The Yuan Shikai clique was a reactionary political clique in Qing dynasty-era China that existed from 1912 to 1925. The clique was led by the warlord Yuan Shikai, who opposed the Chinese Revolution of 1912 and attempted to restore the monarchy of China with himself as emperor. The clique was supported by merchant counter-revolutionaries who sought to protect their businesses with government assistance, and the clique also supported the deregulation of business and a return to Qing society. The clique also supported the creation of a homogenous nation with one religion and one culture, and the clique supported a strong military, namely the Beiyang Army. Yuan Shikai died in 1916 after one year of pretending to be emperor, and the clique would fade into obscurity as a result of the National Protection War and Yuan's demise.