Xianfeng Emperor

The ninth emperor of the Qing dynasty, Xianfeng ruled China from 1850 to 1861. His reign was marked by the Taiping Rebellion, foreign wars, and the court’s flight from Beijing.

Taiping Rebellion: A massive civil war in China from 1850 to 1864, led by the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace. It began in his accession year and became the gravest internal threat of his reign.
Summer Palace: A historic imperial garden complex in Beijing, repeatedly rebuilt and expanded under the Qing dynasty. Anglo-French forces looted and burned its predecessor complex in 1860, during his reign.
Empress Dowager Ci'an: The principal wife of the Xianfeng Emperor and a regent during the early Tongzhi reign. She joined Cixi in the regency that followed their son’s accession.
Daoguang Emperor: The eighth Qing emperor, who ruled China from 1820 to 1850. His death made Xianfeng emperor and passed unresolved crises to the new reign.
Second Opium War: A war from 1856 to 1860 in which Britain and France fought the Qing dynasty. The Qing defeat forced concessions during Xianfeng’s rule.
Rehe: A Qing imperial retreat centered on the Mountain Resort at Chengde, northeast of Beijing. Xianfeng’s court took refuge there after foreign forces occupied Beijing.
Consort Yi: The Qing imperial consort later known as Empress Dowager Cixi, mother of the Tongzhi Emperor. Her son’s position as Xianfeng’s heir helped establish her political influence.
First Opium War: The 1839–1842 conflict in which Britain defeated Qing China and secured the Treaty of Nanking. Its unequal settlement formed part of the foreign-policy burden inherited by Xianfeng.
Treaty of Tianjin: A group of 1858 treaties that expanded foreign access and privileges in China. Xianfeng rejected ratification, helping trigger the war’s final campaign.
Prince Gong: A Qing prince and statesman who negotiated with foreign powers and led the Zongli Yamen. He remained in Beijing to negotiate while Xianfeng’s court fled north.

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