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Princess Dowager Ma
Princess Dowager Ma (馬太后, personal name unknown; died 362) was the mother of the Chinese state Former Liang's ruler Zhang Chonghua. She was a concubine of Zhang Chonghua's father Zhang Jun. Life Nothing is known about Lady Ma's acts during Zhang Jun's reign, other than her status as his heir apparent's mother. This implies that Zhang Jun's wife Princess Yan had no sons. After Zhang Jun's death in 346, Zhang Chonghua succeeded him and honored her as "Empress Dowager" while honoring Princess Yan as "Grand Empress Dowager." After Zhang Chonghua died in 353, his son Zhang Yaoling carried the Jin Dynasty (266–420)-created title Duke of Xiping and was the titular ruler, but actual power was in Empress Dowager Ma's and Zhang Chonghua's older brother Zhang Zuo's hands. Most historians believed that she had an affair with Zhang Zuo, and later that year, she deposed Zhang Yaoling and replaced him with Zhang Zuo. In 355, however, the overly extravagant and cruel Zhang Zuo was depo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
History Of China
The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapters, 11th century BC), the '' Bamboo Annals'' (c. 296 BC) and the ''Records of the Grand Historian'' (c. 91 BC) describe a Xia dynasty before the Shang, but no writing is known from the period, and Shang writings do not indicate the existence of the Xia. The Shang ruled in the Yellow River valley, which is commonly held to be the cradle of Chinese civilization. However, Neolithic civilizations originated at various cultural centers along both the Yellow River and Yangtze River. These Yellow River and Yangtze civilizations arose millennia before the Shang. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is among the world's oldest civilizations and is regarded as one of the cradles of civilization. The Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC) supp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Former Liang
The Former Liang (; 320–376) was a dynastic state, one of the Sixteen Kingdoms, in Chinese history. It was founded by the Zhang family of the Han ethnicity. Its territories included present-day Gansu and parts of Ningxia, Shaanxi, Qinghai and Xinjiang. All rulers of the Former Liang remained largely titularly under the court of the Eastern Jin dynasty as the Duke of Xiping except Zhang Zuo who proclaimed himself ''wang'' (prince/king). However, at times the other Former Liang rulers also used the ''wang'' title when imposed on them when they were forced to submit to their powerful neighbour states - initially the Han Zhao, then the Later Zhao, and finally Former Qin. In 327, the Gaochang commandery was created by the Former Liang under Zhang Jun. After this, significant Han settlement occurred in Gaochang, a major, large part of the population becoming Han. In 376, the final ruler of Former Liang Zhang Tianxi surrendered to Former Qin, ending the state. However, in the after ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhang Chonghua
Zhang Chonghua (; 327–353), courtesy name Tailin (), formally Duke Jinglie of Xiping (西平敬烈公, posthumous name given by the Jin dynasty) or Duke Huan of Xiping (西平桓公, posthumous name used internally in Former Liang) was a ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang. During his reign, he often not only used the Jin-created title Duke of Xiping, but also used the title "Acting Prince of Liang" (). During the brief reign of his brother Zhang Zuo, he was honored as Prince Huan of Liang (). Early life In 327, Zhang was born. Zhang's father was Zhang Jun (Duke Zhongcheng), who had become the ruler of Former Liang in 324. Zhang's mother was Lady Ma, a concubine of Zhang Jun. Zhang's elder half-brother was Zhang Zuo, whose mother was not Princess Yan. In 333, at age six, Zhang became the heir apparent of Zhang Jun. It unclear why he was made heir apparent. In 339, at age 12, Zhang received some authority and the title of acting governor of Liang Province (涼州, mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhang Jun (Former Liang)
