Xianfeng Emperor

Reign: 1850 – 1861
Life: 1831–1861

During his reign, the Qing dynasty experienced several wars and rebellions including the Taiping Rebellion, the Nian Rebellion, and the Second Opium War. The fourth son of the Daoguang Emperor, he assumed the throne in 1850 and inherited an empire in crisis. A few months after his ascension, the Taiping Rebellion broke out in southern China and rapidly spread, culminating in the fall of Nanjing in 1853. Qing defeat during the first phase of the Second Opium War led to the Treaty of Tientsin and the Treaty of Aigun, the latter of which resulted in the cession of much of Manchuria to the Russian Empire.

During Xianfeng Emperor's reign, Isabella II of Spain ruled Spain, William III of the Netherlands ruled Netherlands, and Franz Joseph I of Austria ruled Austria.

Want to learn more? Further reading

China: A History by John Keay

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The World During Their Reign

The most notable rulers who held power elsewhere at the same time, from European courts to Ottoman, Mughal, and Chinese thrones.

Meanwhile in history

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