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Empress Dowager Duan (Zhaowen)
Empress Dowager Duan (段太后, personal name unknown) was an empress dowager of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. She was a concubine of the founding emperor Murong Chui (Emperor Wucheng), and she was the mother of Murong Xi (Emperor Zhaowen). Biography Little is known about her life before Murong Xi became emperor, and although it appears likely that she might be related to Murong Chui's empress Duan Yuanfei, that connection is not completely clear. After Murong Xi succeeded his nephew Murong Sheng (Emperor Zhaowu) in 401, initially, he did not honor her as empress dowager, as Murong Sheng's mother Empress Dowager Ding was already empress dowager, but after he forced Empress Dowager Ding to commit suicide in 402 over her failed coup attempt, he honored his mother as empress dowager around the new year 404. In summer 407, after Murong Xi's empress Empress Fu Xunying Fu Xunying (苻訓英) (died 407) was an empress of the Xianbei-led Chinese Later Yan dynasty. Her h ... [...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 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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
History Of China
The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapters, 11th century BC), the '' Bamboo Annals'' (c. 296 BC) and the ''Records of the Grand Historian'' (c. 91 BC) describe a Xia dynasty before the Shang, but no writing is known from the period, and Shang writings do not indicate the existence of the Xia. The Shang ruled in the Yellow River valley, which is commonly held to be the cradle of Chinese civilization. However, Neolithic civilizations originated at various cultural centers along both the Yellow River and Yangtze River. These Yellow River and Yangtze civilizations arose millennia before the Shang. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is among the world's oldest civilizations and is regarded as one of the cradles of civilization. The Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 Wuhuan and Xianbei when they were defeated by the Xiongnu at the end of the third century BC. The Xianbei were largely subordinate to larger nomadic powers and the Han dynasty until they gained prominence in 87 AD by killing the Xiongnu chanyu Youliu. However unlike the Xiongnu, the Xianbei political structure lacked the organization to pose a concerted challenge to the Chinese for most of their time as a nomadic people. After suffering several defeats by the end of the Three Kingdoms period, the Xianbei migrated south and settled in close proximity to Han society and submitted as vassals, being granted the titles of dukes. As the Xianbei Murong, Tuoba, and Duan tribes were one of the Five Barbarians who were vassals of the Western ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Later Yan
Yan, known in historiography as the Later Yan (; 384 – 407 or 409) was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Xianbei people, located in modern-day northeast China, during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms. All rulers of the Later Yan declared themselves "emperors". Rulers of the Later Yan See also *Battle of Canhebei * Wu Hu * List of past Chinese ethnic groups *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 th ... References {{DEFAULTSORT:Yan History of Mongolia 384 establishments 409 disestablishments Dynasties in Chinese history Former countries in Chinese history 4th-century establishments in China ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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. Concubinage was a formal and institutionalized practice in China until the 20th century that upheld concubines' rights and obligations. A concubine could be freeborn or of slave origin, and their experience could vary tremendously according to their masters' whim. During the Mongol conquests, both foreign royals and captured women were taken as concubines. Concubinage was also common in Meiji Japan as a status symbol, and in Indian society, where the intermingling of castes and religions was frowned upon and a taboo, and concubinage could be practiced with women with whom marriage was considered undesirable, such as those from a lower caste and Muslim women who wouldn't be accepted in a Hindu household and Hindu women who wouldn't be accepted in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Murong Chui
