Empire of China: Map & History
The Empire of China, also known in historiography as the Hongxian regime in certain contexts, was a short-lived attempt by Chinese president Yuan Shikai from late 1915 to early 1916 to reinstate the monarchy in China, with himself as emperor.
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Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The Empire of China, also known in historiography as the Hongxian regime in certain contexts, was a short-lived attempt by Chinese president Yuan Shikai from late 1915 to early 1916 to reinstate the monarchy in China, with himself as emperor. The attempt ultimately failed, set back the republican cause by several years, and led China into a period of fracture and conflict among various local warlords.
Modern Countries Once Part of Empire of China
At its mapped extent, Empire of China covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
- Heilongjiang, China
- Nei Mongol, China
- Jilin, China
- Shandong, China
- Gansu, China
- Hubei, China
- Guangdong, China
- Liaoning, China
- Sichuan, China
- Hebei, China
- Henan, China
- Xinjiang Uygur, China
- Jiangsu, China
- Yunnan, China
- Anhui, China
- Hunan, China
- Zhejiang, China
- Fujian, China
- Jiangxi, China
- Shanxi, China
- Shaanxi, China
- Guangxi, China
- Guizhou, China
- Xizang, China
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Empire of China's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Empire of China in Depth
Background
In response to Japan's "Twenty-One Demands", China signed the "Treaty Concerning Southern Manchuria and Eastern Inner Mongolia" and the "Treaty Concerning Shandong" after more than three months of negotiations. In June 1915, the treaty texts were exchanged. Later, there was a sudden rumor in Japanese newspapers that Yuan Shikai intended to proclaim himself emperor. Although Yuan Shikai strongly denied it, the statement that "republicanism is not suitable for China's national conditions" gradually spread in society.
On July 6, Yuan Shikai appointed 10 people including Yang Du and Liang Qichao as members of the Constitution Drafting Committee to draft a new constitution again, which was expected to be completed in November of that year.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Empire of China (1915–1916) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Empire of China: Key Facts
| Capital | Beijing |
|---|---|
| Official language | Chinese |
| Form of government | absolute monarchy |
| Currency | yuan |
| Founded | 12 December 1915 |
| Dissolved | 22 March 1916 |
Succeeded by
- Republic of China
Facts from Wikidata Q175379 (CC0).
Interactive map
Empire of China on the World War I map →
See Empire of China’s territory change day by day from 14 August 1917, with every battle it fought.
Empire of China: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Empire of China exist?
The Empire of China is dated to 1916 CE – 1916 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of the Empire of China?
The capital of the Empire of China was Beijing.
How large was the Empire of China at its peak?
At its peak in 1916 the Empire of China covered about 8,439,386 km².
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