The Imperial Order of the Double Dragon () was an

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

awarded in the late

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-speak ...

. The Order was founded by the

Guangxu Emperor The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), personal name Zaitian, was the tenth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, w ...

on 7 February 1882 as an award for outstanding services to the throne and the Qing court. Originally it was awarded only to foreigners but was extended to Chinese subjects from 1908. It was the first Western-style Chinese order, established in the wake of the

Second Opium War The Second Opium War (), also known as the Second Anglo-Sino War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a colonial war lasting from 1856 to 1860, which pitted the British Empire#Britain's imperial ...

as part of efforts to engage with the West and adopt Western-style diplomatic practices. Traditionally the Chinese court did not have an honours system in the Western sense; however hat buttons, rank badges, feathers and plumes were routinely awarded by the Emperor to subjects and foreigners alike prior to and after the introduction of the Order of the Double Dragon. The order was replaced in 1911 during the last days of the Qing dynasty by the Order of the Imperial Throne, although this replacement was never fully implemented and the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeas ...

discontinued the imperial orders after its establishment in 1912.

Design

The order took on many different designs and forms until its abolition in 1911. Gradations were distinguished most commonly by differentiation in the type and size of precious stones inlaid, the shape of the medallion, the length of the

ribbon A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, and jute and of synthetic mat ...

, and the material used to construct the

medallion A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

and

pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

were reserved for the higher classes, enamel and

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and se ...

for the lowest classes. The original designs were similar in style and appearance to traditional Chinese insignia, but they proved cumbersome for many to wear and in 1897 they were redesigned in the form of a Western-style breast-badge, although the original designs were still awarded for some time afterwards. Similar symbolic motifs accompanied all designs over the award's history, most notably two dragons surrounding a central precious stone and flames which were connotative

symbols A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different co ...

of imperial authority. Other symbols of imperial authority - mountains, clouds, plum blossoms and characters with providential meanings - were added to variations of the designs over time.

Classes

AM079644 Insignia Order of the Double Dragon

CN Order of the Double Dragon (Imperial China)

The order consisted of five classes, the first three of which were divided into three grades. The rules for award and the nature of the gradations was set out in the statues establishing the award in 1882. The rules were modified somewhat in 1897. *First Class, First Grade: for emperors and kings of foreign nations *First Class, Second Grade: for princes, and royal family members and relatives (later limited to royal family members who had earned, and not inherited, senior positions in government) *First Class, Third Grade: for ministers of who had inherited their position, general ministers, and diplomatic envoys of the first rank. *Second Class, First Grade: for diplomatic envoys of the second rank *Second Class, Second Grade: for diplomatic envoys of the third rank and customs commissioners *Second Class, Third Grade: for counselors of the first rank, consul-generals and military generals *Third Class, First Grade: for counselors of the second and third rank, the entourage of consul-generals, and second-tier military officers *Third Class, Second Grade: for deputy consuls, and third-tier military officers *Third Class, Third Grade: for translators and military officers of the fourth and fifth tiers *Fourth Class: for soldiers and non-commissioned officers *Fifth Class: for businessmen and traders

Recipients

Despite the comprehensive ranking system, the actual awarding of the classes was lopsided, and very few Fourth or Fifth class were ever given. The much higher ranking of translators and other civil servants in the system compared to even the wealthiest Western industrialists and businessmen was in part reflecting of the traditional Chinese antipathy towards profit-seeking and commercial individuals, compared the honourability accorded to civil service. Despite patriarchal traditions however, foreign women were bestowed the order, including Canadian missionary

Leonora King Leonora Howard King (April 17, 1851 – June 30, 1925) was a Canadian physician and medical missionary who spent 47 years practising medicine in China. She was the first Canadian doctor to work in China, where she died in 1925. Early life an ...

and American artist

Katherine Carl Katharine Augusta Carl (February 12, 1865 – December 7, 1938) (sometimes spelled ''Katherine Carl'') was an American portrait painter and author. She made paintings of notable and royal people in the United States, Europe and Asia. She spen ...

. Native Chinese were granted the right to order in 1908, but very few Chinese ever received the award and it remained an overwhelmingly internationally-awarded order.

Awards to the Imperial Family

Sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'. The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...

Xuantong Emperor Aisin-Gioro Puyi (; 7 February 1906 – 17 October 1967), courtesy name Yaozhi (曜之), was the last emperor of China as the eleventh and final Qing dynasty monarch. He became emperor at the age of two in 1908, but was forced to abdicate on 1 ...

* Zaitao

Chinese recipients

Li Hongzhang Li Hongzhang, Marquess Suyi ( zh, t=李鴻章; also Li Hung-chang; 15 February 1823 – 7 November 1901) was a Chinese politician, general and diplomat of the late Qing dynasty. He quelled several major rebellions and served in important ...

