Empress Orchid

Summary

• Set in the middle of the nineteenth century, Orchid a seventeen year old, travels to Bejing with her family to bury her father whom had just died.

contd.

• This all happened while the emperor Hsien Feng announced that he is looking for a wife and concubines who have royal blood meaning that they had to be Manchu.

contd.

• Since Orchids family had Manchu origins she decided to go so she could help her family. She was chosen as a concubine wife. Competing with the others Orchid decides that she wants to be the one that bears the heir. She was sucessful in doing so and she birthed a baby boy.

contd.

• Suddenly the emperor dies leaving his five year old son Tung-chih to rule as emperor but he is too young to rule. Thus leaving his mother,Orchid the only person fit enough to rule as empress.

Ch'ing Dynasty/Qing Dynasty

• So the book was set during the time of the Qing dynasty.
• The Qing Dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China from 1644 to 1913 which was taken over by rebels.
• During that time they were lead by Manchus.

#1

• There was a war that happened during the years of 1838 to 1942 between the British and the court.
• It was called the First Opium War
• What caused it was that the british wanted to have more access to the empire for trade.

contd. #1

• In the end Great Britain ended up winning hence they obtained Hong Kong with the help of "The Treaty of Nanking

contd. #1

• It is connected to my book because, it is mentioned that Hsien Feng father signed a treaty with Great Britain. Also that they lost the first opium war
• "When the first opium war was lost in 1842, i was just a boy.."(233)

contd.#1

• "That was the moment after he had signed the treaty, which included china's first war reparations to Great Britain. The amount was twenty-one million taels. The British also demanded ownership of Hong Kong for a hundred years. From that time on,merchants came an went at will".(144)

#2

• Empress Cixi started to rule after the British and the french troops attacked in 1860
• There is no evidence that the Russians joined the French and the British during this attack during that time.

contd.#2

• It's connected to my book because at that same point of time a similar attack happens.
• "Calling themselves 'the Allies', the British came with 173 warships and 10,00 soldiers, the French with 33 ships and 6,00 soldiers .Then the Russians joined in. Together the three landed a force of 18,ooo men on the shores of the Gulf of Chihli."(229)

#3

• When the emperor Xanfeng dies in 1861 he passed of power to his son(Tongzhi) as heir
• He apparently ruled during the years of 1862 to 1874
• But it is said that the Empress Dowager Cixi ruled between the years of 1862 to 1908 behind the scenes.

contd. #3

• This connected to my book because when Hsien Fieng died he gave his throne to his son
• "Your Majesty", I said, "will Tung Chih suceed you to the throne?""Hsien Feng smiled affectionately."Yes of course, Tung Chih will suceed me to the throne.(263)

contd. #3

• "Finally I agreed to spare her under one condition - that she read my briefs and place her seal on all outgoing documents, which I would draft in the name of Tung Chih and stamp with my own seal"(279)

Works Cited

• "The Qing Dynasty." ChinaHighlights. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 June 2015.http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/china-history/the-qing-dynasty.h...
• Min, Anchee. Empress Orchid. Boston: Hougton Mifflin, 2004. Print.