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{{short description|Chinese revolutionary leader}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Cai (surname)|Cai]]|lang=Chinese}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Cai E
| image               = File:GeneralQaoAoCampañaDeYunnan.jpg
| imagesize           = 200px
| caption             =
| office              = [[List of warlords and military cliques in the Warlord Era|Warlord]] of [[Yunnan]]
| term_start          = 1911
| term_end            = 1913, 1916
| lieutenant          =
| predecessor         =
| successor           = [[Tang Jiyao]]
| party               = [[Tongmenghui]]<br>[[Progressive Party (China)|Progressive Party]]
| nationality         = [[Han Chinese]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date|df=yes|1882|12|19}}
| birth_place         = [[Shaoyang]], [[Hunan]], [[Qing Empire]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1916|11|8|1882|12|18|df=y}}
| death_place         = [[Fukuoka]], [[Empire of Japan]]
| restingplace        = [[Yuelu Mountain]], [[Xiang River]], [[Changsha]], [[Hunan]], [[China]]
| alma_mater          = Shiwu College (now [[Hunan University]])<br>[[Tokyo Shimbu Gakko]]<br>[[Imperial Japanese Army Academy]]
| allegiance          = {{flag|Qing Dynasty}}<br/>{{flagicon|Republic of China (1912–1949)|1912}} [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]]
| rank                = [[General Officers|General]]
| battles             = [[Xinhai Revolution]]<br>[[National Protection War]]
| awards              = [[Order of Rank and Merit]]<br />[[Order of the Precious Brilliant Golden Grain]]<br />[[Order of Wen-Hu]]
}}
'''Cai E''' ({{zh|t=蔡鍔|s=蔡锷|p=Cài È|w=Ts'ai<sup>4</sup> O<sup>4</sup>}}; 18 December 1882 &ndash; 8 November 1916) was a Chinese revolutionary leader and general. He was born '''Cai Genyin''' ({{zh|c=蔡艮寅|p=Cài Gěnyín}}) in [[Shaoyang]], [[Hunan]], and his [[courtesy name]] was '''Songpo''' ({{zh|c=松坡|p=Sōngpō}}). Cai eventually became an influential [[warlord]] in [[Yunnan]] ([[Yunnan clique]]), and is best known for his role in challenging the imperial ambitions ([[Empire of China (1915–1916)|Hongxian emperor]]) of [[Yuan Shikai]] during the [[National Protection War|Anti-Monarchy War]].
Cai's name has also been [[Romanisation of Chinese|romanised]] as '''Tsai Ao'''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.cntv.cn/special/1911/20110923/111825.shtml|title=Cai E - Chinese Revolutionary Leader and Warlord CCTV News - CNTV English|website=english.cntv.cn|accessdate=26 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227034524/http://english.cntv.cn/special/1911/20110923/111825.shtml|archive-date=27 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Biography==
[[File:Cai E4.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Cai E]]
===Early career===
[[File:The Memorial Cottage of Cai E3.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The Memorial Cottage of Cai E, located in [[Yuelu Mountain]], [[Changsha]], [[Hunan]], China.]]
Cai studied at the prestigious and progressive ''[[Hunan University|Shiwu Xuetang]]'' (School of Current Affairs), where he was taught by reformer faction intellectual [[Liang Qichao]] and [[Tang Caichang]]. He went to [[Empire of Japan|Japan]] in 1899. Cai returned to China in 1900, when he was only 18, and attempted to take part in an uprising against the [[Qing Dynasty]] as part of the Self-Support Army, a revolutionary militia led by Tang Caichang. When the rebellion failed, Cai returned to Japan. During this second sojourn in Japan he received military training at the [[Tokyo Shimbu Gakko]], followed by the [[Imperial Japanese Army Academy]].<ref>''Yuelu Academy''</ref>
He returned to [[Guangxi]] Province, where he held several military posts and established a military training academy from 1904 to 1910. While in Guangxi he joined the [[Tongmenghui]], a Chinese revolutionary organization dedicated to the overthrow of the [[Qing dynasty]]. In 1910 he was transferred to [[Yunnan]] Province to command the 37th Brigade of the [[New Army]] and teach at the Yunnan Military Academy in [[Kunming]]. One of his pupils at the school was [[Zhu De]], who began studying there in 1909 and graduated in 1912.
