Zaizhen

Zaizhen (31 March 1876 - 31 December 1947), style name Yuzhou (Chinese: 育周; pinyin: Yùzhōu), was a Manchu prince and politician of the qing dynasty.

Biography

Zaizhen was born of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan as the eldest son of Yikuang. His family was under the Bordered Blue Banner of the Eight Banners. In 1894 Zaizhen was granted the title of "Second Class General Who Guards the Nation" (二等鎮國將軍). Seven years later in 1901 he was promoted to the status of a beizi (貝子).

In 1902 Zaizhen, representing the qing dynasty, travelled to Britain to witness the coronation of Edward VII. He also visited France, Belgium, the United States and Japan. In 1903 he went to Japan to attend the fifth Kangyō Exhibition (勸業博覽會). Upon returning to China, he started pushing for reforms in the government, and was appointed Imperial Secretary (尚書) of the newly established Ministry of Industry. Zaizhen also served as a military commander of the Bordered Blue Banner, Interior Minister (御前大臣), and was in charge of the Firearms Department (火器營) and the Plain Red Banner as well.

In 1902 Zaizhen, representing the qing dynasty, travelled to Britain to witness the coronation of Edward VII. He also visited France, Belgium, the United States and Japan. In 1903 he went to Japan to attend the fifth Kangyō Exhibition (勸業博覽會). Upon returning to China, he started pushing for reforms in the government, and was appointed Imperial Secretary (尚書) of the newly established Ministry of Industry. Zaizhen also served as a military commander of the Bordered Blue Banner, Interior Minister (御前大臣), and was in charge of the Firearms Department (火器營) and the Plain Red Banner as well.

In 1911 Zaizhen was appointed as a consultant-minister in the Bide Court (弼德院). Following the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution that year, Zaizhen fled to Tianjin to evade the chaos and later returned to Beijing . The revolution overthrew the qing dynasty and saw the establishment of the Republic of China. In 1917 President Li Yuanhong granted permission for Zaizhen to inherit the title of "Prince Qing of the First Rank" (慶親王) after the death of Zaizhen's father Yikuang. In 1924 when China's last emperor Puyi was driven out of the Forbidden City, Zaizhen feared that he might be implicated, so he retreated to the British concession in Tianjin . He started investing in several businesses and was never involved in politics again.

Zaizhen died in Tianjin in 1947. Cao Rulin, Zhu Zuozhou (朱作舟) and others suggested to the Chinese government to grant Zaizhen a posthumous name "Zhen" (貞), in recognition of Zaizhen's role in persuading the last emperor Puyi to abdicate and his abstinence from politics despite having lived through the Beiyang Government, Republican government and the Japanese occupation during World War II. Zaizhen's tombstone reads "Zaizhen, Prince Qingzhen of the First Rank" (慶貞親王載振).

Personal information

Father

Yikuang, posthumously known as Prince Qingmin of the First Rank.

Mother

Lady Hegiya (合佳氏)

Spouse

Lady Suochuoluo (索綽羅氏)

Sons

Puzhong (溥鐘; b. 1887), married a daughter of Professor (大學士) Natong (那桐).

Purui (溥銳; b. 1888), married another of Natong's daughters.

Pujun (溥鈞), married a woman of the Erdet (鄂爾德特) clan who was a daughter of Duangong (端恭) and younger sister of Wenxiu.

Last update 30-05-2012

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