Puyi: The Last Emperor of China
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Credits:
Host - Simon Whistler
Author - Morris M.
Producer - Jennifer Da Silva
Executive Producer - Shell Harris
Business inquiries to biographics.email@gmail.com
Other Biographics Videos:
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Alexander Graham Bell: A Life of Innovation and Controversy
• Alexander Graham Bell:...
Source/Further reading:
Reprinted Bio from NY Review of Books: www.chinafile.com/library/nyrb...
Bios:
www.britannica.com/biography/...
www.thoughtco.com/puyi-chinas...
www.historytoday.com/archive/...
www.scmp.com/magazines/style/...
John Rabe Biographics - some other info about China’s 20th Century here: • John Rabe: The Good Nazi
Manchukuo: news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
oxfordre.com/asianhistory/vie...
Reginald Johnston: www.abc.net.au/radionational/...
Empress Wanrong: www.historyofroyalwomen.com/c...
www.scmp.com/article/575773/c...
Yuan as a dictator: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...
Cixi: www.britannica.com/biography/...
1911-12 Revolution:
www.thoughtco.com/what-is-dou...
www.britannica.com/event/Chin...
My dad actually saw him as a child. They went to the Beijing botanical garden on a trip and saw everyone congregated around a fenced area where one old man was gardening. When they asked everyone what they were looking at they said "that's the last emperor."
Your dad witnessed history
Thats amazing
No shot
What an astonishing memory for your father. Trying to imagine what the fall must've been like for him and his wife Wanrong; her passing was horrific. Thanks for adding to this video.
even if this isnt true, I so wanna believe that it is hahaha
Some things you missed:
1. Puyi was released from the reeducation camp after Mao announced an amnesty to a large number of war criminals--his name was at the top of the list.
2. In spite of being relegated to the position of a humble gardener, Puyi was brought before Mao several times and they conversed amicably. Mao convinced Puyi to write an autobiography, allowed the former emperor to keep a good chunk of the royalties from the book, and even helped him find a new wife. She would later have her husband's ashes buried amongst the graves of other dead emperors.
3. You never mention Puyi's wet nurse, the only person who could keep him in check when he was a child. He even visited her son, whom she never got to breastfeed, in his later years and the two became close friends.
That is great comment! Good looking out.
Good looking out for the other details.
Simon also failed to mention puyi had a brother who became a communist party leader.....
@Andrew L But why just say "oh, he lived out his life as an obscure gardener" without mentioning, say, his date and cause of death, like in his other vids? He wasted the closing minutes of the video with a bittersweet scenario instead of, you know, how a biography would end. He could have said something like this:
"Except not really. Puyi was eventually pardoned by Mao and released. The chairman met with Puyi several times, as they struck up a friendship. Mao even helped Puyi find a new wife. The former emperor would spend the rest of his life in relative obscurity, working as a humble gardener except when Mao would occasionally prop him up as a showpiece. He died in 1967, leaving no children behind. Roughly 3 decades later, his widow managed to convince the Chinese government to have his ashes interred at the imperial gravesite."
He was also suspected of being gay; as there is no real proof, I guess it wasn't that relevant to include.
Puyi's story was a riches to rags story. But it was only when he lived as a commoner that he finally found happiness.
he was just a puppet all his life he was first a puppet by the manchu courts
he was just a puppet for the warlords
he was just a puppet for the Japanese
when he became a commoner he was truly free.
Nonsense. That is what the Chinese Communist Party HAD him say. His final years were miserable.
@@sebastianmelmoth685 yes and no. Sure, they used as propaganda, but other than that, nothing else. If you read his autobiography, he did find a newer meaning to life in the reeducation camps and as a civilian.
Propaganda or not, it's still his autobiography.
@@alexanderchristopher6237 "His" autobiography. Sure.
@@alexanderchristopher6237 I agree - it's almost as if being a member of a community and having something productive to do is a human need - one that was finally fulfilled after decades of being kept apart from the rest of humanity. Sure, he was upgraded from cage to enclosure (though it can be argued that suddenly having to live a completely independent life would have overwhelmed him in his 40s), but it was still an improvement.
Fun Fact: The Earth King in Avatar The Last Airbender was inspired by the last emperor of China
He inherited the throne at a young age and his advisor used that to gain power and control the government while keeping the emperor in the dark about the situation in the country
Thank God the Emperor had a much better, successful, happy rule compared to his real world counterpart.
He was a lot less of an asshole, though. Sadly, his daughter was more like Puyi--and looked like Cixi.
Queen of Earth Kingdom in Legend of Korra was inspired by Cixi
This happened often in history.
"Everything Changed When the Japanese Attacked"
At the age of 56, he married Li Shuxian, a hospital nurse, on 30 April 1962, in a ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of the Consultative Conference. From 1964 until his death he worked as an editor for the literary department of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, where his monthly salary was around 100 yuan. One yuan in the 1960s was equivalent to about 40 cents USD.[290] Li recalled in a 1995 interview that: "I found Pu Yi a honest man, a man who desperately needed my love and was ready to give me as much love as he could. When I was having even a slight case of flu, he was so worried I would die, that he refused to sleep at night and sat by my bedside until dawn so he could attend to my needs".[291] Li also noted like everybody else who knew him that Puyi was an incredibly clumsy man, leading her to say: "Once in a boiling rage at his clumsiness, I threatened to divorce him. On hearing this, he got down on his knees and, with tears in his eyes, he begged me to forgive him. I shall never forget what he said to me: 'I have nothing in this world except you, and you are my life. If you go, I will die'. But apart from him, what did I ever have in the world?".[291]
The first Chinese emperor unified China and ended the Warring States period. The fall of the last Chinese emperor led to Warring States. China came full circle.
