In the 1890s, Kang published literature that offered a new interpretation of Confucianism. Kang was no radical republican – he was a neo-Confucianist who was loyal to the emperor and the Qing dynasty – but he was also acutely aware of the dangers that confronted China. One significant figure who shaped the emperor’s views was a young writer named Kang Youwei. Kang Youwei Kang Youwei, considered the main architect of the Hundred Days reforms The Guangxu Emperor came to believe that both his dynasty and his country may not survive without significant reform.
Like others of the time, he was concerned that China had been overtaken by Japan, an island nation once considered China’s ‘younger brother’.įoreign imperialism also jeopardised China’s sovereignty and the existence of the Qing government. Though schooled in traditional Confucian values of caution, conservatism and respect for tradition, the young emperor developed a growing interest in the progress of other nations, as well as the fate of his own. Historical accounts suggest the young Guangxu Emperor was reserved, shy and softly spoken – but he was also intelligent and curious.
During the emperor’s childhood matters of policy were dealt with by his aunt, adoptive mother and regent, the Dowager Empress Cixi. The Guangxu Emperor (1871-1908) came to the throne as a four-year-old in 1875, at the height of the Self-Strengthening Movement. The failure of these reforms is considered a significant starting point for the Chinese Revolution. It was thwarted by the actions of Dowager Empress Cixi and a cohort of conservatives in the Qing government and military. The Hundred Days of Reform was short-lived and mostly ineffective, however.
They hoped the young Qing emperor might follow the example of Japan’s reform-minded Meiji emperor, who had overseen and encouraged successful economic and military reforms in his country. Some intellectuals believed that for significant reform to succeed, it had to come from above. The need for urgent reforms in China followed the failure of the Self-Strengthening Movement and defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, which exposed China’s military weakness.
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