Cai E (; 18 December 1882 – 8 November 1916) was a Chinese revolutionary leader and general. He was born Cai Genyin () in Shaoyang,

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi ...

, and his

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theob ...

was Songpo (). Cai eventually became an influential

warlord A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...

(

Yunnan clique The Yunnan clique () was one of several mutually hostile cliques or factions that split from the Beiyang Government in the Republic of China's warlord era. It was named for Yunnan Province. History Kunming Uprising When the 1911 Revolutio ...

), and is best known for his role in challenging the imperial ambitions ( Hongxian emperor) of

Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 1859 – 6 June 1916) was a Chinese military and government official who rose to power during the late Qing dynasty and eventually ended the Qing dynasty rule of China in 1912, later becoming the Emperor of China. H ...

during the Anti-Monarchy War. Cai's name has also been romanised as Tsai Ao.

Biography

Early career

Cai studied at the prestigious and progressive '' Shiwu Xuetang'' (School of Current Affairs), where he was taught by reformer faction intellectual

Liang Qichao Liang Qichao (Chinese: 梁啓超 ; Wade-Giles: ''Liang2 Chʻi3-chʻao1''; Yale: ''Lèuhng Kái-chīu'') (February 23, 1873 – January 19, 1929) was a Chinese politician, social and political activist, journalist, and intellectual. His thou ...

and

Tang Caichang Tang Caichang (; 1867 – 22 August 1900) was a late Qing dynasty revolutionary and political activist. He and fellow reformer Tan Sitong were from Liuyang. Tang was chosen by Kang Youwei to lead an uprising in Hankou, however he and thirty othe ...

. He went to Japan in 1899. Cai returned to China in 1900, when he was only 18, and attempted to take part in an uprising against the

Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

as part of the Self-Support Army, a revolutionary militia led by Tang Caichang. When the rebellion failed, Cai returned to Japan. During this second sojourn in Japan he received military training at the

Tokyo Shimbu Gakko The was a military preparatory school located in Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1896 by the Imperial Japanese Army for the purpose of providing basic military training to students from China, many of its students later played important roles in th ...

, followed by the

Imperial Japanese Army Academy The was the principal officer's training school for the Imperial Japanese Army. The programme consisted of a junior course for graduates of local army cadet schools and for those who had completed four years of middle school, and a senior course f ...

. He returned to Guangxi Province, where he held several military posts and established a military training academy from 1904 to 1910. While in Guangxi he joined the

Tongmenghui The Tongmenghui of China (or T'ung-meng Hui, variously translated as Chinese United League, United League, Chinese Revolutionary Alliance, Chinese Alliance, United Allegiance Society, ) was a secret society and underground resistance movement ...

, a Chinese revolutionary organization dedicated to the overthrow of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

. In 1910 he was transferred to

Province to command the 37th Brigade of the

New Army The New Armies ( Traditional Chinese: 新軍, Simplified Chinese: 新军; Pinyin: Xīnjūn, Manchu: ''Ice cooha''), more fully called the Newly Created Army ( ''Xinjian Lujun''Also translated as "Newly Established Army" ()), was the modernised ...

and teach at the Yunnan Military Academy in Kunming. One of his pupils at the school was

Zhu De Zhu De (; ; also Chu Teh; 1 December 1886 – 6 July 1976) was a Chinese general, military strategist, politician and revolutionary in the Chinese Communist Party. Born into poverty in 1886 in Sichuan, he was adopted by a wealthy uncle at ...

, who began studying there in 1909 and graduated in 1912. Shortly after the

Xinhai Revolution The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China. The revolution was the culmination of a ...

began on 10 October 1911, Cai, leading the 37th Brigade, successfully occupied Yunnan. After the revolution he served as Commander-in-Chief of the Military Government of Yunnan.Schemmel Cai E was Governor of Yunnan from 1911 to 1913. After the revolution Cai gained a reputation as a strong supporter of democracy and of

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...

politician

Song Jiaoren Song Jiaoren (, ; Given name at birth: Liàn 鍊; Courtesy name: Dùnchū 鈍初) (5 April 1882 – 22 March 1913) was a Chinese republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuomintang (KMT). Song Jiaoren led the KMT to elec ...