To be fair, that cycle had already repeated itself numerous times throughout Chinese history.
Daniel Tibiriçá Yeah. China’s whole history is kinda like breaking and merging back and then breaking again.
That is too simplified. There were general pattern and trends that weren’t cyclical but linear.
@@iososop9169 Ah, that reminds me of the opening to a Chinese classic, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, "The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus it has ever been."
You're thinking of Qin Shi Huang of the QIN dynasty. Puyi is the last emperor of the QING. It is actually 5 dynasties and over 2000 years apart.
I remember my grandmother showing me a picture of him as a gardener, in a book, and telling me his story, in a child friendly way.
The story of Puyi, is so intricate it's impossible to get it into a 23 minute video. Beggars can't be choosers, those who have read and studied about the last emperor do know more. but no way will it fit into a 20 some minute presentation. It is not modest, to act like a know-it-all I'm sorry to say that no I'm not.
There is also a huge different between having studied, having a degree, and just been reading about a subject.
I do empathize with Puyi but I lack sympathies for him due to him selling himself and potently china to the Japanese
Ok
She had a Whinny the Poo handpuppet telling the story ?
“For the 40 years I had never folded my quilt, made my own bed or poured out my washing water. I had never even washed my own feet or tie my shoes” Puyi
I remember in the movie how FRUSTRATED his servant was that Puyi couldnt tie his laces in the prison camp. I was equally frustrated watching it. Lol
That's why it's bad idea to have a king or emperor. Do you think prince charles folds his clothing himselft??? Those god statues should be banned. making those people plain incompetent. Anyway some people like monarchy, I despise that but some people still now like it, what can you do?
Sounds like a recent president
@@Solqueen86 yup how stupid of china. It seems they are so used to that system that they want it back...
@@lungchan1729 Not every nations have the same needs, monarchy maybe super bad to you but to some, its probably the only thing keeping the nation from falling into civil wars
The sad thing about Puyi is that he was a puppet for most of his life. First one to the eunuchs and regents, then one to the Japanese, and finally one to Mao's communist China.
There's nothing sad about it. Puyi was a horrible person
@@rejvaik00 because he didn't knew anything besides the walls of his palace and he lived his early life surrounded by corrupts
@@mariano98ify didn't know anything? Nah. That's no excuse for how he behaved in his adult life and during his time as "emperor" of Manshukuko. The simple fact that he boiled alive a new born baby because his wife cheated on him means he deserves the deepest circle of hell. He was very much aware of his actions
@@rejvaik00 ey dude, chill, i not gonna defend the fate of the baby but i was speaking about life in a palace/prison you can't develop empathy
@@mariano98ify I can chill he's now dead which means he can't continue his behaviour. But he had chances to change and develop empathy he just never took them. Such as with his wet nurse, she actually did check and correct his behaviour a few times he just never continued to heed her wisdom as he aged. He only ever practiced at humanist behaviour when in his late years. Polarising or not he is history and as such deserves to be remembered. I highly recommend you read his autobiography as it is one of the few times we actually get a chance to read about the life of a Chinese emperor directly from said Chinese emperor.
There’s a movie made in 1987 about him called “the last emperor” that’s really good.
Tabby Smithfield it’s a really good movie. So is the movie 1911.
It's a great movie.
Norma Medina ok, I’ll look it up (1911).
Sounds like a good throwback movie night: The Last Emperor, 1911, and I'll probably throw in The Joy Luck Club as well..
Norma Medina I looked up 1911 and saw it was released in September 2011. I never heard of it before now but I’ll definitely check it out.
Like asking Napoleon to go easy on the conquering
"NOPE"
I laughed so hard I rewound and laughed again
Isn't that a copyrighted sound from Team Fortress 2?
I acknowledge that Puyi was not the tragic hero portrayed in the movie, and I'm not justifying his many, many flaws and even crimes. But I think this portrait of the man is waaaay darker and meaner to him.
For example, this at 16:52 is just not what happened: In reality, Wanrong's baby was poisoned by the Japanese doctors in front of her, a no less horrific outcome that led poor Wanrong to descend more and more to depression, addiction and insanity. The movie absolves Puyi of any responsability, by having the doctors tell him that the baby died in childbirth, but the truth is that while Puyi did not participate (and certainly did not order the baby to be thrown alive into the fire) he was aware, well beforehand, of what the Japanese were going to do, and in a moment of unspeakable cowardice, did absolutely nothing to prevent, stop or even denounce it. That alone is enough to discard whatever heroic portrait they have made of him. He was, for most of his life, arrogant, selfish, irresponsible, easily manipulated, and hot-tempered to the point of cruelty. He spent almost his whole life mistreating and demeaning everyone, and overall did a LOT of terrible things.
