Cixi ends Hundred Days’ Reform, reclaiming imperial authority.
On September 21, 1898, Empress Dowager Cixi executed a coup against Guangxu Emperor, effectively ending the Hundred Days’ Reform. She placed him under house arrest and reclaimed full political control, preventing the radical changes proposed by reformist factions. This intervention was significant in stabilizing the traditional Qing court amidst rapid, contentious modernizing efforts.