Emperor of China Emperor of China The Emperor or Huangdi () was the secular imperial title of the Chinese sovereign reigning between the founding of the Qin dynasty that unified China in 221 BC and the abdication of Puyi in 1912 AD following the Xinhai Revolution and the establishment of the Republic of China, although it was later restored twice in two failed revolutions in 1916 and 1917. The holy title of the Chinese emperor was the "Son of Heaven" (), a title much older than the "Emperor of China" which predates the Zhou dynasty and recognized as the ruler of ""All under
Emperor of China it was considered a crime to compare oneself to the emperor in any way. It was taboo to refer to the emperor by his or her given name, even for the emperor's own mother, who instead was to use "Huángdì" (皇帝), or simply "Ér" (兒/儿, "son", for male emperor). The emperor was never to be addressed as "you". Anyone who spoke to the emperor was to address him or her as "Bìxià" (陛下, the "Bottom of the Steps"), corresponding to "Your Imperial Majesty"; "Huáng Shàng" (皇上, lit. "Radiant Highness"); "Shèng Shàng" (聖上/圣上, "Holy Highness"); or "Tiānzǐ" (天子, "Son of Heaven").