Puyi

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 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.

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.

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).

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.