Zhang Jun (張駿 ''Zhāng Jùn''; 307–346), courtesy name Gongting (公庭), formally Duke Zhongcheng of Xiping (西平忠成公, posthumous name given by Jin Dynasty) or Duke Wen of Xiping (西平文公, posthumous name used internally in Former Liang) was a ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang. During his reign, he at times used the Jin-created title of Duke of Xiping, but when forced to submit to Han Zhao and Later Zhao, he used the title Prince of Liang. Late in his reign, even when not under Later Zhao's pressure, he claimed the title of "Acting Prince of Liang." During the brief reign of his son Zhang Zuo, he was honored as Prince Wen of Liang (涼文王). The Book of Jin describes Zhang Jun as having an extraordinary appearance and was talented at literature, however he was also an extravagant and dissipated man. Early life Zhang Jun was the son of Zhang Shi (張寔), the Jin governor of Liang Province (涼州, modern central and western Gansu) and the Duke ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heir Apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the birth of a more eligible heir is known as heir presumptive. Today these terms most commonly describe heirs to hereditary titles (e.g. titles of nobility) or offices, especially when only inheritable by a single person. Most monarchies refer to the heir apparent of their thrones with the descriptive term of ''crown prince'' or ''crown princess'', but they may also be accorded with a more specific substantive title: such as Prince of Orange in the Netherlands, Duke of Brabant in Belgium, Prince of Asturias in Spain (also granted to heirs presumptive), or the Prince of Wales in the United Kingdom; former titles include Dauphin in the Kingdom of France, and Tsesarevich in Imperial Russia. The term is also used metaphorically to indicate a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Princess Yan
Princess Yan (嚴王后, personal name unknown) was the wife of the Chinese state Former Liang's ruler Zhang Jun. It is not known when Zhang Jun married her, but it is known that she carried the title of princess even though Zhang, for most of his reign, used the Jin Dynasty (266–420)-created title of Duke of Xiping, and only late in his reign used the title "Acting Prince of Liang" (假涼王). After Zhang Jun's death in 346, his son and heir Zhang Chonghua honored her as "Grand Princess Dowager" and his own mother Lady Ma as "Princess Dowager." The fact that Zhang Chonghua was not her son but yet was made heir implies that she had no sons. No further reference was made to her, and by the time that Zhang Chonghua died in 353, she appeared to have died, because only Zhang Chonghua's mother Princess Dowager Ma was mentioned, not she. References * The first recognized ruler of Former Liang, Zhang Jun's uncle Zhang Mao Zhang Mao (; 277–324), courtesy name Chengxun ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhang Yaoling
Zhang Yaoling (; 344–355), courtesy name Yuanshu (), formally Duke Ai of Xiping, was briefly the ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang in 353 and early 354. Zhang Yaoling was the oldest son of his father Zhang Chonghua (Duke Jinglie) and therefore was designated his heir apparent. When Zhang Chonghua died in 353, he succeeded Zhang Chonghua as the ruler of Former Liang (with the title Duke of Xiping), but actual power was in the hands of his uncle, Zhang Zuo the Marquess of Changning. In early 354, Zhang Zuo, who had carried on an affair with Zhang Chonghua's mother Princess Dowager Ma, gained her support to take over as ruler, and Zhang Yaoling was demoted to the title of Marquess of Liangning. Zhang Zuo was a violent and frivolous ruler, and there was soon much opposition against him, particularly after he completely broke away from Jin Dynasty. In 355, the generals Zhang Guan and Song Hun rebelled against Zhang Zuo and announced that they wished to restore Zhang Yaoli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jin Dynasty (266–420)
The Jin dynasty (; ) or the Jin Empire, sometimes distinguished as the (司馬晉) or the (兩晉), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed from 266 to 420. It was founded by Sima Yan (Emperor Wu), eldest son of Sima Zhao, who had previously been declared the King of Jin. The Jin dynasty was preceded by the Three Kingdoms period, and was succeeded by the Sixteen Kingdoms in northern China and the Liu Song dynasty in southern China. There are two main divisions in the history of the dynasty. The (266–316) was established as the successor to Cao Wei after Sima Yan usurped the throne from Cao Huan. The capital of the Western Jin was initially in Luoyang, though it later moved to Chang'an (modern Xi'an, Shaanxi province). In 280, after conquering Eastern Wu, the Western Jin reunited China proper for the first time since the end of the Han dynasty, ending the Three Kingdoms era. However, 11 years later, a series of civil wars known as the War of the Eight Princes erup ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhang Zuo
