The Empress Dowager Cixi; China, Qing dynasty, 1903-1904.  From the 1860s until her death, the Empress Dowager Cixi (1835–1908) was the dominant political figure of China&#x27;s Qing dynasty (1644–1911), acting as regent to two successive emperors. During her reign, the Qing court came to be regarded as conservative, corrupt, and incompetent. The situation worsened after the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, when Cixi was accused of encouraging the killing of foreigners and Chinese Christians.