Empress Bo () (personal name unknown) (died 147 BC) was an
empress
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
during the
Han Dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
. She was the first wife of
Emperor Jing, and also the first empress to be deposed in Chinese imperial history.
Empress Bo was from the family of
Empress Dowager Bo
Empress Dowager Bo (薄太后) was an imperial concubine of Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang). She was also known as Consort Bo (薄姬) during the life of the Emperor, and more formally as either Empress Dowager Xiaowen (孝文太后) or (rarer) E ...
, who was probably her paternal grandaunt and betrothed her to her grandson, then-Crown Prince Qi during the reign of her son,
Emperor Wen. She carried the title of crown princess during the reign of her father-in-law. Then, when her husband became emperor in 157 BC, she was created empress, but she was not favored by her husband, and she had no sons. It was as a consequence of this that Consort Li's son
Liu Rong Liu Rong (Chinese: ) (died 148 BC) was the eldest son of Emperor Jing of the Han dynasty. His mother was Lady Li (栗姬). He was made crown prince of the empire under the formal title Crown Prince Li () in 153 BC, but demoted three years later to ...
was made crown prince.
After Grand Empress Dowager Bo died in 155 BC, Empress Bo lost her source of support within the palace. In 151 BC, her husband deposed her; she died four years later.
[Lily Xiao Hong Lee, A. D. Stefanowska, Sue Wiles]
"Biographical dictionary of Chinese women: antiquity through Sui, 1600 B.C.E.-618 C.E."
2007 She was buried in the Pingwang Pavilion, in the eastern part of
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 ...
. Even though she had ties to a person as powerful and influential as Grand Empress Dowager Bo, she never enjoyed a life of much esteem simply because she could not bear a son.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bo, Empress
147 BC deaths
Han dynasty empresses
2nd-century BC Chinese women
Year of birth unknown
2nd-century BC Chinese people