Emperor An Of Han
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Emperor An of Han (; 94 – 30 April 125) was an
emperor 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), ...
of the Chinese
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 ...
and the sixth emperor of the Eastern Han, ruling from 106 to 125. He was the grandson of Emperor Zhang. When her infant stepson Emperor Shang succeeded to the throne in 106, Empress Dowager Deng kept the then-12-year-old Crown Prince Liu Hu in the capital
Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
as insurance against the infant emperor's death and the successor to the throne. Prince Hu ascended the throne and became emperor when Emperor Shang died in August or September 106; however, Empress Dowager Deng still remained as the regent until her death in 121. Thereafter, Emperor An removed many of her relatives from government and many of them committed suicide, probably under duress. Emperor An did little to revive the withering dynasty. He began to indulge himself in women and heavy drinking and paid little attention to affairs of state, instead leaving matters to corrupt eunuchs. In this way, he effectively became the first emperor in Han history to encourage corruption. He also trusted his wife
Empress Yan Ji Empress Yan Ji (閻姬) (died 28 February 126), formally Empress Ansi (安思皇后, literally "the peaceful and deep-thinking empress"), was an empress during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Her husband was Emperor An. She was known for her conspirat ...
and her family deeply, despite their obvious corruption. At the same time, droughts ravaged the country while peasants rose up in arms. In 125, Emperor An died while travelling to
Nanyang Nanyang is the romanization of two common Chinese place names. It may refer to: Written as 南洋 (Southern Ocean) * Nanyang (region), a Chinese term denoting the Southeast Asian lands surrounding the South China Sea ;China * Nanyang Fleet, Qing ...
. He was only 31.


Family background and accession to the throne

Then-Prince Hu was born in 94, to Prince Liu Qing of Qinghe and his
concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive. Concubi ...
, Consort Zuo Xiao E (). Prince Qing was the older brother of Emperor He, and had once been
crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
under their father, Emperor Zhang, until the machinations of Emperor Zhang's wife, Empress Dou, led to his removal and his mother
Consort Song A consort song was a characteristic English song form of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, for solo voice or voices accompanied by a group of instruments, most commonly viols. Although usually in five parts, some early examples of four-par ...
's death. During Emperor He's reign, however, he was a trusted advisor to the emperor, and he had a major role in Emperor He's coup d'état against Empress Dou's domineering brother, Dou Xian, in 92. When they were young, consort Zuo and her older sister Da E () were both confiscated and made court servant girls because their uncle, Zuo Sheng (), had been executed for making defamatory remarks against the emperor or imperial administration. As they grew older, they became known for beauty and talent and became ladies in waiting in Emperor He's palace; Xiao E was particularly known for her knowledge in history and poetry. At Prince Qing's request, Emperor He rewarded him with the two consorts. Both died sometime before Emperor He's death in 106 and were buried in the capital
Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
. After Consort Zuo's death, Prince Hu was raised by Prince Qing's wife, Consort Geng (). When Emperor He died in 106, his infant son, Emperor Shang, ascended the throne. Most of Emperor He's brothers, including Prince Qing, remained in the palace at Luoyang but were ordered to report to their principalities. As an insurance measure, Emperor He's wife, Empress Dowager Deng, kept Prince Qing's wife and 12-year-old son (Prince Hu). When Emperor Shang died later in 106, the officials largely wanted to make Emperor Shang's brother, Prince Sheng () of Pingyuan, emperor. However, Empress Deng had initially denied Prince Sheng the throne because she believed him to be frequently ill; she was concerned that he would bear a grudge against her. At her insistence, Prince Hu ascended the throne as Emperor An.


Early reign: regency by Empress Dowager Deng

After Emperor An ascended the throne, however, the real power remained in Empress Dowager Deng's hands. She sent Consort Geng to join her husband in the
Principality of Qinghe Qinghe Commandery ( zh, 清河郡) was a historical commandery of China, located in present-day southern Hebei and western Shandong. The commandery was established during late Qin dynasty. In Western Han dynasty, the commandery administered 14 co ...
(in modern central
Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
) so that Emperor An had no real influence on the administration. Empress Dowager Deng was generally a capable ruler. While there were natural disasters and wars with Qiang and South
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 ...
, she generally coped with those emergencies well. She also carried out many criminal law reforms. During her regency, Emperor An appeared to have minimal input into the affairs of state. Meanwhile, he became heavily personally influenced by the
eunuchs A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...
Jiang Jing () and Li Run (), and even more so by his
wet nurse A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, or if she is unable or chooses not to nurse the child herself. Wet-nursed children may be known as "milk-siblings", and in some cu ...
Wang Sheng (). He also was heavily influenced by his favorite consorts, Yan Ji (). He made Yan Ji empress in 115, even though she had poisoned one of his other consorts, Consort Li, who had given birth to his only son
Liu Bao Liu Bao ( 190s–200s) was a Southern Xiongnu chanyu who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of China. His father was Yufuluo. His son, Liu Yuan, founded the Han Zhao dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. ...
() earlier that year. While these people lacked real power as long as Empress Dowager Deng lived, they were planning to take power as soon as she was no longer be on the scene. Empress Dowager Deng was somewhat aware of these plans and was offended; she was also disappointed that Emperor An, who was considered a precocious and intelligent child, had neglected his studies and became only interested in drinking and women. It is suspected that at some point, she even considered replacing the emperor with his cousin Liu Yi (), the Prince of Pingyuan. However, she eventually decided against it. In 120, Emperor An named his only son, Prince Bao, crown prince.


