|
Tai-Kōtaigō
Grand empress dowager (also grand dowager empress or grand empress mother) ( (太皇太后) was a title given to the grandmother, or a woman from the same generation, of a Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese emperor in the Chinese cultural sphere. Some grand empresses dowager held regency during the emperor's childhood. Some of the most prominent empress dowagers extended their regencies beyond the time when the emperor was old enough to govern alone. This was seen as a source of political turmoil, according to the traditional views of Chinese historians. Chinese grand empresses dowager Han dynasty * Grand Empress Dowager Lü Zhi (188 BC – 180 BC), during the reign of Emperor Qianshao and Emperor Houshao * Grand Empress Dowager Bo (156 BC – 155 BC), during the reign of Emperor Jing * Grand Empress Dowager Dou (141 BC – 135 BC), during the reign of Emperor Wu * Grand Empress Dowager Shangguan (74 BC – 37 BC), during the reign of Emperor Xuan and Emperor Y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 monarch, especially in regards to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese monarchs in the Chinese cultural sphere. The term however, is applied well beyond just East Asia. The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of grand empress dowager (). An empress dowager wielded power over the harem and imperial family. Numerous empress dowagers held regency during the reign of underage emperors. Many of the most prominent empress dowagers also extended their control for long periods after the emperor was old enough to govern. This was a source of political turmoil according to the traditional view of Chinese history. In Europe, the title dowager empress was given to the wife of a deceased Emperor of Russia or Holy Roman Emperor. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Xuan Of Han
Emperor Xuan of Han (; 91 BC – 10 January 48 BC), born Liu Bingyi (劉病已), was the tenth emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning from 74 to 48 BC, and was one of the only four Western Han emperors to receive a temple name (along with Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Wen and Emperor Wu). During his reign, the Han dynasty prospered economically and militarily became a regional superpower, and was considered by many to be the peak period of the entire Han history. His time of rule, along with his predecessor Emperor Zhao's are known by historians as Zhaoxuan Restoration (昭宣中興). He was succeeded by his son Emperor Yuan after his death in 48 BC. Emperor Xuan's life story was a riches-to- rags-to-riches story. He was born a prince as a great-grandson of Emperor Wu. His grandfather Liu Ju, was a son of Emperor Wu and Empress Wei and the crown prince of the Han Empire, who in 91 BC was framed for witchcraft practice against Emperor Wu and committed suicide after being forced in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Shao Of Liu Song
Emperor Shao of Liu Song ((劉)宋少帝; c. 406 – 4 August 424''guichou'' day of the 6th month of the 2nd year of the ''Jingping'' era, per Emperor Shao's biography in ''Book of Song''), also known by his post-removal title Prince of Yingyang (營陽王), personal name Liu Yifu (劉義符), childhood name Chebing (車兵), was an emperor of the Chinese Liu Song dynasty. He was the oldest son of the founding emperor, Emperor Wu, and became emperor after his father's death in 422. The officials whom his father left in charge of the government became convinced that he was unfit to govern, and so deposed and killed him in 424, making his more-capable younger brother Liu Yilong (Emperor Wen) the emperor. During Jin Dynasty Liu Yifu was born in 406, when his father Liu Yu was already a paramount general of Jin and effectively regent. His mother was Liu Yu's concubine Consort Zhang. He was Liu Yu's oldest son. As Liu Yu consolidated his power, he began to bestow on Liu Yifu inc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xiao Wenshou
