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 sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...

during the

Han Dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...

. 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 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 ...

. 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