And yet... I find it very hard not to feel genuine pity for him, and I think that, without condoning, we should understand why he was that way: He was robbed of a childhood, a loving family and a life since he was a baby, confined to a prison palace where everybody treated him as if he was a god but not a person, so the level of entitlement and luxury intertwined with sadness and frustration must have been a burden. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he had the unenviable fate of being a child emperor just at the very end of a dynasty that was collapsing. It's actually sad that he tried so pathetic and desperately to restore an era that was already gone; and maybe he did it not only because of political ambition, but because he had a deeper and universally relatable longing of going back to his "home", that strange, ancient place where things made sense to him. In fact, it's somewhat sad to think that he really didn't know how to function normally in the real world, because even his toothbrushing was done by his servants; and he didn't know how to treat people as something more than objects because that's what they had led him to believe since before he could even speak. Yet if you read his autobiography you get a glimpse of a man with ardent spirit and a desire to reform and renew, we will never know what might he have done if he had lived as a ruling Emperor of China just like his ancestors did. But even if he hadn't, maybe he would at least have been a decent, kind and brave man if he had had a better beginning.
So, while BY NO MEANS I'm justifying him (in prison he tried to excuse everything as a sad story of bad luck where he had no choice and was instead a victim of his circumstances, and the warden very justly told him that there were humble, ordinary civilians that chose to resist and fight against injustice, while he, as an Emperor, had willingly chosen not to); I think it's way too easy to just label him as a monster when he most certainly was not; and it can be proved by his life as a civilian, after his ten years in prison: he was ridden with guilt and easily broke to tears when he talked to any citizen that had been harmed by his regime; whether this was honest insight or the product of re-education brainwashing is, of course, up to debate, but I think he truly recognized his many mistakes and genuinely seemed to have repented, and people who met him at the time all noticed how kind and humble he had become, because he actually began to see and treat people as people (He even said he wished he could apologize to every single one of his eunuchs). I believe that just as Puyi's story is a cautionary tale about the cost of privilege, pride and manipulation, his journey is also one of awakening, self-discovery and ultimate redemption.
TL;DR: Especially when compared to the way Biographics depicted Hirohito as just a kind, noble and well-meaning ruler who had limited knowledge of what his generals were doing (which is a rather conservative and, in my opinion, disingenuous portrait of a man who most likely had a lot more to do with the atrocities against Nanking and China as a whole) I think this particular video about the last emperor of China was way too biased and unfair.
Puyi was a terribly complex person, and his life was so f*ing weird that he should be regarded with more depth and nuance.
I never clicked show more. What sorcery is this?
Yes, this reminds me of the Japanese depictions of Korean Empress Myeongseong, who resisted the Japanese invasion for decades before being assassinated. The Japanese paint her as incompetent, corrupt, despotic, and so on. With Puyi I suspect a lot of the same has happened. I happen to be friends with an elderly Korean many years ago who was Puyi's book keeper during the Manjukuk years. Puyi was deliberately portraying himself as a dissolute fool while funding major amounts of money to the Korean resistance to the Japanese occupation in Harbin, a movement led largely by women. One of Korean Emperor Kojong's sons (Yi Kang) played the same game in Seoul during the Occupation era, pretending to be a playboy, but all the 'women of ill repute' were in fact messengers to the resistance leaders - some of them were resistance leaders themselves.
Could you do a video of Puyi? I think many (me included) would LOVE a more in-depth understanding of this man and his experiences. Thanks for the comment.
@@SDongil is there a source for the part about Puyi funding the Korean Resistance?
@@weilelau4762 Sadly, no, just my wife's friend's father who told me the story of his personal experience as the Puyi's book keeper. He was in his 90s when I knew him, and has long since passed away. I can't think of a way to confirm it at the moment, but it would be worth researching. He did say that the Korean resistance in Halbin was largely started and led by women. That may be why there's not as much written about that part of the resistance.
Now make a video on the 1st Emperor of China!
Hes fictional tho. Well probably, his livestory is very straight forward and reads like a fairy tale
@@jhh1451 bro wtf he is not fictional at all
I second that!
Qin Shi Huang from the 3rd Century BC was China’s 1st Emperor.
Not sure if Qin Shi Huang or Yu the Great...
Do a biography on me. Let me know ahead of time so I can accomplish something.
james michael, I was going to ask for one on me until you threw that “accomplish something” curve at me. There’s always a catch.
@@MrYouarethecancer by l_n__d
In 14 years you will become a martyr of a new religion. Your death will change the world forever.
I'm on the floooooooooor 🤣
lol
"The Last Emperor" is one of my all time favourite movies. Now I see how generous the film treated him.
He did make that one dude drink ink in the film. Still, great movie.
@@Skibbityboo0580 Yeah. but who hasn't made someone drink ink a few times?
That Napoleon cut scene was so funny omg I’m tearing up while writing this
Why? Where? Are you on some sort of medicine?
@@muchentuchen6592 he must have meant what Simon said at 4:16
@@VladislavDrac well you have sharp ears mate. Cheers to you.
