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Wang Zhengjun
Wang Zhengjun (; 71 BC – 13 AD), officially Empress Xiaoyuan (孝元皇后), later and more commonly known as Grand Empress Dowager Wang, born in Yuancheng (modern Handan, Hebei), was an empress during the Western Han dynasty of China, who played important roles during the reigns of five successive Han emperors (her husband, son, two stepgrandsons, and stepgreat-grandnephew) and later (according to traditional historians, unwittingly) led to the usurpation of the throne by her nephew Wang Mang. She is largely viewed sympathetically by historians as an unassuming and benevolent if overly doting woman who suffered much in her long life, who tried to influence the empire as well as she could, and tried to use her power for the benefit of the empire, and who was not a party to her nephew's machinations, but whose failure, leading to the downfall of the Western Han Dynasty, was her overdependence on her clan (the Wangs). Early life Wang was born the second daughter of Wang Jin, t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wang (surname)
Wang () is the pinyin romanization of the common Chinese surnames (''Wáng'') and (''Wāng''). It is currently the most common surname in mainland China, as well as the most common surname in the world, with more than 107 million worldwide. ublic Security Bureau Statistics: 'Wang' Found China's #1 'Big Family', Includes 92.88m People" 24 Apr 2007. Accessed 27 Mar 2012. Wáng () was listed as 8th on the famous list of the '' |
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 indic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prince Xing Of Zhongshan
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The female equivalent is a princess. The English word derives, via the French word ''prince'', from the Latin noun , from (first) and (head), meaning "the first, foremost, the chief, most distinguished, noble ruler, prince". Historical background The Latin word (older Latin *prīsmo-kaps, literally "the one who takes the first lace/position), became the usual title of the informal leader of the Roman senate some centuries before the transition to empire, the '' princeps senatus''. Emperor Augustus established the formal position of monarch on the basis of principate, not dominion. He also tasked his grandsons as summer rulers of the city when most of the government were on holiday in the country or attending religious rituals, and, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magic (paranormal)
Magic, sometimes spelled magick, is an ancient praxis rooted in sacred rituals, spiritual divinations, and/or cultural lineage—with an intention to invoke, manipulate, or otherwise manifest supernatural forces, beings, or entities in the natural, incarnate world. It is a categorical yet often ambiguous term which has been used to refer to a wide variety of beliefs and practices, frequently considered separate from both religion and science. Although connotations have varied from positive to negative at times throughout history, magic continues to have an important religious and medicinal role in many cultures today. Within Western culture, magic has been linked to ideas of the Other, foreignness, and primitivism; indicating that it is "a powerful marker of cultural difference" and likewise, a non-modern phenomenon. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Western intellectuals perceived the practice of magic to be a sign of a primitive mentality and also co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Consort Zhao Hede
Zhao Hede (; died 7 BC) was an imperial consort of the rank ''zhaoyi'' (昭儀) during the Han dynasty. She was a consort to Emperor Cheng and sister of the empress Zhao Feiyan. Background It is not known when Zhao Hede was born, but it is clear she was younger than her sister Feiyan. According to historical accounts, she was a daughter of two hereditary servants of imperial princes or princesses. Her father's name was Zhao Lin (趙臨). She was probably later assigned to the household of Princess Yang'a (陽阿公主), with her sister Zhao Feiyan, but that is not clear. What is clear is that when Emperor Cheng became enamored with her sister circa 19 BC, he took not only her sister, but also her, as imperial consorts, and they became highly favored, over Empress Xu and Consort Ban. Imperial Consort In 18 BC, they falsely accused Empress Xu and Consort Ban of witchcraft; Empress Xu was deposed, and while Consort Ban was able to successfully plead her case, she did not wish to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Empress Zhao Feiyan
Zhao Feiyan (, ? – 1 BC),Peterson, Barbara Bennett & He Hong Fei & Han Tie & Wang Jiyu & Zhang Guangyu. (1999) ''Notable Women of China'' "M.E. Sharpe". pp. 87–90. . formally Empress Xiaocheng (孝成皇后), was an empress during the Han Dynasty. Her husband was Emperor Cheng. She was known in the Chinese popular mindset more for her beauty than for the palace intrigue that she and her sister, the also beautiful Consort Zhao Hede Zhao Hede (; died 7 BC) was an imperial consort of the rank ''zhaoyi'' (昭儀) during the Han dynasty. She was a consort to Emperor Cheng and sister of the empress Zhao Feiyan. Background It is not known when Zhao Hede was born, but it is clear ... engaged in, but unlike most of the famous beauties in Chinese history (such as the Four Beauties), she was often vilified by her own sisters. She was often compared and contrasted with Yang Guifei, the beautiful concubine of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, because she was known for her slender build while ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Consort Ban
