AHC: Qing Empire reforms into a constitutional monarchy

So I've been thinking of creating a timeline where the Qing dynasty reforms into a constitutional monarchy, what are some ways on how this could happen?
 
They need to reform earlier. Probably Before the Opium War when the British discover their weakness. Maybe a small yet effective defeat vs Russia which the Emperor sees the use of Banners is useless in the 19th century. One thing leads to another and some officials come in contact with Liberalism, wanting to reduce the Absolute rule of the Manchu Emperor.
 

Kaze

Banned
I would say there are several ways to do it.
Option 1. Before the Opium Wars / or reaction towards the Opium War. The Emperor gets very scared and decides to pull a Meiji by copying the west.
Option 2. A far more successful Self-Strengthening movement. Before the Boxer Rebellion and the return of the White Bone Demon, there was some talk of it. The talk went no-where fast. The White Bone Demon returned to power, purged the court of her enemies and anyone that spoke the word "constitution" even if the talker was saying "a constitution would never work," they would be caned, executed on trumped up charges, or exiled. Maybe nerf the Boxers or have the White Bone Demon never return.
Option 3. Instead of establishment of the Republic of China, the Manchu Emperor makes compromises under duress.
 
Get rid of the Dragon Empress and give the actual reigning emperor some power. He wasn't stupid, and he would have looked for an international ally to work with to help bring China into modernity - either France of Britain

I used to know far more about this than I remember these days, sorry, but I know that was overwhelmingly my conclusion

best regards
Grey Wolf
 
You need a very strong leadership following Daoguang (or preferably Qianlong) and a mass revamp on mindset for both the Manchu court (that prioritized the status quo to not risk their throne) and the gentry (that followed a decentralized path removed from the central government leading a several conflicting situations).
Option 2. A far more successful Self-Strengthening movement. Before the Boxer Rebellion and the return of the White Bone Demon, there was some talk of it. The talk went no-where fast. The White Bone Demon returned to power, purged the court of her enemies and anyone that spoke the word "constitution" even if the talker was saying "a constitution would never work," they would be caned, executed on trumped up charges, or exiled. Maybe nerf the Boxers or have the White Bone Demon never return.
Cixi was begged to go back in power, her return wasn't a random unfortunate event that ruined everyone's fun, but a sign that Guangxu's and Kan Youwei's wide spread reforms had little support not only among the Court but to Han modernizers including Li Hongzhang, it was doomed to either get a less organized (but still most likely successful) coup or to crash and burn the dynasty. Note: she did implement most of those reforms in her New Policies following the Boxrs (abolishing the exams, assemblies and local elections, the New Army, sending people abroad), surprise surprise several of those elements lead to Xinhai.
 
If Cixi had lost the Xinyou Coup in 1861, there may be chance for constitutional monarch with eight regents. Cixi would be locked. As emperor grew older, he would become sympathetic to the his mother and wanted to obtain the real power from eight regents.

Eight regent had no excuses to deny the teenage emperor's request under the Qing's political system. To save themselves, Regent Sushun, one of the eight regents, would have proposed the implementation of constitutional monarch. Historical speaking, Sushun had not expressed any interested in western political idea. However, he was one of few Qing's nobilities, who was open minded and willing to implement dramatic changes.

Another chance was in 1910. After Cixi's death in 1908, the public demands to establish a constitutional monarch. Regent at that time didn't take the public opinion too seriously. He claimed that Qing was not ready, the public was not ready and asked the public to give him another 10 years to prepare. A year later, Qing's government was overthrown.
 
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So I've been thinking of creating a timeline where the Qing dynasty reforms into a constitutional monarchy, what are some ways on how this could happen?
It literally happened OTL.

Qinding Xianfa Dagang
- "Outline of Constitution by Imperial Order", was introduced in 1908. Literally based on Meiji constitution.
 
The Guangxu Emperor died the day before Cixi, some say she murdered him to maintain the status quo.

Some constitutional monarchist faction could out-maneuver her. The emperor survives and agrees to a Meiji style constitution. He was 37 when he died in 1908. So even if he becomes the last emperor of the dynasty it could last into the 1930s or 40’s.
 
From my perspective, as someone who’s a fan of the new historiography that’s more sympathetic to Cixi, I’d say the best chance for the Qing is if the improved relationship between the Guangxu Emperor and her hadn’t soured with the arrival of Wild Fox Kang, who ruined the chance of reconciliation that the two were achieving, and tainted all concepts of constitutionalism with his own self serving nature, prospect of Japanese domination and increased her paranoia and made her a worse ruler as she did fear for her life at that point.

I recognise that Jung Chang does tend towards hagiography but, while maintaining a pinch of salt and recognising that she could be incredibly ruthless and irrational, i tend towards accepting that it’s only under extreme duress and when she had people she could trust and was trusted by, she was a bold reformer, who could have maintained the Qing government had she not been shunted out of power when her work was working and only brought back when things were in dire straits.

Also, it’s a bit worrying how, on here at least, Cixi is referred to in worse terms than even Stalin or Hitler- honestly, it does seem like people are willing to use terms like they do for her simply because she’s a woman, and with that I have little trouble believing that people would’ve used her as a convenient scapegoat in the even more sexist atmosphere of early 20th century China. From the number of people who refuse to even speak her name you’d imagine she’s Voldemort
 
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From my perspective, as someone who’s a fan of the new historiography that’s more sympathetic to Cixi, I’d say the best chance for the Qing is if the improved relationship between the Guangxu Emperor and her hadn’t soured with the arrival of Wild Fox Kang, who ruined the chance of reconciliation that the two were achieving, and tainted all concepts of constitutionalism with his own self serving nature, prospect of Japanese domination and increased her paranoia and made her a worse ruler as she did fear for her life at that point.

I recognise that Jung Chang does tend towards hagiography but, while maintaining a pinch of salt and recognising that she could be incredibly ruthless and irrational, i tend towards accepting that it’s only under extreme duress and when she had people she could trust and was trusted by, she was a bold reformer, who could have maintained the Qing government had she not been shunted out of power when her work was working and only brought back when things were in dire straits.

Also, it’s a bit worrying how, on here at least, Cixi is referred to in worse terms than even Stalin or Hitler- honestly, it does seem like people are willing to use terms like they do for her simply because she’s a woman, and with that I have little trouble believing that people would’ve used her as a convenient scapegoat in the even more sexist atmosphere of early 20th century China. From the number of people who refuse to even speak her name you’d imagine she’s Voldemort

To be fair, Cixi performed better than both Xianfeng and Daoguang Emperors, who withdrew deep into palace and refused to face the real problems. In my opinion, she had chances to do more but she didn't. She could have kept her power while making the country stronger. Her support toward reforms were halfhearted. In comparison, there were better alternatives, but these alternatives failed in the palace coup.
 
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