History of the Republic of China elected Sun Yat-sen as the first Provisional President of the Republic of China. Yuan Shikai agreed to accept the Republic and forced the last emperor of China, Puyi, to abdicate on February 12. Empress Dowager Longyu signed the abdication papers. Puyi was allowed to continue living in the Forbidden City, however. The Republic of China officially succeeded the Qing Dynasty. Some advocated that a Han be installed as Emperor, either the descendant of Confucius, who was the Duke Yansheng, or the Ming dynasty Imperial family descendant, the Marquis of Extended Grace. On 1 January 1912, Sun officially declared the establishment
Emperor of China the 3rd century BC, the two titles had not previously been used together. Because of the god-like powers of the "Huang", the cult worship of the "Di", and the latter's use in the name of the God of Heaven Shangdi, however, the First Emperor's title would have been understood as implying "The Holy" or "Divine Emperor". On that account, some modern scholars translate the title as "thearch". On occasion, the father of the ascended emperor was still alive. Such an emperor was titled the "Tai Shang Huang" (), the "Grand Imperial Sire". The practice was initiated by the First Emperor,