Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-16
ISL AN ONCE A SLAVE
Rose From Obscurity to Rule
China AZ Years.
REGENT OF VAST EMPIRE
Governed During Reigns of Son and
Nephew.
KEPT POWER BY BLOODSHED
Credited With Having Slain Kuang-
Su's Predecessor, Her Own Child.
Convert to Reform
KEPT POWER BY BLOODSHED

The Empress DOwager of China Isl An,
who would have been seventy-fo four years
old had she lived to tomorrow was prac-
tlcally the last survivor of the days when
women of the adventures type governed
the acts of kings and ruled nations
AS a young girl she attracted the atten-
ton of the Emperor Hsien-Feng the
uncle of the emperor who preceded her
in death by few hours, and became a
concubine of the third class in his palace.
From that time on her unusual personal
attractions and her strong intellectual
qualities and will power made her a per-
SonaGe of great influence at court.
The emperor's legal wife. known as the
Empress of the East, was chldless Isl
An gave birth in 1876 to a boy who was
named Tzi-chung. Isl An was therefore
promoted TO the rank of -concubine of the
second class.
Later she became full spouse of the
ruler under the title of Empress of the
West.
The Emperor Hsien-Feng died in 1861
and was succeeded by the son of Tsi An,
then fve-year-old infant, who ruled
under the name of Jung-chih. The dying
emperor provided in his testament for a
council Of regency to govern during the
minority of his successor. but Isl An
had no idea of allowing her power to slim
away from her
Proclaims Herself Regent.
She was then a commanding woman,
twenty-seven years old, and she took
prompt action She persuaded her broth
er-ln-iaW, Prince kung. TO trump up
charges of treason against the regents
and they were promptly executed.
This done. Tsi An had herself proclaimed
regent, and she remained the virtual ruler
OF China until the untimeIy death of her
son, January II, 1879. shortly after ne
reached his majority and he was about TO
grasp the reins OF power There has
always been a strong suspicion that the
dOwaser caused his death by poison.
Isl An took Immediate advantage of the
situation. She called a family council
which selected as heir To the throne the
three-year-Old baby Tsai-tien. son of
Prince Chung and first cousin of the de-
ceased monarch
Isl An had the habit of ruling and was
NOT the woman L. give IL uD. The ma
chnery OF the government was in her
hands when her son died, and she did not
scruple To use il to the utmost She had
the baby heir taken from his bed in the
middle q: the nigh; and carried to the
front of the palace. where immedia tel
upon daybreak he WAS proclaimed empe-
ror under the ceremonial title of kuang-
su.
Sister Named Regent
To give co-or of Legitimacy To her pro-
ceedings Isl An had her own sister. the
baby emperurs mother, proclaimed re-
gent. but she Has herself proclaimed as
sOciate in the regency on account OF her
experience in governmental affairs
Her authority was never successfully
disputed from that time on Kuang-s
reached his majority aud assumed the
reins Of government In March 1889 and
al once displayed Il tendency TO Euro
pean ideas and methods under the in
fuence OF lead rs Of the reform party,
under whose dominate ION he came
He seems TO have had consid erable in
telligence. but was deficient In will power.
He never really ruled out of his own
spirit lie was always the catspaw OF
some clique or individual.
His reform iTr4S were naturally OBJ
noXious TO a majority OF the railing class.
The Gowa@er took advantage of this ITO
intrigue against him. In 1898 September
81 she made coup d-etat and proclaim
ed the rr-es ia b}iShmeni of the regency.
Her sister was now g. ad and she ruled
alone. The emperor was sent back TO his
gilded prison among women and officials
who were practically his jailcrs.
When the Boxer troubles broke out in
1900 the dowager empress was supposed
To entertain ideas most hostile TO for
eigners and it is fact that a number of
high Chinese officials who protected the