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Grand Empress Dowager
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 empress dowagers 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 empress dowagers 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 ...
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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 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 (). 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. The title dowager empress was given to the wife of a deceased emperor of Russia or Holy Roman emperor. By country ''For grand empresses dowager, visit grand empress dowager.'' East Asia Chinese empresses dowager ; Han dynasty * Empress Dowager Lü (241-180 BC), empress c ...
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Emperor Xuan Of Han
Emperor Xuan of Han (Liu Xun 劉詢, né Liu Bingyi 劉病已; born 91 BC – 10 January 48 BC) was the tenth emperor of the Chinese 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. 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 the great-grandson of Emperor Wu. His grandfather Liu Ju, was the 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 into a failed uprising. His father Liu Jin () also died in that turmoil, along with the rest of his fa ...
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Emperor Shao Of Liu Song
Emperor Shao of (Liu) Song ((劉)宋少帝) (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 incr ...
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Xiao Wenshou
Xiao Wenshou (蕭文壽) (343–423), formally Empress Xiaoyi (孝懿皇后, literally "the filial and benevolent empress") was an empress dowager of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song. 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 as princess dowager. After he seized the Jin throne and established Liu Song in 420, she was honored a ...
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Emperor An Of Jin
Emperor An of Jin (; 383 – 28 January 419), personal name Sima Dezong (), was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (266–420) in China. He was described as so developmentally disabled that he was unable to speak, 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 Liu Yu as the actual power, Jin destroyed Southern Yan and Later Qin, greatly expanding its territory. However, with Liu Yu up in the north, the renegade governor of Guang Province (廣州, mo ...
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Li Lingrong
Li Lingrong (李陵容) (351 - 9 August 400), formally Empress Dowager Xiaowuwen (孝武文太后, literally "the filial, martial, and civil empress dowager") was an empress dowager during Jin Dynasty (266–420). 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), who bore him 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, le ...
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Cao Rui
Cao Rui () (204 or 206 – 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 33 (by East Asian age reckoning) when he died as recorded, so the recorded age was in error; Lu Bi and Mou Guangsheng 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 treasury. On his deathbed, he has no ...
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Grand Empress Dowager Bian
Lady Bian (29 January 161According to the ''Book of Wei'' by Wang Chen et al., Lady Bian was born on the ''jisi'' day of the 12th month of the 3rd year of the ''Yanxi'' era of the reign of Emperor Huan of Han. ((后以汉延熹三年十二月己巳生...) ''Wei Shu'' annotation in ''Sanguozhi'', vol.05.) However, this is likely to be an error as there is no ''jisi'' day in the 12th month of the 3rd year of the ''Yanxi'' era. There is a ''yisi'' (乙巳) day in that month, and the date corresponds to 29 Jan 161 in the proleptic Gregorian calender. – 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 ...
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Consort Fu (Yuan)
Consort Fu (傅昭儀, personal name unknown) (died 2 BC) was an imperial consort during Han Dynasty. 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 Consort Fu was young, she was ...
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Emperor Ping Of Han
Emperor Ping (9 BC – 3 February 6 AD)Bielenstein (1986), 228. was eleventh emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty from 1 BC to AD 6. After Emperor Ai died childless, the throne was passed to his cousin Emperor Ping—then a child of eight years old. Wang Mang was appointed regent by the Grand Empress Dowager Wang. 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 Wang, but after they were discovered, Wang 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. Emperor Ping was allegedly poisoned by Wang Mang after reigning less ...
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Emperor Ai Of Han
Emperor Ai of Han (27 BCE – 15 August 1 BCE) was an emperor of the Chinese 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 BCE. 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 (Emperor Cheng's mother and Emperor Yuan's wife), Em ...
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Empress Wang Zhengjun
Wang Zhengjun (; 71 BC – 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 Wang Jin, the ...
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