Consort Ban (c. 48 BCE – c. 2 BCE), or Ban Jieyu (), also known as Lady Ban (Pan), was a Chinese scholar and poet during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 23 CE). ''Jieyu'' (婕妤) was a title for a third-rank palace lady, one rank below the ''Zhaoyi'' and two ranks below the Empresss. Her personal name is not known. Life Consort Ban started as a junior maid, became a concubine of Emperor Chengdi and quickly rose to prominence at court. She had two sons with him, but both died in infancy. Once she declined an invitation to ride in a palanquin because she feared to distract him from matters of state. She was also renowned as a great scholar, able to recite poems from the '' Shi Jing'' and a lot of other texts. Because neither the Empress Xu nor Consort Ban produced him an heir, the Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun encouraged him to take more concubines. Around 19 BCE, however, Emperor Cheng took a liking to the dancing girl Zhao Feiyan and her sister Zhao Hede. They were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Gao Of Han
Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BC), born Liu Bang () with courtesy name Ji (季), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning in 202–195 BC. His temple name was "Taizu" while his posthumous name was Emperor Gao, or Gaodi; "Gaozu of Han", derived from the ''Records of the Grand Historian'', is the common way of referring to this sovereign even though he was not accorded the temple name "Gaozu", which literally means "High Founder". Liu Bang was one of the few dynasty founders in Chinese history who was born into a peasant family. Prior to coming to power, Liu Bang initially served for the Qin dynasty as a minor law enforcement officer in his home town Pei County, within the conquered state of Chu. With the First Emperor's death and the Qin Empire's subsequent political chaos, Liu Bang renounced his civil service position and became an anti-Qin rebel leader. He won the race against fellow rebel leader Xiang Yu to invade the Qin heartlan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chang'an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi Huang of the Qin dynasty, China's first emperor, held his imperial court, and constructed his massive mausoleum guarded by the Terracotta Army. From its capital at Xianyang, the Qin dynasty ruled a larger area than either of the preceding dynasties. The imperial city of Chang'an during the Han dynasty was located northwest of today's Xi'an. During the Tang dynasty, the area that came to be known as Chang'an included the area inside the Ming Xi'an fortification, plus some small areas to its east and west, and a substantial part of its southern suburbs. Thus, Tang Chang'an was eight times the size of the Ming Xi'an, which was reconstructed upon the site of the former imperial quarters of the Sui and Tang city. During its heyday, Chang' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dingtao Principality
Jiyin Commandery ( zh, 濟陰郡) was a commandery in historical China from Han dynasty to Tang dynasty, located in what is now southwestern Shandong province. In 144 BC, the Liang Kingdom was divided into five states. Jiyin, one of the successor kingdoms, was ruled by Liu Bushi. Bushi died only one year later, and his kingdom was converted to a commandery under imperial administration. In 25 BC, Liu Kang (劉康), the second son of Emperor Yuan, was granted title "King of Dingtao", as the territory of Jiyin became the Dingtao Kingdom (定陶國). Kang's son Xin succeeded to the imperial throne in 8 BC as the Emperor Ai, and Dingtao was granted to Liu Jing (劉景), another member of the imperial clan. In 5 BC, Jing's fief was changed to Xindu, and Jiyin Commandery was reestablished. In late Western Han period, the commandery administered 9 counties: Dingtao (定陶), Yuanqu (冤句), Lüdu (呂都), Jiami (葭密), Chengyang (成陽), Juancheng (鄄城), Juyang (句陽), Du (� ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Empress Dowager
Empress dowager (also dowager empress or empress mother) () is the English language translation of the title given to the mother or widow of a Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese emperor in the Chinese cultural sphere. The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of grand empress dowager (). Numerous empress dowagers held regency during the reign of underage emperors. Many of the most prominent empress dowagers also extended their control for long periods after the emperor was old enough to govern. This was a source of political turmoil according to the traditional view of Chinese history. The title dowager empress was given to the wife of a deceased emperor of Russia or Holy Roman emperor. By country ''For grand empresses dowager, visit grand empress dowager.'' East Asia Chinese empresses dowager ; Han dynasty * Empress Dowager Lü (241-180 BC), empress c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prince Kang Of Dingtao
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The female equivalent is a princess. The English word derives, via the French word ''prince'', from the Latin noun , from (first) and (head), meaning "the first, foremost, the chief, most distinguished, noble ruler, prince". Historical background The Latin word (older Latin *prīsmo-kaps, literally "the one who takes the first lace/position), became the usual title of the informal leader of the Roman senate some centuries before the transition to empire, the ''princeps senatus''. Emperor Augustus established the formal position of monarch on the basis of principate, not dominion. He also tasked his grandsons as summer rulers of the city when most of the government were on holiday in the country or attending religious rituals, and, for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