Zhang Zuo (; died 355), courtesy name Taibo (), formally Prince Wei of (Former) Liang () was a ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang. He was the only ruler of Former Liang to formally declare a break from Jin Dynasty (266–420), and historical sources variously report him as having declared himself an emperor (per ''Jin Shu'') or a prince (per ''Zizhi Tongjian''). He was commonly viewed as a usurper (having seized the throne from his nephew Zhang Yaoling after his brother Zhang Chonghua's death) and initially not acknowledged as a Former Liang ruler, but his brother Zhang Tianxi later nevertheless gave him the posthumous name of Wei. During the reigns of Zhang Chonghua and Zhang Yaoling Little is known about Zhang Zuo's personal background, other than that he was Zhang Jun's oldest son, but was not designated heir apparent. His younger brother Zhang Chonghua was, even though neither was born of Zhang Jun's wife Princess Yan. Neither his mother nor his birth year was r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Song Hun
Song Hun () (died 361), courtesy name Xuanyi (), was a regent of the Chinese Former Liang dynasty. During the reign of the violent and capricious Zhang Zuo, Song Hun served as a general, even though he constantly feared Zhang Zuo, because his older brother Song Xiu (宋修) had previously had a conflict with Zhang Zuo. In 355, when Zhang Guan rose against Zhang Zuo, Song started an uprising of his own against Zhang Zuo as well, and quickly arrived at the capital Guzang (姑臧, in modern Wuwei, Gansu). Zhang Guan's brother Zhang Ju (張琚) and son Zhang Song (張嵩) then started an uprising inside the city and opened the gates to welcome Song's forces in. Zhang Zuo's own troops turned on him and killed him. Song and Zhang Ju jointly declared Zhang Zuo's nephew, Zhang Xuanjing (whose older brother Zhang Yaoling was the legitimate ruler before Zhang Zuo seized the throne from him and killed him), the Duke of Xiping, a Jin-created title that his ancestors had carried for gen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhang Xuanjing
Zhang Xuanjing (張玄靚 or 張玄靖) (350–363), courtesy name Yuan'an (), formally Duke Jingdao of Xiping (西平敬悼公, posthumous name given by Jin Dynasty (266–420)) or Duke Chong of Xiping (西平沖公, posthumous name used internally in Former Liang) was a ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang. He became the titular ruler at the young age of five after his violent uncle Zhang Zuo, who had seized the title from his older brother Zhang Yaoling and subsequently killed him, was himself killed in a coup. Zhang Xuanjing was addressed as Prince Chong of (Former) Liang () The years of his rule were characterized by political instability, as he went through a progression of regents who overthrew each other -- Zhang Guan (), Song Hun (), Song Cheng (), Zhang Yong (), and finally his uncle Zhang Tianxi, who eventually had him killed and took over the title in 363. During Zhang Guan's regency, he temporarily used the title Prince of Liang, but after Song Hun overthrew Zh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhang Tianxi
Zhang Tianxi (; 346–406), original courtesy name Gongchungu (), later Chungu (), nickname Duhuo (), formally Duke Dao of Xiping (), was the last ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang. He was the youngest son of Zhang Jun (Duke Zhongcheng), and he seized the throne from his nephew Zhang Xuanjing (Duke Jingdao) in 363. During his reign, he claimed vassal status with regard to both Jin Dynasty and Former Qin, but eventually, under Former Qin pressure to completely submit, he tried to resist militarily, but could not and surrendered in 376, ending Former Liang. He became a Former Qin official (with the title Marquess of Guiyi (), but after Former Qin's failed attempt to conquer Jin in 383 at the Battle of Fei River, he fled to Jin. Although the Jin imperial government was not happy about some of his actions as the ruler of Former Liang (including his vacillation and his use of an era name), it recognized how his ancestors had long formally held out as a Jin vassal, and Empero ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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