. Following Song's assassination by

, and Yuan's subsequent assumption of the presidency of the Republic of China, Yuan had Cai removed from office and eventually held under house arrest in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. Tang Jiyao replaced Cai E as Military Governor of Yunnan in 1913.

Opposition to Yuan Shikai

In 1915,

announced his plans to dissolve the Republic and proclaim himself the emperor of a new dynasty. After hearing of his intentions, Cai escaped assassination on 11 November, first returning to Japan and then to

. After returning to Yunnan, Cai established the local National Protection Army to fight

and defend the Republic.Beck "Yuan Shikai's Presidency 1912-16" On 12 December, Yuan formally "accepted" a petition to become emperor, and protests spread throughout China. On 23 December Cai sent a telegram to Beijing threatening to declare independence if Yuan did not cancel his plans within two days. When Yuan did not respond favorably, Cai declared independence on 25 December and made plans to invade

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

. The governor of

Guizhou Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to the ...

joined Cai in rebellion, declaring independence on 27 December. Yuan had himself inaugurated as emperor on 1 January 1916, and Cai successfully occupied Sichuan later that month. Cai e's tomb

Yuan sent two leading military commanders from northern China to attack Cai, but although the forces sent by Yuan outnumbered Cai's army, Yuan's commanders were either unwilling or unable to defeat him. When it became clear that Cai's rebellion would be successful, many other provinces joined him in resisting Yuan. Guangxi and Shandong declared independence in March, Guangdong and Zhejiang in April and Shaanxi, Sichuan and Hunan in May. With several provinces behind them, the revolutionaries successfully forced Yuan to abandon monarchism on 20 March 1916. After Yuan died on 6 June 1916, Cai held the positions of Governor-General and Governor of Sichuan. He left for Japan for medical treatment at Kyushu Imperial University in

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...

for

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

later in 1916, but died shortly after his arrival. He was accorded a state funeral in China at

Yuelu Mountain Yuelu Mountain () is located on the west bank of the Xiang River, one tributary of Wu River in Changsha, Hunan. Its main peak and the highest point, Yunlu Peak, is about above the sea level. Introduction of Yuelu Mountain There are more than ...

on 12 April 1917.

Legacy

Many of the warlords who served under

did not support his ambition to revive the monarchy, and Cai E was one of the leading figures who successfully forced Yuan to step down. He served as an inspiration for

, who later became one of the most successful military leaders of the

Chinese Red Army The Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army or Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army, commonly known as the Chinese Red Army or simply the Red Army, are the armed forces of the Chinese Communist Party. It was formed when Communis ...

, the forerunner to the People's Liberation Army.

Depiction in popular culture

*In October 2009,

TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Cantonese language service, and ...

broadcast a series about the story of Cai E and Yuan Shikai: ''

In the Chamber of Bliss ''In the Chamber of Bliss'' (Traditional Chinese: 蔡鍔與小鳳仙) is an TVB period drama series, starring Damian Lau, Kathy Chow, Kenneth Ma, Angela Tong and Toby Leung as the main leads. Cast Plot Military Governor Choi Ngok (Damia ...

''.

References

Bibliography

* Beck, Sanderson.
"Republican China in Turmoil 1912-1926"
''EAST ASIA 1800-1949''. 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2011. * 陈贤庆(Chen Xianqing)

* Schemmel, B. ttp://rulers.org/indexc1.html "Cai E" ''Rulers.org''. 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011. * . ''Yuelu Academy''. 28 September 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2011. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cai, E 1882 births 1916 deaths Politicians from Shaoyang People of the 1911 Revolution Republic of China warlords from Hunan Governors of Yunnan Tongmenghui members Progressive Party (China) politicians 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Japan Military governors of Yunnan Military governors of Sichuan Burials in Changsha Independence activists