The 1909 Chinese parliamentary election was an indirect election to the first imperial Advisory Council, a preparatory body of the parliament created under the constitutional reform bought by the late Qing dynasty. It was seen as the first popular election in Chinese history.

Originally 100 members, half of the seats in the council were to be elected by the members of the Provincial Consultative Assemblies, while the other half were appointed by the Emperor. Due to the fact the Provincial Consultative Assembly had not been set up in Sinkiang, the seats were reduced to 98.

Translations with bracketed Chinese text are for reference only.

Electoral system The candidates were indirectly elected by members of Consultative Assembly in provinces. The number of candidate each electorate shall vote for was double the delegated seats. Amongst all the supported candidates, half of them would be chosen by the governor as elected members. Appointed members included a certain degree of election features as there were considerable size of eligible members.

Constituencies The new Advisory Council only consisted of 196 members, instead of 200 as planned, as Consultative Assembly was not established in Sinkiang, and the number of appointed members shrank to 98 to achieve the balance.

Elected members are as follows: ProvinceSeats ProvinceSeatsZhili9Shanxi5Zhejiang 7Fujian 4Jiangsu7Shaanxi4Jiangxi6Yunnan4Shandong 6Fengtian3Sichuan 6 Gansu3Anhui 5Guangxi3Henan 5Heilongjiang2Hubei 5Jilin2Hunan5Guizhou2Guangdong5Xinjiang Appointed members are as follows: ConstituencySeatsConstituencySeatsGovernment Officials ()32Scholars ()10Princes of Imperial Family ()14Large Taxpayers ()10Princes of Feudatories ()14Descendants of Emperor ()6Nobility of Manchu and Han ()12

Result The constitutionalists, who advocated constitutional monarchy in Qing, secured a majority in the Advisory Council. The revolutionaries on the other hand, despite being banned by the authorities, won a few seats. The party membership is only estimation as the political party system was immature at the time. Some members resigned during the session and the vacancies were filled according to the precedence list, which is not reflected here. + Political partyElectedAppointedTotal Continuous Constitutionalism Association ()383775 Xinhai Club ()4711 Chinese Empire Reform Association10010 Political Science Club ()145 Preparative Constitutionalism Association ()325 ()505 Joint Association of Provincial Consultative Assemblies ()303 Guangdong Autonomous Chamber of Commerce ()101Preparative Constitutionalism Association of Guizhou ()101Constitutionalists total6650116 Tongmenghui437Association for Guizhou Autonomy ()101Revolutionaries total538Independents274572Vacant224Total100100200

Detailed results ZhiliZhejiangJiangsuJiangxiShandongSichuanAnhuiHenanHunanShanxiYunnanContinuous Constitutionalism Association614223121Chinese Empire Reform Association22212Xinhai Club121Political Science Club1Preparative Constitutionalism Association111Brotherhood of Petition for Parliament11111Joint Association of Provincial Consultative Assemblies12Tongmenghui1201Independents121122311Total97766655554 HubeiGuangdongFujianShaanxiFengtianGansuGuangxiGuizhouHeilongjiangJilinContinuous Constitutionalism Association442132Chinese Empire Reform Association1Guangdong Autonomous Chamber of Commerce1Preparative Constitutionalism Association of Guizhou1Association for Guizhou Autonomy1Independents142222Total5544333222 OfficialsImperial PrinceFeudatory PrinceNobilityScholarsTaxpayersEmperor's DescendantsContinuous Constitutionalism Association1463663Xinhai Club6Political Science Club211Preparative Constitutionalism Association2Tongmenghui12Independents98139123Total3214141210106

See also Democracy in China Preparative Constitutionalism 1909 Chinese provincial elections

References