Late reign

Empress Dowager Deng died in 121. At the age of 27, Emperor An finally had the reins of the imperial administration. He posthumously honored his father Prince Qing as Emperor Xiaode and his mother Consort Zuo as Empress Xiaode; his paternal grandmother Consort Song as Empress Jingyin; and his stepmother Consort Geng with the unique title of "Grand Consort of Gānlíng" (甘陵大貴人, Ganling being Prince Qing's tomb), a title inferior to his mother's, even though Consort Geng was his father's wife. He, however, was close to her and her brother Geng Bao (), and he quickly made his step-uncle a powerful official in his administration. Initially, Emperor An continued to follow Empress Dowager Deng's policies, including leaving members of her clan in important advisory positions. However, his own close circle of associates, including Jiang, Li, Wang, and Empress Yan, were ready to act. Late in 121, he stripped members of the Deng clan of their posts and fiefs, and many of them committed suicide, probably under duress. Later, he relented and allowed some of the survivors to return, but by that time the Deng clan had been decimated. In the place of the Dengs, the Song clan of Emperor An's grandmother became honored, but wielding much more actual power were the clan of the empress, the Yans—in particular Empress Yan's brothers Yan Xian (), Yan Jing (), and Yan Yao (). Also powerful were the eunuchs Jiang and Li, who had been made marquesses. They, along with several other eunuchs, as well as Wang and her daughter Bo Rong (), became extremely corrupt in their ways. Emperor An ignored criticism of these people and failed to punish them for their corruption. He often listened to their suggestions while ignoring the advice of his key officials. One of the most outspoken ones, Yang Zhen (), the commander of the armed forces, was eventually removed from his post in 124 and committed suicide in protest. In 121, there were again Qiang and
Xianbei The Xianbei (; ) were a Proto-Mongolic ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. They originated from the Donghu people who splintered into the ...
rebellions, which would continue to plague Emperor An for the rest of his reign. The only border where there were Han accomplishments during Emperor An's reign was on the northwestern front—the Xiyu (modern
Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...
and former Soviet
central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
)—where Ban Chao's son
Ban Yong Ban Yong (, died c. 128 CE), courtesy name Yiliao (宜僚), was the youngest son of the famous Chinese General, Ban Chao, and the nephew of the illustrious historian, Ban Gu, who compiled the ''Book of Han'', the dynastic history of the Former Han ...
() was able to reestablish Han dominance over a number of kingdoms. In 124, Wang Sheng, Jiang Jing, and another eunuch Fan Feng () falsely accused Crown Prince Bao's wet nurse Wang Nan () and chef Bing Ji (邴吉, not to be confused with Emperor Xuan's prime minister of the same name), and Wang and Bing were executed. Crown Prince Bao was greatly saddened. Jiang and Fan, fearful of reprisals later, entered into a conspiracy with Empress Yan (who had always hated Crown Prince Bao as not born of herself) to falsely accuse Crown Prince Bao and his servants of crimes. Emperor An believed these charges, and demoted Crown Prince Bao to Prince of Jiyin. In 125, Emperor An was on a trip to Wancheng (宛城, in modern
Nanyang Nanyang is the romanization of two common Chinese place names. It may refer to: Written as 南洋 (Southern Ocean) * Nanyang (region), a Chinese term denoting the Southeast Asian lands surrounding the South China Sea ;China * Nanyang Fleet, Qing ...
,
Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
) when he suddenly felt ill and decided to return to Luoyang. Before he could, however, he died. Empress Yan did not want to allow his son Prince Bao to be emperor. Instead, she made Liu Yi () emperor; Liu Yi had been the
Marquess of Beixiang The Marquess of Beixiang (; died 10 December 125), personal name Liu Yi, also referred to as Emperor Shao (少帝, literally "young emperor"), was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty. He was selected to succeed Emperor An after Emperor An's su ...
and was both a grandson of Emperor Zhang and Emperor An's cousin. He is generally believed to have been far younger than Prince Bao, who was ten years old at the time, though his actual age is not recorded in history. The young emperor, however, died later that year, and a number of eunuchs loyal to Prince Bao, led by
Sun Cheng Sun Cheng () (died 132) was a eunuch at the Imperial Chinese court during the Han Dynasty. Contrary to the stereotype of Han eunuchs being corrupt and power-hungry, he was loyal to the imperial family and tried (unsuccessfully) to counter the cul ...
, carried out a coup d'état and made Prince Bao emperor (as Emperor Shun). The Yans were slaughtered, except for Empress Dowager Yan.


Era names

* ''Yongchu'' () 107–113 * ''Yuanchu'' () 114–120 * ''Yongning'' () 120–121 * ''Jianguang'' () 121–122 * ''Yanguang'' () 122–125


Family

Consorts and Issue: * Empress Ansi, of the Yan clan (; d. 126) * Empress Gongmin, of the Li clan (; d. 115) **
Liu Bao Liu Bao ( 190s–200s) was a Southern Xiongnu chanyu who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of China. His father was Yufuluo. His son, Liu Yuan, founded the Han Zhao dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. ...
, Emperor Xiaoshun (; 115–144), first son


Ancestry


See also

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Family tree of the Han Dynasty This is a family tree of Chinese monarchs from the foundation of the Qin dynasty in 221 BCE until the end of the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty (秦朝) was established in 221 BCE after Qin Shi Huang, King of Qin, conquer ...


References


Further reading

*Fraser, Ian W. (2014). "Zhang Heng 张衡", ''The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography'', vol. 3. Great Barrington, MA: Berkshire Publishing, pp. 369–76. {{DEFAULTSORT:An of Han, Emperor 94 births 125 deaths Eastern Han dynasty emperors Child rulers from Asia 2nd-century Chinese monarchs Emperors from Luoyang