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Hundred Days' Reform
(from L to R) Reformist Liang Qichao, Emperor Guangxu and Kang Youwei
After 1895, non-government circles became more concerned with national affairs, leading to some calls from intellectuals for more far-reaching reforms.
Some, including Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, advocated imitating the reforms of Japan and Russia as examples of how best to work the political and social systems under an imperial form of government.
In 1898, the Guangxu Emperor instituted several reforms. This reformation would eventually be termed the Hundred Days' Reform due to its short duration. It ended in a coup by the dynasty's conservatives 103 days later.
Though the government exiled some of the reformists, others advocated a constitutional monarchy similar to that of the United Kingdom, which would have allowed the imperial family to retain a role in the political system but would have shifted the focus of political power to a democratic government.
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