Shortly after the [[Xinhai Revolution]] began on 10 October 1911, Cai, leading the 37th Brigade, successfully occupied Yunnan. After the revolution he served as Commander-in-Chief of the Military Government of Yunnan.<ref name="schemmel">Schemmel</ref>
Cai E was Governor of Yunnan from 1911 to 1913.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pn5CAAAAYAAJ&q=tang+jiyao+governor+1913|title=The Yunnan Provincial Faction, 1927-1937|author=J. C.S. Hall|year=1976|publisher=Dept. of Far Eastern History, Australian National University : distributed by Australian National University Press, 1976|page=69|isbn=0-909524-12-2|accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref> After the revolution Cai gained a reputation as a strong supporter of democracy and of [[Kuomintang]] politician [[Song Jiaoren]]. Following Song's assassination by [[Yuan Shikai]], and Yuan's subsequent assumption of the presidency of the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]], Yuan had Cai removed from office and eventually held under house arrest in [[Beijing]].<ref name="schemmel" /> [[Tang Jiyao]] replaced Cai E as Military Governor of Yunnan in 1913.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dCrVAAAAMAAJ&q=After+the+Xinhai+revolution,+military+power+in+Yunnan+had+been+seized+by+General+Cai+E.+When+he+left+for+Beijing+in+1913,+Tang+Jiyao+succeeded+him+as+military+governor.+Afraid+of+losing+his+hold+on+power,+Tang+had+refused+to+march|title=Модерн хисторий оф Чина|author=Сергей Леонидович Тихвинский|year=1983|publisher=Progress Publishers|pages=624|accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref>
===Opposition to Yuan Shikai===
In 1915, [[Yuan Shikai]] announced his plans to dissolve the [[History of the Republic of China|Republic]] and proclaim himself the emperor of a new dynasty. After hearing of his intentions, Cai escaped assassination on 11 November, first returning to Japan and then to [[Yunnan]].<ref name="schemmel" /> After returning to Yunnan, Cai established the local [[National Protection War|National Protection Army]] to fight [[Yuan Shikai]] and defend the Republic.<ref name="Beck1">Beck "Yuan Shikai's Presidency 1912-16"</ref>
On 12 December, Yuan formally "accepted" a petition to become emperor, and protests spread throughout China. On 23 December Cai sent a telegram to Beijing threatening to declare independence if Yuan did not cancel his plans within two days. When Yuan did not respond favorably, Cai declared independence on 25 December and made plans to invade [[Sichuan]]. The governor of [[Guizhou]] joined Cai in rebellion, declaring independence on 27 December. Yuan had himself inaugurated as emperor on 1 January 1916, and Cai successfully occupied Sichuan later that month.<ref name="Beck1" />
[[File:Cai e's tomb.JPG|thumb|250px|right|The Tomb of Cai E, located in Yuelu Mountain, Changsha, Hunan, China.]]
Yuan sent two leading military commanders from northern China to attack Cai, but although the forces sent by Yuan outnumbered Cai's army, Yuan's commanders were either unwilling or unable to defeat him. When it became clear that Cai's rebellion would be successful, many other provinces joined him in resisting Yuan. Guangxi and Shandong declared independence in March, Guangdong and Zhejiang in April and Shaanxi, Sichuan and Hunan in May. With several provinces behind them, the revolutionaries successfully forced Yuan to abandon monarchism on 20 March 1916.<ref name="Beck1" />
After Yuan died on 6 June 1916, Cai held the positions of Governor-General and Governor of Sichuan. He left for Japan for medical treatment at [[Kyushu Imperial University]] in [[Fukuoka]] for [[tuberculosis]] later in 1916, but died shortly after his arrival. He was accorded a [[state funeral]] in China at [[Yuelu Mountain]] in [[Hunan]] on 12 April 1917.
==Legacy==
Many of the warlords who served under [[Yuan Shikai]] did not support his ambition to revive the monarchy, and Cai E was one of the leading figures who successfully forced Yuan to step down. He served as an inspiration for [[Zhu De]], who later became one of the most successful military leaders of the [[Chinese Red Army]], the forerunner to the [[People's Liberation Army]].
== Depiction in popular culture ==
*In October 2009, [[TVB]] broadcast a series about the story of Cai E and Yuan Shikai: ''[[In the Chamber of Bliss]]''.
==References==
{{Commons category}}
{{Reflist}}
==Bibliography==
* Beck, Sanderson.  [http://www.san.beck.org/21-3-RepublicanChina1912-26.html "Republican China in Turmoil 1912-1926"].  ''EAST ASIA 1800-1949''.  2007.  Retrieved 14 October 2011.
* 陈贤庆(Chen Xianqing), [http://www.2499cn.com/junfamulu.htm '''民国军阀派系谈''' (The Republic of China warlord cliques discussed), 2007 revised edition]
* Schemmel, B. [http://rulers.org/indexc1.html "Cai E"].  ''Rulers.org''.  2011.  Retrieved 14 October 2011.
*{{cite web|url=http://dm.hnu.cn/english/05people/0503st/st.html |title=Cai E |accessdate=2011-10-17 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070526051019/http://dm.hnu.cn/english/05people/0503st/st.html |archivedate=26 May 2007}} .  ''Yuelu Academy''. 28 September 2011.  Retrieved 17 October 2011.
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[[Category:1882 births]]
[[Category:1916 deaths]]
[[Category:Politicians from Shaoyang]]
[[Category:People of the 1911 Revolution]]
[[Category:Republic of China warlords from Hunan]]
[[Category:Governors of Yunnan]]
[[Category:Tongmenghui members]]
[[Category:Progressive Party (China) politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century deaths from tuberculosis]]
[[Category:Tuberculosis deaths in Japan]]
[[Category:Military governors of Yunnan]]
[[Category:Military governors of Sichuan]]
[[Category:Burials in Changsha]]
[[Category:Independence activists]]