The Outline of the King James Constitution was a legal document issued by the late Qing government on August 27th, 1908. It established the constitutional monarchy, confirmed some basic rights of citizens, and restricted the monarchical power. The Outline of the King James Constitution is the first legal document with constitutional significance in the history of China.

1906, issued imperial edicts, prepared for constitutionalism, and established a constitutional compilation museum. Later, Prince Yi Kuang and Empress Dowager Cixi personally ruled that the outline of the imperial constitution was promulgated on August 27th, 1908.

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The content of the constitutional outline is based on the Constitution of the Great Japanese Empire (1889), and the relevant provisions restricting the monarchy have been deleted. The full text consists of 23 articles, including the text "sovereign power" and the appendix "rights and obligations of subjects".

Article *** 14 of "sovereign power" stipulates; "The emperor ruled the Qing Empire for several generations and has always been respected." Your majesty's sacred dignity is inviolable.

In this spirit, the emperor was given the power to promulgate laws, submit bills, convene or dissolve the House of Representatives, set up official posts and departments, command the army and navy, declare peace, conclude treaties, send appointed ministers, declare emergency martial law, restrict the freedom of subjects through imperial edicts, and conduct judicial trials. Compared with the power given to the emperor by the Japanese constitution, it is even worse.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Outline of King James' Constitution