* Yinchang * Liang Dunyan * Lou Tseng-Tsiang * Hu Weide * Wu Lien-teh

Foreign recipients

Class I

Nicholas II Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Pol ...

Emperor of All Russia The emperor or empress of all the Russias or All Russia, ''Imperator Vserossiyskiy'', ''Imperatritsa Vserossiyskaya'' (often titled Tsar or Tsarina/Tsaritsa) was the monarch of the Russian Empire. The title originated in connection with Russi ...

, Class I Grade I in Diamonds, 4 May 1896 * Frederick III,

German Emperor The German Emperor (german: Deutscher Kaiser, ) was the official title of the head of state and hereditary ruler of the German Empire. A specifically chosen term, it was introduced with the 1 January 1871 constitution and lasted until the offi ...

, Class I Grade I * Leopold II,

King of the Belgians Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary, and popular monarchy. The monarch is titled king or queen of the Belgians ( nl, Koning(in) der Belgen, french: Roi / Reine des Belges}, german: König(in) der Belgier) and serves as the country's ...

, Class I Grade I *

Albert I Albert I may refer to: People Born before 1300 *Albert I, Count of Vermandois (917–987) *Albert I, Count of Namur () * Albert I of Moha *Albert I of Brandenburg (), first margrave of Brandenburg *Albert I, Margrave of Meissen (1158–1195) *Alber ...

, Class I Grade I * Meiji,

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his position is derived from "the ...

, Class I Grade I, 20 December 1898 * Gojong,

Emperor of Korea Imperial titles were used in various historical Korean states before the 14th century and at the turn of the 20th century: Early Korean states used "great king", "greatest king", and "holy king"; later Korean states used "emperor". Korean monarc ...

, Class I Grade I, 1 December 1903 * Abu Bakar,

Sultan of Johor The Sultan of Johor is a hereditary seat and the sovereign ruler of the Malaysian state of Johor. In the past, the sultan held absolute power over the state and was advised by a ''bendahara''. Currently, the role of ''bendahara'' has been tak ...

, Class I Grade I, 1892 * Pakubuwono X, Susuhunan of Surakarta, Class I Grade I * Sadanaru, Prince Fushimi, Class I Grade I, 27 April 1909 (Class I Grade II: 27 November 1904) * Henry, Prince of Prussia, Class I Grade II *

Georg Georg may refer to: * Georg (film), ''Georg'' (film), 1997 *Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) * , a Kriegsmarine coastal tanker See also

* George (disambiguation) {{disambiguation ...

, Prince of Bavaria, Class I Grade II, 1903 * Eitel Friedrich, Prince of Prussia, Class I Grade II * Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Class I Grade II * Wilhelm, German Crown Prince, Class I Grade II * Morimasa, Prince Nashimoto, Class I Grade II, 20 May 1903 * Hiroyasu, Prince Fushimi, Class I Grade II, 9 May 1903 * Kotohito, Prince Kan'in, Class I Grade II, 27 January 1904 * Baron Edmond de Gaiffier d'Hestroy, Belgium, Class I * Prince

Katsura Tarō Prince was a Japanese politician and general of the Imperial Japanese Army who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1901 to 1906, from 1908 to 1911, and from 1912 to 1913. Katsura was a distinguished general of the First Sino-Japanes ...

Prime Minister of Japan The prime minister of Japan ( Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its Ministers of S ...

, Class I Grade II, 21 December 1907 (Class I Grade III: 18 December 1899) *

Georg von der Marwitz Georg Cornelius Adalbert von der Marwitz (7 July 1856 – 27 October 1929) was a Prussian cavalry general, who commanded several German armies during the First World War on both the Eastern and Western fronts. Early military career Marwitz was b ...

, Germany, Class I Grade II *

Erich von Gündell Erich Gustav Wilhelm Theodor Gündell, from 1901 named von Gündell, (13 April 1854 in Goslar – 23 December 1924 in Gottingen) was a Prussian officer, most noted as a general of infantry in World War I. Military career Erich Gündell began his ...

, Germany, Class I Grade II * Duke

Itō Hirobumi was a Japanese politician and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of Japan. He was also a leading member of the '' genrō'', a group of senior statesmen that dictated Japanese policy during the Meiji era. A London-educated sa ...

, Class I Grade III, 5 December 1898 * Herbert von Bismarck, Prince of Bismarck, Class I Grade III * Vladimir Sukhomlinov, Minister of War of Russia, Class I Grade III, 1911 *

Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori ( or ; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915), known as Porfirio Díaz, was a Mexican general and politician who served seven terms as President of Mexico, a total of 31 years, from 28 November 1876 to 6 Decem ...

