Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China

Empress Dowager Cixi 1835–1908 is the most important woman in Chinese history She ruled China for decades and brought a medieval empire into the modern age At the age of 16 in a nationwide selection for royal consorts Cixi was chosen as one of the emperor's numerous concubines When he died in 1861 their five-year-old son succeeded to the throne Cixi at once launched a palace coup against the regents appointed by her husband and made herself the real ruler of China behind the throne literally with a silk screen separating her from her officials who were all male In this groundbreaking biography Jung Chang vividly describes how Cixi fought against monumental obstacles to change China Under her the ancient country attained virtually all the attributes of a modern state industries railways electricity the telegraph and an army and navy with up-to-date weaponry It was she who abolished gruesome punishments like death by a thousand cuts and put an end to foot-binding She inaugurated women's liberation and embarked on the path to introduce parliamentary elections to China