The Empress Dowager Cixi

Guangxu Emperor and the reformists then launched a more comprehensive reform effort, the Hundred Day's Reform ( 1898 ), but it was shortly overturned by the conservatives under Empress Dowager Cixi in a military coup.

The Empress Dowager, probably seeking to ensure her continual grip on power, sided with the Boxers as they advanced on Beijing.

Lady Yehenara, otherwise known as Dowager Empress Cixi, was arguably one of the most successful concubines in China ’ s history.

His mother was Empress Dowager Fujiwara no Junshi ( also called the Gojō empress 五条后 ), daughter of the minister of the left, Fujiwara Fuyutsugu.

His mother was Empress Dowager Fujiwara no Akirakeiko ( 明子 ), also called the Somedono empress 染殿后 ).

* 1875 – Guangxu Emperor of China began his reign, under Empress Dowager Cixi's regency.

* 1898 – The Hundred Days ' Reform is started by Guangxu Emperor with a plan to change social, political and educational institutions in China, but is suspended by Empress Dowager Cixi after 104 days.

* 1900 – Empress Dowager Longyu of China orders all foreigners killed, including foreign diplomats and their families.

China formally declared war on the United States, Britain, Germany, France and Japan, as an edict issued from the Dowager Empress Cixi.

Emperor Nicholas II and his mother Dowager Empress Maria Fyodorovna in 1896.

In late 1916, the Dowager Empress left St. Petersburg to live in the Mariinsky Palace in Kiev.

During the second russification period, at the start of the First World War, the Dowager Empress, travelling by her special train through Finland to Saint Petersburg, expressed her continued disapprobation for the russification of Finland by having an orchestra of a welcoming committee to play the March of the Pori Regiment and the Finnish national anthem " Maamme ", which at the time were under the explicit ban from Franz Albert Seyn, the Governor-General of Finland.

Despite the overthrow of the monarchy in 1917, the former Dowager Empress Maria at first refused to leave Russia.

This was not surprising as Maria was merely a deposed Dowager Empress while her older sister was a popular Dowager Queen.

The 1986 NBC-TV miniseries Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna, in which Olivia de Havilland portrays the Dowager Empress, represents the latter as considering a personal meeting with Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia.

There is no evidence that the Empress Dowager ever had such an intention ( or indeed that she had ever been requested to grant an audience to the woman ).

In 1018, his daughter Ishi became Empress ( Chūgū ) of Emperor Go-Ichijō, Kenshi became Empress Dowager ( Kōtaigō ), and Shōshi was Grand Empress Dowager ( Tai-Kōtaigō ).

To overcome such problems, Empress Dowager Cixi issued an imperial edict in 1901 calling for reform proposals from the governors-general and governors and initiated the era of the dynasty's " New Policy ", also known as the " Late Qing Reform ".

Since Empress Dowager Bian favored Cao Zhang, so Cao Pi had to make Cao Zhang's death seem natural.

Empress Dowager Bian got to the scene on her bare feet and tried to search for water to flush down the poison that was now in Cao Zhang's body.

But unfortunately for Cao Zhang, the crafty Cao Pi had secretly placed all the containers away beforehand, so Empress Dowager Bian failed to get the water ; Cao Zhang then died as a result.

When Empress Bian, their common birth mother, heard of this, she went to Cao Pi and pleaded for the life of her younger son.

* Grand Empress Dowager Bian ( 226-230 ), during the reign of Emperor Ming

Emperor Ling had two surviving sons — Liu Bian, the son of Empress He, and Liu Xie, the son of Consort Wang.

* Spouse: Empress Bian, daughter of Bian Long ( 卞隆 ), instated in 255

* Spouse: Empress Bian, daughter of Bian Lin ( 卞綝 ), instated in 263

The second of Cao Cao's four sons by Empress Dowager Bian, Cao Zhang was said to excel and obsessed in archery and armed combat in his youth so much so that he would fight fierce beasts with his bare hands.

Empress Bian got to the scene on her bare feet and tried to search for water to flush down the poison that was now in Cao Zhang's body.

With the support of the Yuan clan, particularly Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, the succession dispute was resolved in favour of Liu Bian, the son of Empress He, who ascended the throne in the fifth month of that year.

When Emperor Ling of Han died in 189, Jian Shuo wanted to enthrone Emperor Ling's younger son, Liu Xie, and kill Empress Dowager He's brother, He Jin ( uncle of Emperor Ling's older son Liu Bian ).

Chinese Empress Cao, wife of Emperor Renzong of Song.

* Empress Wende, empress of Cao Wei ( b. 184 )

* Empress Zhen, wife of Cao Fang

* Empress Cao Jie

* Empress Guo, wife of Cao Rui

He was said to be the uncle of the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, being the younger brother of Empress Dowager Cao ( 曹太后 cáo tàihòu ).

Císhèngguāngxiàn Empress did have a younger brother named Cao Yi in historical record.

Cao remained in this position for little more than a year, being dismissed from office in 178 for his distant family ties with the disgraced Empress Song.

** Empress Zhen Wenzhao, bore Cao Rui and Princess Dongxiang, forced to commit suicide in 221

* Grand Empress Dowager Cao ( 1067-1085 ), during the reign of Emperor Shenzong

Emperor Xian's Empress Fu Shou, angry and fearful about how Consort Dong died, wrote her father, Fu Wan ( 伏完 ), a letter accusing Cao Cao of cruelty, and implicitly asking her father to start a new conspiracy against Cao.

Cao Cao was extremely angry and forced Emperor Xian to have Empress Fu deposed.

In 243, Cao Fang married Empress Zhen, a granddaughter of his grandmother Lady Zhen's brother Zhen Yan ( 甄儼 ).