@@muchentuchen6592 thanks, mate. Cheers!
pedro dasilva “No”
Japan: Hippity hoppity your soul is now my property.
and Seoul
such an original joke, ur so creative
True for all weaboos out there
Someone mind explaining this
@@m4rs12 Nani!?
You absolutely nailed the ending, that tale about a farmer is soemthing that should be in a novel. You always manage to tell such things is such interesting detailo, and your voice is simply very soothing. You keep making me smile, Simon, even though you're covering such horrible people and their horrible deeds
"hahahaha (he chuckles as he looks up) buddy I was born for this" let's see who gets this reference.
The last Emperor with John Lone always gets me at the end with him going back to the forbidden palace (now a tourist site) and showing the school boy the cricket. Its absolutely one of the best pictures made. The soundtrack is moving too.
It spells as "ts shh-yee" rather than "six si"
Lol... I giggle every time he says Sixy
It's like he didn't even try to say it correctly
I cringed so much I think I have a new line between my eyes
That's why the name sounded so odd 😂
"I once knew a boy who made all the wrong choices."
*wong choices.
He didn't have a choice. He was his grandma's puppet, then other Chinese officials', then Japan's, and finally Mao's. He was weak, but he never had power to make choices.
I loved the movie
Dumbledor, is that you?
Interesting look into the life of Asiorong Pu Yi. I noticed unlike other versions you presented a much darker look into the man's life where others were more sympathetic to him your presentation also shows his darker side and more negative aspects. As the saying goes show all the good and the warts and all Good job. Hopefully you can also present other interesting Chinese figures like Dr Sun Yat Sen, Zhou En Lai, or even Emperor Tang Taizong kudos to your channel
Bryan Edward Tan + Generallissimo Chiang Kai-Shek
His name was Aisingioro Puyi.
The 1987 film "The Last Emperor" is a portrayal pretty close to this video except that it didn't show Puyi's sadistic side. As it came out pre-Tiananmen, it also portrayed the Communists in an overly heroic light. That said, it's still worth watching,
And the actor who played Puyi was way more good looking than the real thing....
It's a Hollywood film. They really fell head over heels for commies.
Yes! I had to look it up if it was nominated for The Academy Awards and it garnered 9 for best picture, movie score, direction, adapted screenplay, cinematography, sound mixing, costume design, production design and film editing. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Alan Horowitz How did it feature them in an overly heroic light lol they were bullying Puyi the entire time.
@@aii_penguin9096 The last scene with Puyi was a cuddly one, with his showing a cricket to a little boy. It was adorable.
Sparing Puyi was a noticeably pragmatic move from Mao. He could have very reasonably ordered the execution of the last Emperor with little internal disagreements, but instead had him converted to a seemingly devout communist and integrated to civilian life. Puyi's fate could well stand as the ultimate bragging right of the PRC over the USSR: One brought their former imperial overlord to their way of thinking, the other just shot theirs alongside his whole family.
The biggest difference between Puyi and the Nicholas family is that during Puyi's reign (he was only 3 years old when he was in power), he had no real power at all. The Beiyang warlords (led by Yuan Shikai) put him under house arrest in the Forbidden City, and after Zhang Xun's failed coup, he was put under house arrest in Tianjin again. After Japan established Manchukuo, he still had no real power as Emperor Kangde. He never really managed China all his life, so he avoided being killed by the CCP. He is indeed a positive example of the CCP's tolerance. At the same time, as a Chinese, I know some "special history". Chairman Mao never entered the Forbidden City in his life. Because Chairman Mao believed in Chinese traditional superstition, he was told not to be contaminated with feudal forces (our National Day in October 1st is also determined by traditional Chinese superstition). So he can't kill Puyi, can't get involved with this last emperor.
@@tutown7167 毛泽东迷信？打倒一切牛鬼蛇神和文革是谁发起的？
@@kimjong-un8361 他要不是不迷信，他就不会整个8341的警卫队，也不会选10月1日当国庆日，更不会不敢踏入紫禁城半步。而且打倒牛鬼蛇神在土改时期就开始了，文革是造反和批资。
this was NOT the next biographic i expected. rarely do people talk about chinese emperors...
Well because the new, forever one might get hurt?
Have you seen the movie The Last Emperor? An amazing epic.
@@heksen800 I've still to watch that. I hope it is not ccp censored/backed.
@@Follower_Of_Xi_Jinping_Pooh its an italian film actually
If you grow up in Asia, people constantly talk about Chinese history, or their own history which intertwined with Chinese history.
Was kind of clever how you misspronouced "Cixi"; having lived in Hong Kong, how you said it roughly translates (in Cantonese) to "Eat Sh*t"
had to do a double take
Actually, my understanding is that after he became a commoner, his character & life changed 180 degrees & he finally learned to be happy with a loving wife (his last one).
1. Instead of executing him (there're enough excuses to: class enemy, last visage of the old feudal era), the PRC found it even more a propaganda victory in a reformed former emperor, who now lived a humble proletarian life...such were the days when communists still have their idealist thinking.
2. Another worth mentioning is that despite his history certainly make him a class enemy (enough to get him killed, that is) in the Cultural Revolution, he was spared from the horror because Zhou Enlai saw to it be so (and also thanks to Zhou Enlai, who ordered the PLA to garrison the Forbidden City thus it was spared from the chaos of the time, as not even the Red Guard would dare to openly challenge PLA and Zhou). In the end, Puyi's own old age and declining health did him in.