Xiao Wenshou (蕭文壽) (343–7 March 423''dingchou'' day of the 2nd month of the 1st year of the ''Jing'ping'' era, per vol. 4 of ''Song Shu''), formally Empress Xiaoyi (孝懿皇后, literally "the filial and benevolent empress") was an empress dowager of the Chinese Liu Song dynasty. She was the stepmother of the founding emperor, Emperor Wu (Liu Yu). Liu Yu's mother Zhao Anzong (趙安宗) died on the same day that she gave birth to him, in 363. His father Liu Qiao (劉翹) later married Xiao Wenshou, although the date of the marriage is not known. She bore Liu Qiao two sons, Liu Daolian (劉道憐) and Liu Daogui (劉道規). Liu Yu was described to be highly deferential and respectful to her, as she was the only mother he knew. After he overthrew Huan Xuan, who seized the Jin Dynasty (266–420) throne in 403, he was created the Duke of Yuzhang, and she was honored as the Duchess Dowager of Yuzhang in 412. After he was created the Prince of Song in 419, she was honored ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor An Of Jin
Emperor An of Jin (; 382 – 28 January 419), personal name Sima Dezong (), was an emperor of the Eastern Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin in China. He was described as so developmental disability, developmentally disabled that he was unable to speak properly, clothe himself, or be able to express whether he was hungry or full. He was created crown prince in 387 and ascended the throne in 397. Because of his disability, the actual power was controlled by his uncle, Sima Daozi, Prince of Kuaiji. During his reign, regents and warlords dominated the Jin regime. Revolts by various governors also ravaged the land. From 398 to 403, there were constant revolts and civil war campaigns. In 403, the Jin regime was usurped by the warlord Huan Xuan, and while Emperor An was restored in 404, the Jin Dynasty was nearing its end. With the warlord Emperor Wu of Liu Song, Liu Yu as the actual power, Jin destroyed Southern Yan and Later Qin, greatly expanding its territory. However, with Liu Yu up in th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Li Lingrong
Li Lingrong (; ) (351 - 9 August 400), formally Empress Dowager Xiaowuwen (; literally "the filial, martial, and civil empress dowager") was an empress dowager during the Jin dynasty. She was a concubine of Emperor Jianwen and the mother of Emperor Xiaowu. Life Li Lingrong was born of a humble origin, and she became a servant girl in the household of Sima Yu the Prince of Kuaiji. She was one of the servants involved with manufacturing textiles. Concubine Sima Yu originally had a wife from high birth, Princess Wang Jianji (王簡姬). With her he fathered his heir apparent, Sima Daosheng (司馬道生), and Sima Yusheng (司馬俞生). However, Sima Daosheng was described as careless and frivolous. In 348, while Sima Yu was prime minister for his grandnephew Emperor Mu, Sima Daosheng was accused of unspecified crimes. He was deposed and died in imprisonment. Princess Wang died in distress. Sima Yusheng and three other sons of Sima Yu all died early, leaving him without an h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cao Rui
Cao Rui () (204 or 205 – 22 January 239), courtesy name Yuanzhong, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. His parentage is in dispute: his mother, Lady Zhen, was Yuan Xi's wife, but she later remarried Cao Pi, the first ruler of Wei. Based on conflicting accounts of his age, Pei Songzhi calculated that, in order to be Cao Pi's son, Cao Rui could not have been 36 (by East Asian age reckoning) when he died as recorded, so the recorded age was in error; late-Qing scholars Lu Bi (卢弼) and Mao Guangsheng (冒广生) argued instead that Cao Rui was Yuan Xi's son. Cao Rui's reign was viewed in many different ways throughout Chinese history. He devoted many resources into building palaces and ancestral temples, and his reign saw the stalemate between his empire, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu become more entrenched. His building projects and his desire to have many concubines (who numbered in the thousands) greatly exhausted the imperial trea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grand Empress Dowager Bian
Lady Bian (29 January 161 – 9 July 230), also known as Empress Dowager Bian or Grand Empress Dowager Bian, formally known as Empress Wuxuan, was an empress dowager and later grand empress dowager of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. She was the wife of Cao Cao, a warlord who rose to power in the late Eastern Han dynasty and laid the foundation of Wei. She bore Cao Cao's successor, Cao Pi, who ended the Han dynasty and founded Wei in 220 after his father's death. Family background and marriage to Cao Cao Lady Bian was born in 161 in Bai Village (), Qi Commandery (; in present-day Shandong) although her family was registered in Langya Commandery (; in present-day southeastern Shandong). Because her family was poor, she was a courtesan when she was young. When she was 20, Cao Cao took her as a concubine. In 189, when Cao Cao fled from Dong Zhuo at Luoyang, Yuan Shu spread rumours that Cao Cao had died. Lady Bian refused to believe them and persuaded ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Consort Fu (Yuan)