President of Mexico The president of Mexico ( es, link=no, Presidente de México), officially the president of the United Mexican States ( es, link=no, Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the ...

, Class I

Class II

Dejan Subotić Dejan Ivanovich Subotich (also spelled Dejan Subotić and Dean Subbotich; 7 May 1852 – 1920) was a Russo-Serbian military and state leader, military governor of Russian Dalian (''Primorye oblast''; 1897–1898);Transcaspian Oblast (''Zakaspiy ...

, Russia, Class II Grade I, 1896 * Konstantin Glinka, Russia, Class II Grade III, 1898 * Sir Halliday Macartney, United Kingdom, Class II Grade I, 1902 *Robert Bredon, United Kingdom, Deputy Inspector-general of Customs at Shanghai, Class II Grade III, 1902 *

Rudolf Stöger-Steiner von Steinstätten Rudolf Stöger-Steiner Freiherr von Steinstätten (26 April 1861 – 12 May 1921) was a colonel general in the Austro-Hungarian army and served as the last Imperial Minister for War not only to the Austro-Hungarian Empire but also to the an ...

, Austria, Class II Grade II, 1911 * Okura Kihachiro, Japan, Class II Grade II, 10 February 1912 * Paul von Buri, Germany, Class II Grade III * John Edward Foley, United Kingdom, Traffic Manager of the Imperial Chinese Railways, Class II Grade III, 1902 * Rihachirō Banzai, Japan, Class II, 2 July 1908 * Adolf von Deines, Germany, Class II Grade I

Class III

* Rudolf, Prince of Liechtenstein, Class III Grade I * Claude William Kinder CMG, United Kingdom, Chief Engineer Imperial Railways of North China, Class III Grade I, 1891 *

Erich Raeder Erich Johann Albert Raeder (24 April 1876 – 6 November 1960) was a German admiral who played a major role in the naval history of World War II. Raeder attained the highest possible naval rank, that of grand admiral, in 1939, becoming the fir ...

, Germany, Class III Grade II, 10 October 1898 * John Penniell, United Kingdom, Chief Instructor at the Nanking Naval College, Class III Grade II, 1902 *

Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki (Iosif Romanovich while in the Russian military; sometimes also Dowbór-Muśnicki; ; 25 October 1867 – 26 October 1937) was a Russian military officer and Polish general, serving with the Imperial Russian and then Pol ...

, Russia, Class III * Frank Arthur Morgan (1844-1907), United Kingdom, Commissioner of Imperial Chinese Maritime Customs, Class III, Grade 1

Unknown

* Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia * Camillio Romano Avezzana, Italy * Major General

Charles George Gordon Major-General Charles George Gordon CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British Army officer and administrator. He saw action in the Crimean War as an officer in ...

, United Kingdom * Cardinal Désiré-Joseph Mercier, Belgium * Dr

, Canada * Heinrich Johannes Bleeker, Germany *

Richard Theodore Greener Richard Theodore Greener (1844–1922) was a pioneering African Americans, African-American scholar, excelling in elocution, philosophy, law and classics in the Reconstruction era. He broke ground as Harvard College's first Black graduate in 18 ...

, United States, 1902 * Baron

Julien Liebaert Julien Auguste Marie Joseph, Baron Liebaert (22 June 1848 in Kortrijk – 16 September 1930 in Ternat) was a Belgian Member of Parliament, Senator and Minister for the Catholic Party. Biography Liebaert was a son of Auguste and Louise Liebaert ...

, Belgium, Knight Grand Cross * Victor Vifquain, United States * Viscount João Vieira Lins Cansanção,

Prime Minister of Brazil Historically, the political post of Prime Minister, officially called President of the Council of Ministers ( pt, Primeiro-ministro, Presidente do Conselho de Ministros), existed in Brazil in two different periods: from 1847 to 1889 (during the ...

* Thomas Adamson Consul General, United States * Pernot Claudius Ferdinand, France *

Katharine Carl Katharine Augusta Carl (February 12, 1865 – December 7, 1938) (sometimes spelled ''Katherine Carl'') was an American portrait painter and author. She made paintings of notable and royal people in the United States, Europe and Asia. She spen ...

, United States * Dr Dugald Christie, Scottish medical missionary, associated with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland, 1897.United Presbyterian Missionary Record, ''UPCoS'', July. 1897, 257.

Notes and references

{{Reflist

External links

Classification of the Qing Dynasty Double Dragon Orders, Chinese Medal Blog
Orders, decorations, and medals of Imperial China Dynastic orders Awards established in 1882 1882 establishments in China Foreign relations of Imperial China Orders of chivalry awarded to heads of state, consorts and sovereign family members