Wuxu Coup

1898-09-22

The Wuxu Coup refers to the coup d'etat of September 21, 1898, which ended the Hundred Days' Reform in the Qing Empire. The reform movement, initiated by the Guangxu Emperor and led by reform-minded scholars including Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, had sought to modernize China's institutions from June 11 to September 21, 1898. Empress Dowager Cixi, fearing that sudden implementation without bureaucratic support would be disruptive, staged a coup with her allies, forcing the emperor under house arrest and executing six of the leading reformers.