3. He died at the age of 61, not that out of ordinary in those days.
From 1963 onward, Puyi regularly gave press conferences praising life in the People's Republic of China, and foreign diplomats often sought him out, curious to meet the famous "Last Emperor" of China.[295]
In an interview with Behr, Li Wenda told him that Puyi was a very clumsy man who "invariably forgot to close doors behind him, forgot to flush the toilet, forgot to turn the tap off after washing his hands, had a genius for creating an instant, disorderly mess around him".[296] Puyi had been so used to having his needs catered to that he never entirely learned how to function on his own.[296] He tried very hard to be modest and humble, always being the last person to board a bus, which meant that he frequently missed the ride, and in restaurants would tell waitresses, "You should not be serving me. I should be serving you."[296] Pujie told Behr:
Gaol was like school for him. All his life, until 1945, everyone around him had convinced him he was special, almost divine. Because of this, his attitude towards others had never been normal. Only in Fushun did he become aware of people as people.
- Behr (1987)[297]
Puyi's nephew Jui Lon stated in an interview with Behr that before his imprisonment Puyi's chief characteristic
was his utter selfishness. Even in the gaol he hoarded his cigarettes and would never give any away, even though he was not a heavy smoker. When I saw him in Beijing after his release he was a changed man. In his family he started to care for people for the first time in his life.
- Jui Lon[298]
During this period, Puyi was known for his kindness, and once after he accidentally knocked down an elderly lady with his bicycle, he visited her every day in the hospital to bring her flowers to make amends until she was released.[298]
Puyi objected to Pujie's attempt to reunite with Lady Saga, who had returned to Japan, writing to Zhou asking him to block Lady Saga from coming back to China, which led Zhou to reply: "The war's over, you know. You don't have to carry this national hatred into your own family."[299] Behr concluded: "It is difficult to avoid the impression that Puyi, in an effort prove himself a 'remolded man', displayed the same craven attitude towards the power-holders of the new China that he had shown in Manchukuo towards the Japanese."[299
I feel happy for Puyi that he could finally live freely and happily like an ordinary man, just think about those last emperors all around the world, he's got a happy ending, not bad at all. there is always a scene poping in my mind when mentioning Puyi, he bought ticket to visit the palace museum where he used to live in... this is rather emotional....
Not sure someone who has a baby thrown alive into a furnace deserves a happy ending
As much as I remember he left all his wife’s to escape himself from manchuria. His wife died in a cell from starvation. Idk if I feel happy for him ;
The dude beat people to death on a regular basis dude lol
He grew up within those walls... ordering his eunuchs around... That was his home. He probably remembered his favourite spot where he punished his servants.
He had a baby thrown in a boiler 😐
I discovered your channel by accident just over a week ago.. have been binge watching ever since. Thank you for helping me re-discover my love of history!
I think it goes to show that it's often 'who' teaches us a topic, that either encourages and enlightens or deters and bores !
Three cheers for our bespectacled prof ;)
Literally same, about a week ago. Been binge watching since. They are good, and ive been on a history binge before this. But these are great summaries that go into good detail, but still relatively brief compared to videos longer being 60-90 minutes
I randomly discovered him a year or so ago and the rest is history
You need to make a video of Cixi, she is actually a very complex person who wanted to bring China into the new age by making it a parliamentary monachy. She become the most powerful person in China at a time when most women weren't given names because they were unimportant. She was no saint but I think the common view of her being a crazy power mad women is unfair. She is far more complex.
I agree. She was more complex than most people think
Ci Xi is very against a parliamentary monarchy until China lost the opium wars. The idea of a transitional government is mainly pushed to her by Yuan Shi Kai.
What? She was a reactionary, she killed the Guangxu Emperor to rollback reform. She only adopted the New Policies because she opened her eyes and saw that Imperial China would end without it, not because she was a reformist.
I wouldn’t smash
Kelsey Reader you know nothing at all about the history ofChina. Cixi strongly opposed the west culture and didn't want China to change. She just wanted China to remain its corrupted and traditional ways. While in your mouth she became a reformer. That's totally a lie.
That last bit about the gardener was wonderful! Although, one can't help but wonder how much of it was genuine on Puyi's behalf.
I wish they kept the flag design. Reminds me of Dragon Ball.
The Manchu flag doesn’t really resonate with Han Chinese given Manchu are often seen as invaders. China’s last dynasty is seen as a subjugation.
the flag has Manchu origin, this is totally different people from Han Chinese. (Manchus are more related to Mongols and Turks than to Han Chinese)
Y’mean the part where it tripped and drop the dragon balls?
But then dragonball would be banned in china
Nah. It’s too complex. I like flags that are quickly and easily readable.
The Last Emperor is one of my most favorite movies. If you are a student of history, you will enjoy it. It’s beautifully made
I love that movie. It's on HBO max I AM A DOPE FIEND for history 😂👩🏾🏫
The Last Emperor is my favorite movie.
This was one of your best. Quite detailed, a short Thesis. Thoroughly enjoyable to learn!!
