Project Gutenberg 1996-05-01 Public domain in the USA. 158 Headland, Isaac Taylor 1859 1942 Court Life in China: The Capital, Its Officials and People Produced by Charles Keller. HTML version by Al Haines. "Court Life in China: The Capital, Its Officials and People" by Isaac Taylor Headland is a historical account likely written in the early 20th century. The narrative focuses on the intricacies of the Chinese imperial court, particularly under the influence of the powerful Empress Dowager, as well as the various officials and the lives of the people connected to it. The book aims to shed light on the previously hidden lives within the Forbidden City and the dynamics of power and reform during a transformative period in Chinese history. At the start of the work, Headland introduces the Empress Dowager, Tze Hsi An, who is characterized by her commanding presence and significant influence over the nation's affairs. The text details her humble beginnings, growing up in a family of modest means, and the societal customs surrounding the selection of young girls for positions within the imperial harem. Through anecdotes from Headland's wife, who served as a physician to the imperial family, the opening sections illustrate the Empress Dowager's transformation from a lowly concubine to the most powerful figure in China, reflecting on her unique blend of ambition, intelligence, and the nuances of court life. The emotional weight of her early life experiences shapes her views on education and reform, positioning her as a figure of both architectural majesty and depth amid the political turbulence of her time. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 61.4 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Cixi, Empress dowager of China, 1835-1908 Empresses -- China -- Biography Women -- China China -- Court and courtiers DS Text Category: History - Other Category: History - Royalty 466495 2025-07-01T05:40:38.122750 text/html 452163 2021-01-01T08:45:54 text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 162505 2021-01-01T08:45:54 text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 application/zip 258398 2025-07-01T05:40:46.197748 application/epub+zip 265434 2025-07-01T05:40:41.465736 application/epub+zip 232994 2025-07-01T05:40:40.247734 application/epub+zip 531794 2025-07-01T05:40:49.787685 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 517879 2025-07-01T05:40:45.388752 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 402631 2022-09-01T06:14:37.730630 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 432670 2025-07-01T05:40:37.413799 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 432347 2021-01-01T08:45:54 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 160016 2021-01-01T08:45:54 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 19250 2025-07-01T05:40:49.907684 application/rdf+xml 22056 2025-07-01T05:40:40.751781 image/jpeg 4567 2025-07-01T05:40:40.498751 image/jpeg 254200 2025-07-01T05:40:38.158762 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog