The Four Regents of the

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ...

were nominated by the

Shunzhi Emperor The Shunzhi Emperor (15 March 1638 – 5 February 1661), also known by his temple name Emperor Shizu of Qing, personal name Fulin, was the second Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China pro ...

to oversee the government of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

during the early reign of the Kangxi Emperor before he came of age. The four were Sonin, Ebilun,

Suksaha Suksaha (Manchu: ; ; died 1667) was a Manchu official of the early Qing dynasty from the Nara clan. A military officer who participated in the Manchu conquest of China, Suksaha became one of the Four Regents during the early reign of the Kangxi ...

, and

Oboi Oboi (Manchu: , Mölendorff: Oboi; ) (c. 1610–1669) was a prominent Manchu military commander and courtier who served in various military and administrative posts under three successive emperors of the early Qing dynasty. Born to the Guwalg ...

Background

The

died in 1661 and was succeeded by his six-year-old son, who was enthroned as the

. Before the Shunzhi Emperor died, he appointed four interior ministers – Sonin,

, Ebilun and

– to assist the Kangxi Emperor as regents. This period of regency in the

was known as the "Four Regents period". The Kangxi Emperor only took full control of the government in May 1669.

Early regency

In the initial stage of the regency, the four regents oversaw the government together and provided assistance towards each other in accordance with the

's dying wishes. They continued the war against resistance forces loyal to the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

(the dynasty before the Qing dynasty). In April 1662, the last ruler of the Southern Ming dynasty, the

Yongli Emperor The Yongli Emperor (1623–1662; reigned 24 December 1646 – 1 June 1662), personal name Zhu Youlang, was the fourth and last emperor of the Southern Ming dynasty, reigning in turbulent times when the former Ming dynasty was overthrown and the ...

, was killed by

Wu Sangui Wu Sangui (; 8 June 1612 – 2 October 1678), courtesy name Changbai () or Changbo (), was a Chinese military leader who played a key role in the fall of the Ming dynasty and the founding of the Qing dynasty. In Chinese folklore, Wu Sangui is r ...

on the orders of the four regents. Within the next two years the Qing government had suppressed all anti-Qing armed forces within China. The Qing dynasty then moved on to a stable development phase as the society and economy had been badly devastated by war. The four regents devised policies to aid in the recovery and development of China.

End of the regency

During the early years of the regency, tension between the two Yellow Banners faction and

was kept in check by Sonin, and the four regents managed to maintain a relatively peaceful and efficient working relationship. However the dynamics of the regency began shifting as Sonin's health gradually deteriorated due to old age. As Sonin took more time off to recuperate,

started monopolising state power by making decisions without consulting the other regents (taking advantage of Ebilun's indecisiveness) and sidelining Suksaha during discussions, especially on issues concerning the welfare of the

Eight Banners The Eight Banners (in Manchu language, Manchu: ''jakūn gūsa'', , ) were administrative and military divisions under the Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasties of China into which all Manchu people, Manchu househol ...

. By 1667, when Sonin realised that he did not have long to live, he attempted to restore balance to the regency and neutralise Oboi's rapidly expanding power clique. He wrote a memorial to the 14-year-old

, requesting that the emperor assume personal rule ahead of schedule. The Kangxi Emperor thus formally took over the reins of power in a ceremony on August 25, a month after Sonin's death. Following this, Kangxi issued an imperial decree to reduce the power of the three surviving regents, stating that their roles had been reduced to that of assisting ministers (佐政大臣). However even after officially taking full control of the government, the Kangxi Emperor found it difficult to curb Oboi's growing influence. In 1669, with help from Grand Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, the Kangxi Emperor had Oboi arrested and stripped off his position of power. Since then, the Kangxi Emperor began taking personal control of the government. Ebilun was dismissed from office and Oboi's clique disbanded. This marked the end of the Four Regents period.

Notes

References

* (1997). ''The History of Government from the Earliest Times''. (three-volume set, hardback)

Sources

External links

Portrait of Oboi at the Smithsonian Institution's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Four Regents of Emperor Kangxi Qing dynasty regents Kangxi Emperor