Empress Liu (, personal name unknown) (died 326), formally Empress Xianlie (, literally "the wise and achieving empress") was an empress of the

Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 20 ...

-led Han Zhao dynasty of China. She was Liu Yao's second empress. Very little is known about Empress Liu, who was created empress in 325. It was likely that she was ethnically

Han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

, because if she were Xiongnu, Liu Yao would not likely have married her due to the prohibition against

endogamy Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a specific social group, religious denomination, caste, or ethnic group, rejecting those from others as unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relationships. Endogamy is common in many cultu ...

given that they had the same family name. When Empress Liu neared her own death in 326, Liu Yao asked her what her last requests were. She stated that she was raised by her uncle Liu Chang (劉昶) and wished that Liu Yao could grant him honors. She also stated that

Liu Fang Liu Fang 1974) is a Chinese–Canadian musician who is one of the most prominent '' pipa'' players in the world. Described in the media as the "empress of pipa" (''L'actualité''), "divine mediator" (World), "the greatest ambassadress of ...

, the daughter of her other uncle Liu Ai (劉皚), was beautiful and virtuous, and she hoped that Liu Yao would create her empress. After her death, Liu Yao created Liu Chang a duke and married Liu Fang, creating her empress.

References

326 deaths Former Zhao empresses 4th-century Chinese women 4th-century Chinese people Year of birth unknown {{China-bio-stub