Emperor Shang of Han (; Late October or Early November 105 – 21 September 106) was an infant

emperor 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 ( ...

of the Chinese

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 ...

and the fifth emperor of the Eastern Han. Born Liu Long (Chinese: 劉隆), the infant was placed on the throne by the Empress Dowager Deng when he was barely 100 days old, despite his having an older brother, Liu Sheng (). Empress Dowager Deng also kept Liu Hu () – the twelve-year-old cousin of the young emperor and future

Emperor An of Han Emperor An of Han (; 94 – 30 April 125) was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty 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 ...

– in the capital

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of 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 southeast, Nanyan ...

as insurance against the emperor's death. Liu Hu ascended to the throne when Emperor Shang died in 106; however, Dowager Deng still remained as the

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

for the teenager Emperor An. A

decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used ...

by Empress Dowager Deng during this reign shed light on bureaucratic inefficiency.

Early life

Prince Liu Long was born in autumn 105 to Emperor He and a

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 ...

whose identity is unknown. Because Emperor He had, during his reign, frequently lost sons due to illnesses in childhood, according to the superstitions of the time, both Prince Long and his older brother Prince Sheng were given to foster parents outside the palace to nurture. When Emperor He died early 106, his wife, Empress Deng Sui, brought the young princes back to the palace. Prince Sheng was older but regarded as frequently ill and unfit for the throne; therefore Empress Deng created the infant Prince Long

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 w ...

and soon after had him proclaimed Emperor Shang, with Empress Deng acting as

Empress Dowager Empress dowager (also dowager empress or empress mother) () is the English language translation of the title given to the mother or widow of a Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese emperor in the Chinese cultural sphere. The title was a ...

Reign

After Emperor Shang was proclaimed emperor, his brother Prince Sheng was created the Prince of Pingyuan. Concerned that Emperor Shang might not live long, Empress Dowager Deng also kept Liu Hu () – the twelve-year-old cousin of the young emperor and future

– in the capital

as insurance against the emperor's death. Prince Hu was viewed by some as the rightful heir to Emperor He, as he was the son of Prince Qing of Qinghe, who was once a crown prince under Emperor He's father Emperor Zhang but was deposed due to machinations of Emperor Zhang's wife Empress Dou. As Emperor Shang was an infant, actual and formal power were vested with Empress Dowager Deng. Her brother Deng Zhi () became the most powerful official in the imperial government. During the short reign, Empress Dowager Deng issued a general pardon to those who had had rights stripped from them for associating with the family of Empress Dou.

Death

Late in 106, Emperor Shang died. The officials had by this time realized that his older brother, Prince Sheng, was not as ill as originally thought and therefore wanted to make him emperor. However, Empress Dowager Deng was concerned that Prince Sheng might bear a grudge at not being made emperor before his brother, and therefore insisted on making Emperor Shang's cousin, Prince Hu, emperor instead. Emperor Shang, having died as a toddler, was not given a separate tomb, as is customary for emperors. Rather, in order to avoid unnecessary expenses, he was buried in the same tomb complex as his father Emperor He. Prince Hu ascended to the throne – with the regnal name Emperor An – when Emperor Shang died in 106; however, Dowager Deng still remained as the

for the teenager Emperor An. A

by Empress Dowager Deng during this reign shed light on bureaucratic inefficiency.

Era name

* ''Yanping'' () 106

Ancestry

References