Fascinating, Simon! Learn something new from you every time!
When things are so bad... You actually want Stalin and Mao to show up
You missed some things .
1st was the distant relationship with his mother and brother . Puyi was raised by his wetnurse and considered her his mom. The officials banished her from the forbidden city when Puyi became 12 and that was the turning point of him becoming a sadist .
2nd I was really hoping a mention to the iconic Zhang Zongchang aka Dogmeat general
3rd The communists didn't exactly ignored him ; the put effort into making him a peasant as he was still a popular and recognisable figure in china . They brought him a low class woman to marry . Rumours say she was a prostitute .
Those are interesting details, and yes Zhang Zongchang was an interesting figure in his own right and did bear mentioning. I don't know much about Puyi, but from the sound of how he was brought to Mao's gatherings as the "humble gardener" just sounds like more of a metaphorical pony show than anything else. I'm probably wrong, though.
‘Low class’ ‘rumors’ ‘prostitute’. U r misleading enough. His wife was a hospital worker and also worked in Women’s Federation (a state feminist organization). There was no such a thing as a ‘low class’ anymore in 1960s considering China went through the republican revolution + a communist takeover. Puyi as a former royal simply didn’t matter in 1960s. u talk as if u r from a conservative royal family and marrying a commoner is wrong.
@@nehcooahnait7827 In addition, they grew to love each other. She even spent the next quarter-century campaigning to have his remains buried with other dead emperors.
@@nehcooahnait7827 I agree, his statement is as if Prince Charles marrying Diana and since she was lower common class she is automatically a prostitute?. lol
@@VizioN-Scope diana was from the english noble class, the spencer family is definitely not common or low.
prince william marrying princess kate, a commoner, is a better example.
Really liked the last part about the “crazy old gardener”... whoever does the writing is good
Sad. See "The Last Emperor" by Bernardo Bertolucci and you will see true art and comprehension. Just a gorgeous, beautiful and complete historical movie.
A visually stunning, beautiful film, no argument. You can always count on Bertolucci for eye candy. But it does omit a good bit of inconvenient detail.
Dear Simon, thank you so much for your many channels, programs and insights. God knows I've sat down after many a long day thinking I'll watch a movie or some such, when I find myself facing this channel or another one of your insightful experiences. Here I am yet again 2 hours in and thank you, very few items on the internet give as much joy, laughter or education as the channels you are in. I await your fantastic shiny head and trimmed beard to enlighten me again. Anyway just, thank you 😊
My step-grandparents visited Red China in the early 1980s and returned with Pu-Yi's biography printed as propaganda. It did not mention his maltreatment of servants. He does not record his views of the Mao administration either. We had a "China today" type of glossy propaganda magazine. There was a smaller, plainer magazine of Apartheid South Africa trying to normalize itself. My reading of vintage propaganda helps me navigate present day news offerings. Media bias has been evident to me my life entire.
Things u saw in 1980s weren’t unlikely to be propaganda. China in 1980s might have been poorer than today but it ironically had more politically freedoms than China in 2019 in terms of freedom of expression. Those published books were the result of that short-lived freedoms which eventually started to diminish after 1989.
You're correct! There wasn't any mention of him mistreating his servants. That was something new that I've heard myself.
Keep up the great content
So wait, did he actually become a gardener and got paraded around?
He was paraded around by the japanese, long before he became a gardener. I think he died happier being a gardener.
Yes he did indeed. Mao did not ultimately have him executed. He was released from prison and put into a government owned housing project where he lived out his last years finally dying of cancer in 1967 He miraculously survived the Cultural Revolution and even Mao --a bit of a sadist himself--could not bring himself to order the death of the Last Emperor. But note this: he was only 61 when he died...not exactly an old Chinese Mandarin!
Yep
Alan Johnson He and Mao had a friendly relationship and he stilled enjoy many luxuries not available to the common peasant in Mao’s days. His residence is now an attraction in Tianjin and his villa is designed in a western style suited for a king.
Alan Johnson I’m willing to bet it was less Mao was so kind to as have let him live, but he’s much more valuable alive. Imagine how good your system looks if you could get the former emperor to be on your side and become a working-class gardener.
One of the most interesting videos so far. Congratulations!
You are so much help for my history tests and interest!
Fun Fact: the Last Dynasty and Emperor of China was not even ethnic Han-Chinese but rather the Manchu aka Jurchens who hailed from north eastern siberia as famed Horse Archers like their cultural cousins the Turks and Mongols.
It's actually mildly impressive how you got every single name wrong.
Wouldn't have mattered so much if he hadn't got so much else wrong.... even Puyi's own book could have saved him from some of the nonsense, but I doubt he read it. Or perhaps didn't believe it: it's just a pity he's so credulous about things he probably DID read.
"siksy" NO MATE ITS "TSUH-SHI"
By without him you wouldn't have been able to make this comments so thank you Simon
He said Reginald Johnson correctly
Him saying Shang Tsung is totally awesome.
Was hoping you guys would do this video...thanx a bunch
Best one I’ve seen so far. Great work.
Pu yi dies 17 October 1967, in Beijing. Just noting it since Simon didn’t.
PuYi lived in relative luxury after Mao, because Mao wanted to keep him close by.
