Prince Gong

Prince Gong (Yixin, 1833–1898) was a Qing imperial prince and statesman who helped organize the 1861 coup and led the court’s foreign affairs for decades.

Empress Dowager Cixi: The Qing empress dowager who exercised power in China from 1861 until her death in 1908. She became Prince Gong’s central political partner after the 1861 coup, though their alliance later fractured.
Xinyou Coup: The 1861 palace coup that installed Empress Dowager Cixi and the empress dowager Ci’an as regents for the Tongzhi Emperor. Prince Gong helped organize it, removing the regents appointed by the late Xianfeng Emperor.
Qing diplomacy: The foreign relations conducted by China’s Qing dynasty from 1644 to 1912. Prince Gong became one of its principal officials during a period of intensified foreign contact.
Prince Chun: A Qing imperial prince, father of the Guangxu Emperor, and regent from 1875 to 1884. His growing influence at court helped displace Prince Gong from senior political authority.
Emperor Xianfeng: The Qing emperor who ruled from 1850 to 1861 during the Taiping Rebellion and the Second Opium War. His death created the succession crisis that Prince Gong used to help secure a new regency.
Zongli Yamen: The Qing office established in 1861 to manage relations with foreign powers. Prince Gong led this institution, which made diplomacy a continuing part of central government.
Treaty ports: Chinese ports opened to foreign residence and trade under treaties imposed by foreign powers. Managing treaty relations and their consequences occupied the foreign-affairs office he led.
Li Hongzhang: A Qing statesman and military leader who built regional armies and negotiated with foreign powers. His provincial power and direct diplomacy contrasted with Prince Gong’s position at the central court.
Emperor Tongzhi: The Qing emperor who reigned from 1861 to 1875, succeeding his father, the Xianfeng Emperor. Prince Gong served as a senior regent during Tongzhi’s minority.
Tongzhi Restoration: A period of Qing efforts to restore state power after the Taiping Rebellion and other mid-century crises. Prince Gong’s court policies formed part of the political setting for these restoration efforts.

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