Empress Shi (史皇后, personal name unknown) was an
empress during
Xin Dynasty
The Xin dynasty (; ), also known as Xin Mang () in Chinese historiography, was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty which lasted from 9 to 23 AD, established by the Han dynasty consort kin Wang Mang, who usurped the throne of the Emperor Ping o ...
. She married emperor
Wang Mang
Wang Mang () (c. 45 – 6 October 23 CE), courtesy name Jujun (), was the founder and the only Emperor of China, emperor of the short-lived Chinese Xin dynasty. He was originally an official and consort kin of the Han dynasty and later ...
, in spring 23 CE, as his Xin Dynasty was crumbling. Despite that, he married her as a public show of confidence. She was the daughter of one of his officials, Shi Chen (史諶).
In autumn 23, the Xin Dynasty's capital
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 ...
fell to agrarian rebels, who were seeking to re-establish 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 ...
. Emperor Wang Mang died in the battle for the main palace,
Weiyang Palace
The Weiyang Palace () was the main imperial palace complex of the Han dynasty and numerous other Chinese dynasties, located in the city of Chang'an (modern-day Xi'an). It was built in 200 BC at the request of the Emperor Gaozu of Han, under the s ...
. It is not known what happened to Empress Shi, although it is known that her father, Shi Chen, surrendered to the Han forces and was executed.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shi
Shi, Empress
1st-century Chinese women
1st-century Chinese people