The 1861 palace coup ( Chinese р 政变 , pinyin : xīnyǒu zhèngbiàn ) is a palace coup that occurred in the Qing State when three members of the regent government were executed as a result of the conspiracy of the Dowager Empress and Prince Gong , and two widowers were replaced as regents Empress - Cixi and Qian .
In August 1861, Emperor Aichingyo Yizhu died in Jaehe. His six-year-old son Zaichun ascended the throne. Prior to his coming of age, all affairs in the country were to be carried out by the Council of Princes of Regents and Dignitaries of Eight People, headed by Aishingeryo Sushun , that is, a clique of ultra-conservatives. In November 1861, a coup d'etat took place in Beijing. Three regents led by Sushun were executed, and the Dowager Empress Cixi and the second Dowager Empress Qian, far from politics, came to power.
The coup in Beijing opened the way for a more balanced policy towards Western countries and a policy of extremely limited reforms under the slogan of " self-reinforcement ", or "mastering overseas affairs."
Sources
- Nepomnin O. E. History of China: The Qing Age. XVII - the beginning of the XX century. - M .: "Oriental literature", 2005. - S. 421-422.