Consort Fu (傅昭儀, personal name unknown; died 21 February 2 BC) was an imperial consort during the Han dynasty of China. She was a consort and a favourite of Emperor Yuan. She was known to be a domineering woman who wanted her son on the throne, and, failing that, wanted (and eventually was able to see) her grandson on the throne as Emperor Ai. During Emperor Ai's reign, she exerted heavy and frequent influence on his reign, that made her powerful and dominant and forcibly extracted empress dowager titles that she should not have properly possessed (since she was never an empress – and Emperor Cheng's wife, Grand Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun was still alive) – which would bring her hatred from the Wang clan and eventually the desecration of her tomb after her death. Family background Consort Fu's father was from the Commandery of Henei (roughly modern Handan, Hebei) and died early. Her mother remarried a man named Zheng (鄭) after her father's death. When Conso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Ping Of Han
Emperor Ping of Han (9 BC – 3 February 6 AD),Bielenstein (1986), 228. personal names Liu Jizi and later Liu Kan, was the eleventh emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty, reigning from 1 BC to AD 6. He ascended the throne at the age of eight following the death of his cousin, the childless Emperor Ai. Wang Mang was appointed regent by Grand Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun. Dissatisfied with his father's dictatorial regency, in AD 3, Wang's son Wang Yu (王宇) conspired with Emperor Ping's maternal uncles of the Wei clan against the regent, but after they were discovered, Wang Mang had not only Wang Yu and the Weis (except Consort Wei) put to death, but also used this opportunity to accuse many actual or potential political enemies as being part of the conspiracy and to execute or exile them. From then onwards, the Han dynasty existed only in name. Furthermore, Wang Mang also designated his daughter as the empress consort to Emperor Ping to codify his legitimacy to power. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Ai Of Han
Emperor Ai of Han, personal name Liu Xin (劉欣; 25 BC – 15 August 1 BC), was an emperor of China's Han dynasty. He ascended the throne when he was 20, having been made heir by his childless uncle Emperor Cheng, and he reigned from 7 to 1 BC. The people and the officials were initially excited about his ascension, as he was viewed by them (as well as Emperor Cheng) to be intelligent, articulate, and capable. However, under Emperor Ai, corruption became even more prevalent and heavy taxes were levied on the people. Furthermore, Emperor Ai was highly controlled by his grandmother Consort Fu (consort of his grandfather and his predecessor's father Emperor Yuan), who demanded the title of Grand Empress Dowager—even though she had never been an empress previously and therefore did not properly hold that title, and this led to the unprecedented and unrepeated situation of four women possessing empress dowager titles at the same time—Empress Wang Zhengjun (Emperor Cheng's mot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Empress Wang Zhengjun
Wang Zhengjun (; 71 BC – 3 February 13 AD), officially Empress Xiaoyuan (孝元皇后), later and more commonly known as Grand Empress Dowager Wang, born in Yuancheng (modern Handan, Hebei), was an empress during the Western Han dynasty of China, who played important roles during the reigns of five successive Han emperors (her husband, son, two stepgrandsons, and stepgreat-grandnephew) and later (according to traditional historians, unwittingly) led to the usurpation of the throne by her nephew Wang Mang. She is largely viewed sympathetically by historians as an unassuming and benevolent if overly doting woman who suffered much in her long life, who tried to influence the empire as well as she could, and tried to use her power for the benefit of the empire, and who was not a party to her nephew's machinations, but whose failure, leading to the downfall of the Western Han Dynasty, was her overdependence on her clan (the Wangs). Early life Wang was born the second daughter of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
