So Ive just read goodreads/book/show/17857634-empress-dowager-cixi. Incredible book about this incredible woman who ascended to the top of the Manchu hierarchy, then more or less dragged China into the modern world. Amongst the heavier stuff, like foot-binding, or China having to deal with every world power getting the boot in and seizing valuable bits of China lest they appear less powerful to each other and their own populations, there are also hilarious bits, like the protocol on kneeling re the Dalai Lama: Cixi had been reluctant to make the invitation, most likely because a visit by the Dalai Lama posed potential explosive protocol problems. The biggest dilemma was whether the Dalai Lama should kneel to her and the emperor. As a spiritual leader, people knelt before him. But he was also a political leader, and as such he would be expected to kneel to the throne. If the Dalai Lama was not required to kneel, given that only foreigners were exempt, this would imply that Beijing did not regard Tibet as part of China. The problem would be particularly acute on the occasion of the state banquet in his honour, when political leaders from Mongolia, for instance, would go down on their knees as Emperor Guangxu arrived and departed. The banquet was a public affair, and Cixi was well aware that it would be the focus of attention: while Western powers would be watching for signs that Tibet was not treated as part of her empire, the Tibetans needed to ge reassured that their God was not humiliated. The protocol office asked Cixi what to do, and she pondered the problem for several days. Finally she decided that the Dalai Lama would kneel, like all others at the banquet, except that he would do so at his seat - a low throne on which he sat cross-legged - rather than at the entrance to the hall like everybody else. This way, his kneeling would be inconspicuous, especially with his ample robe. The Dalai Lama did not object, clearly regarding this as a worthwhile price to pay for Tibet to maintain its self-governing status, which both he and the empress dowager wanted. They took their kneeling seriously! At one point in her reign, Cixi was offered an opportunity to purchase a motor vehicle, got one, and really wanted to be driven round in the thing - but the chauffeur wasnt able to kneel while driving the thing, you can only sit, so Cixi had to choose protocol over fun.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 02:15:44 +0000
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