Editing Hundred Days' Reform (section)

===Failure as Kang's responsibility===
However, some historians in the late 20th century have taken views that are more favorable to the conservatives and less favorable to the reformers. In this view, [[Kang Youwei]] and his allies were hopeless dreamers unaware of the political realities in which they operated. This view argues that the conservative elites were not opposed to change and that practically all of the reforms that were proposed were eventually implemented.

For example, [[Sterling Seagrave]], in his book "The Dragon Lady", argues that there were several reasons why the reforms failed. Chinese political power at the time was firmly in the hands of the ruling Manchu nobility. The highly xenophobic [[iron hats]] faction dominated the [[Grand Council (Qing dynasty)|Grand Council]] and were seeking ways to expel all Western influence from China. When implementing reform, the [[Guangxu Emperor]] by-passed the Grand Council and appointed four reformers to advise him. These reformers were chosen after a series of interviews, including the interview of [[Kang Youwei]], who was rejected by the Emperor and had far less influence than Kang's later boasting would indicate. At the suggestion of the reform advisors, the [[Guangxu Emperor]] also held secret talks with former Japanese Prime Minister [[Itō Hirobumi]] with the aim of using his experience in the [[Meiji Restoration]] to lead China through similar reforms.

It has also been suggested, controversially, that [[Kang Youwei]] actually did a great deal of harm to the cause by his perceived arrogance in the eyes of the conservatives. Numerous rumors regarding potential repercussions, many of them false, had made their way to the Grand Council; this was one of the factors in their decision to stage a coup against the Emperor. Kang, like many of the reformers, grossly underestimated the reactionary nature of the vested interests involved.

The Emperor set about to enact his reforms by largely bypassing the powerful Grand Council; said councilors, irritated at the Emperor's actions and fearful of losing the political power they had, then turned to the [[Empress Dowager Cixi]] to remove the emperor from power. Many, though not all, of the reforms came to naught. The council, now confident in their power, pushed for the execution of the reformers, an action that was carried out ruthlessly.