It's a very weird decision, because I thought that he would be executed by being a traitor
@@victorhugofranciscon7899 Mao figured that if the Communists could reform the former Emperor of China into a model communist citizen, it would destroy the legitimacy of other reactionaries that supported the old system.
@@Jargalhurts that is clever
Mao might have been terrible at administration, but he’s certainly smart enough to understand the potential use of Puyi alive than as a martyr.
Ironic, right?
Awesome video especially Simon's narrative style.
Wow! I think this may be my favorite story you have told !
The ending was phenomenal
Puyi actually lived a fortunate life comparing not only to former Chinese emperors,but also the European counterparts in exile or slaughtered after the Great War ,even taking his last years under CCP reigm into consideration.
This was excellent! Thank you.
Quite different to what I was expecting! Thank you.
I’m going to guess Sun Yat-Sen is going to be the next documentary
Either him, or Chiang Kai-Shek
There is already one for him
@@GenerationZ313 I have never seen one for Sun Yat Sen from biographics
@@GenerationZ313 Jackie Chan was the star.
How about our almighty Winnie the Pooh
when I travel China, my guide told me story of Puyi in short way, Puyi's greatest curse was his mother, she wanted to be emperor (she's have more control than the official emperor so she's technically emperor of china) forever so she made Puyi inept as possible expecting when he grow up she still control over his son reign, then her plan cost everything in China after her death
btw my guide add more detail: Puyi's mother acting like a real emperor, she even have young boys brigade to serve her "night time" everyday :v
I hope that's real sh1t
ironically, Puyi's mother's parenting strategy survived until present day.
I have many friends who's claimed never see, learn, understand anything outside their family business by their parents education, creating a perfect business slave, and the loophole is when the parents die their child always prepared to be slaves not leader just like them (since they planned to live forever)
One of the best CZcams vids I've seen. Very well done!!
this is by far the best video you have ever done...encore, encore, encore! 🎥😀
This is a great video. Puyi is one of my favourite historical figures. One thing I liked about him, that wasn't in this video, is that his Scottish tutor taught him about the history of Britain and the west, which inspired Puyi with western culture, much to the horror of Johnson. He became a fan of Harold Lloyd and tried to escape the Forbidden City. He wanted to see the Scottish Highlands and go to Oxford University and Hollywood. I believe he also liked the idea of democracy which his tutor shunned, preferring absolute monarchy like Japan. Another thing about Puyi is that it is believed he was actually gay. He was known to have slept with his male servants and his marriages appear to have been celibate, having no children. One of the guards in the communist prison happened to be from Manchukuo and helped Puyi learn to tie his shoes and prevent other prisoners killing him.
By dreaming? If he really favored English styled democracy, why did he insist his status as an emperor and try to restore his dynasty even by compromising to the Janpanese invaders.
@@lilianlovesviolin6436 He didn't really have much choice by that point. He had to comply to survive and was a prisoner in his own home. He wasn't a smart man, he liked the idea of western civilisation but didn't truly understand it.
No one :
literally no Qings :
Biographics: Sick C
Hugoism : dead memes
@@john_smith_john damn
Great video, loved your narration. Im hooked on your channel
I have to say, this is an excellent channel, love it.
Great movie, Last Emperor. I feel like watching it again.
Such a contrast between the movie of The Last Emporer and this video. Fascinating.
IKR? It is really interesting to see the different takes on Puyi from people with different political alignments. Right wingers, bourgeoisies, and chinese nationalists tend to dislike him while post-cultural revolution CCP and liberal artists such as Bernardo Bertolucci and other left wing leaning observers tend to see him through a more sympathetic lens
Simon another great upload
interesting thanks! great vid during my morning coffee.
"Dead as a Norwegian parrot"-but it's got beautiful plumage, lol!!!
Nah, it's just tired after a long squawk
The plumage don't enter into it!
My people!!!!!
@Stevie GB He fucking snuffed it!
He's just pining for the fjords
Interested because a Chinese Professor on a year here became friends a nephew of the last Emperor. Kind, fantastic concentration, humanist and so knowledgeable it is hard to square my friend with his Uncle. I guess a traumatic childhood as revealed in biographies of the man played a part?
Well childhood is the main driven of her behaviour. There is some case of a child successor of a kingdom/monarch/empire. Some child successor is when they get the throne they will get intense training and knowledge how to become a succesfull leader even some take back their throne from not rightful leader. Sadly Puyi become successor encircled by people that want him only as puppet and when the child without parent to corrected them he became a sadist.
Love your vids keep up the good work I’ve always been a history fan
I love your ending/conclusion, very poetic
Loved the ending 😸
I can binge watch your vids 'til the day I die. You have a luscious voice I can fall asleep to, a beard I'd love to crawl around in, and you're not bad on the eyes either 😍
😂😂😂😂
Keep up the great work Simon 👍
The narration and information is excellent but the writing is seriously top notch. Amazing job guys
Thank you for this FASCINATING video!
Man, I must have been 7 or 8 the first time I saw The Last Emperor and had no idea what was going on.
Could you please consider Chiang Kai Shek? Mao's adversary, I wondered what had happened to Puyi.
