Puyi was crowned Emperor of China in 1908, aged just 2 years and 10 months. After less than four years of regency rule, Puyi was forced to abdicate in 1912, bringing to an end over 2,100 years of imperial rule in China.
The abdication came as a surprise to many: China’s imperial tradition had endured for millennia, but its emperors had become somewhat complacent. And in the early 20th century, decades of gentle unrest toppled over into a full-scale revolution that marked the end of China’s Qing dynasty.
After the fall of the Qing, Puyi spent most of the rest of his adult life as a pawn, manipulated by assorted powers in pursuit of their own ends because of his birthright. By 1959, Puyi had well and truly fallen from grace: he worked as a street sweeper in Beijing, a citizen with no formal titles, perks or honours.
Here’s the story of Puyi, the infant emperor who became the last Qing dynasty ruler of China.
