Beijing, and his anti-monarchist sentiments, coupled with sympathy for the Bolsheviks, further endangered Puyi and Wanrong.
Life outside the palace proved difficult. Puyi was enticed by Japan, a rival of China, to become the emperor of their annexed territory, Manchukuo. This decision made him an enemy of China. After World War II, he was arrested and sent to a re-education camp. Wanrong, who had developed an opium addiction after leaving Beijing and was accused of collaborating with the Japanese, died in prison.
Puyi was released after ten years of imprisonment and spent the remainder of his life as a gardener in Mao Zedong's Beijing. French's biography portrays Puyi as a "modest and intelligent" boy, ultimately becoming, as one journalist noted, "the least consequential monarch on Earth."