Actually i think an unbiased doc on Chiang Kai Shek would indeed be very interesting since Biographics seems to be pretty good at that.
Sun yat Sen would be interesting, especially after the communist party hoisted a giant portrait of him in front of the forbidden city despite him being KMT
Cottonball Sun Yat-Sen is the only individual in the history of the world that could unite democracy and communism because he knew there’s nothing inherently in opposition and he’s the father of the Republic who dedicated his life to overthrow the monarchy (took 11 attempts at that). It was only after he died that KMT and CCP had a falling out otherwise it would probably have evolved into some form of two party system. The whole Democracy vs Communism is more of an artifact stoked by USA vs USSR politics, if you look at communistic countries most of them share a republic (indirect voting) structure and consider themselves so.
@@EwWhoIsTHAT Communism is democratic by its nature, which is why it is a blight in the world, the power of the masses in the hand of a few select enlightened individuals.
*I LOVE BIOGRAPHICS* Thanks Simon 💋
An eye opener of a video, I was very surprised and shocked by this video, I thank you for sharing this video with us!
"The Western Roman Empah, the Byzantine Empah, and the Holy Roman Empah"
EMPAHNADAS FOR EVERYONE!
The EMPAHNADA EMPAHHHHR
I'm hungry for a cheese filled one!
Pooyee
Lay off poor Simon. It's not his fault, he's British
Damn this is witty!
I had seen the movie to this story some years ago and was really amazed how recent the last emperor had lived. Of course some things in the movie is made up but its pretty accurate after hearing this video. The lil boy who played Po Yi was SO freaking CUTE!! But it was a sad story for the most part. Glad he was happy in the end. What a life lived.
The scene at the end where Puyi was talking to the young boy by his old throne in the forbidden city was fantastic.
Bruh, Puyi straight up looks like he going to ask if you have games on your phone
Very well done!
i feel bad for wanrong, the younger concubine was lucky to have escaped puyi's clutches. why did the last emperor movie painted puyi as a tragic hero? i cried for him when i saw that movie years ago 😓😓😓
7:50 Objection! It´s not dead, it´s just pining for the fjords.
Your storytelling just gets better and better!!!
Well done! Thank you.
. : .
I think the term ”ancient” is so wrong to describe the time of Puyi. Usually we describe the era in human history with ”ancient”, ”classic”, ”middle age”, ”renaissance”, ”industrial”, ”modern” etc. Factories and railways were working in Puyi’s empire. How can you describe it as ”ancient”?
哦王爷肥嘟嘟 he means that the dynasty and the way China was ruled was ancient. It was the same system they had for thousands of years. By the time puyi was born that system was ancient.
@@austintisabeast Even the dynasty was only as old as the 16th century. Old yes but not ancient so much as early modern.
哦王爷肥嘟嘟 I believe these terms were invented for mainly European History and there are defined events (eg. the end of the Roman Empire, Columbus’ discovery of the Americas...) that mark the beginning and ending of these eras. But as these events didn’t influence Chinese History in the same way they can’t really be used in that context. Thus Chinese History is mainly divided by dynasties and all these dynasties combined are today described as Ancient China. Of course the Tang Dynasty for example is much more ancient than Puyi’s Qing Dynasty but for both the Nationalists and the Communists the monarchy in general was outdated and thereby ancient. I hope that kind of makes sense 😅
He didn't mean it was literally ancient, he just meant that the Chinese Empire stretched all the way back to ancient times, way before the Romans even
@@thereallornebolzan4579 He didn't say the Qing dynasty was ancient. Just that the dynasty system of the Chinese Empire (and even the Chinese Empire itself) is ancient
Do one on the last Queen of Korea. I’m a Korean and I always felt it was such a tragedy to lose such a smart queen in the worst possible way.
Claudine Art No she is not. She was the scums of the earth. She spends a millions of money to nonsense religious rituals to cause the bankrupt of Joseon. And she cause the First Sino-Japanese War.
All monarchs are scum. Stop boot licking
Because politicians are magically better? Look at Putin and say that again with a straight face. Look at Hitler, or Stalin, or Mao. Yeah.
Really good channel !!!
I cant believe that I only found your channel this summer. It seems I ve been living under the rock :D Love all your vids :)
This is a far cry from the story told by The Last Emperor
I recommend reading his autobiography. It's a good read.
That wasn't entirely accurate either - so far as it's possible to really know - but there was lot more verifiable fact in it than there was in this travesty..
Do one on any of the following:
• Xi Jinping, current leader of the People's Republic of China.
• Deng Xiaoping, the People's Republic of China's Khrushchev.
• Chiang Kai-shek, leader of China before the People's Republic.
• Sun Yat-sen, forerunner of the Chinese republic.
• Kangxi Emperor, the greatest of the Qing emperors.
• Kublai Khan, emperor of the Yuan Dynasty when Marco Polo visited.
• Tang Taizong, the greatest Tang emperor.
• Cao Cao, one of three head honchos of the Three Kingdoms era.
• Lü Bu, do not pursue-- err... legendary warrior of the Three Kingdoms era.
• Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of China.
Blessed name and pfp
What an amazing story and great job telling it. This whole thing blows my mind
Thank you for this one! Puyi is a window on much of modern Chinese history.