Murong Chui (; 326–396), courtesy name Daoming (道明), Xianbei name Altun (阿六敦), formally Emperor Chengwu of (Later) Yan ((後)燕成武帝) was a great general of the Xianbei-led Chinese Former Yan dynasty who later became the founding emperor of the Later Yan dynasty. He was a controversial figure in Chinese history, as his military abilities were outstanding, but as he was forced to flee Former Yan due to the jealousies of the regent Murong Ping, he was taken in and trusted by the Former Qin emperor Fu Jiān, but later betrayed him and established Later Yan, leading to a reputation of him as a traitor. Further, his reputation was damaged in that soon after his death, the Later Yan state suffered great defeats at the hands of Northern Wei dynasty's founder Emperor Daowu (Tuoba Gui), leading to the general sense that Murong Chui contributed to the defeats by not building a sound foundation for the empire and by choosing the wrong successor. However he continues to be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Murong Xi
Murong Xi (; 385–407; r. 401–407), courtesy name Daowen (道文), formally Emperor Zhaowen of (Later) Yan ((後)燕昭文帝), was an emperor of the Xianbei-led Later Yan dynasty of China. He was one of the youngest sons of Murong Chui (Emperor Wucheng), and after the death of his nephew Murong Sheng (Emperor Zhaowu) became emperor due to his affair with Murong Sheng's mother, Empress Dowager Ding. He was regarded as a cruel and capricious ruler, who acted at the whims of himself and his wife, Empress Fu Xunying, greatly damaging the Later Yan state. After Empress Fu died in 407, he left the capital Longcheng (龍城, in modern Jinzhou, Liaoning) to bury her, and the soldiers in Longcheng took this chance to rebel and replace him with Murong Bao's adopted son Murong Yun (Emperor Huiyi), and Murong Xi himself was captured and killed. (Because Murong Yun was an adopted son who later changed his name back to Gao Yun, some historians treat Murong Xi as the last emperor o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duan Yuanfei
Duan Yuanfei (段元妃) (died 396), formally Empress Cheng'ai (成哀皇后, literally "the successful and lamentable empress"), was an empress of the Xianbei-led Chinese Later Yan dynasty. Her husband was the state's founding emperor, Murong Chui (Emperor Wucheng). Her given name is lost to history, but her courtesy name Yuanfei was recorded. She was the niece of two of Murong Chui's prior wives, who were daughters of the Xianbei chief Duan Mopei (段末怌). Her father Duan Yi (段儀) was a brother of the Princesses Duan. Life Murong Chui married Duan Yuanfei in or slightly earlier than 388. His younger brother Murong De married her sister Duan Jifei around the same time. He created her empress in 388 and favored her greatly. They had two sons, Murong Lang (慕容朗) the Prince of Bohai and Murong Jian (慕容鑒) the Prince of Boling. Empress Duan was described as being intelligent and a good judge of character. As she saw that Murong Chui's crown prince Murong Ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Murong Sheng
Murong Sheng (; 373–401), courtesy name Daoyun (道運), formally Emperor Zhaowu of (Later) Yan ((後)燕昭武帝), was an emperor of the Xianbei-led Later Yan dynasty of China. He was the oldest son of Murong Bao (Emperor Huimin), and after Murong Bao was killed by Lan Han (Murong Sheng's father-in-law) avenged his father in a coup and took the throne. For a large part of his reign, he used the title "Commoner Heavenly Prince" (庶人天王, ''Shu Ren Tian Wang'') instead of emperor. Murong Sheng was described as a talented strategist and general, but he overreacted to what he perceived to be his father's weaknesses—being overly lenient and weak—and was harsh in his reign, causing his officials to be constantly insecure and looking to rebel against him. In one of those rebellions in 401, he was stricken by a rebel soldier and died from his injuries. He was succeeded by his uncle Murong Xi (Emperor Zhaowen). In the Record of Jin, Murong Sheng was described as a str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Empress Dowager Ding
Empress Dowager Ding (丁太后, personal name unknown) (died 402), formally Empress Xianyou (獻幽皇后, literally "the wise and lonely empress") was an empress dowager of the Xianbei-ruled Later Yan dynasty of China. She was a concubine of Murong Bao (Emperor Huimin) and the mother of Murong Sheng (Emperor Zhaowu). Life She gave birth to Murong Sheng while Murong Bao was serving as a low-level Former Qin official, in 373. What happened to her during the next three decades were not clear, but at the time when Murong Bao, then emperor of Later Yan, and Murong Sheng were fleeing from rebellions in 398, she was at the capital Longcheng (龍城, in modern Jinzhou, Liaoning). At this time, she was carefully served by her daughter-in-law Princess Lan, despite the fact that Longcheng was under the control of Princess Lan's father Lan Han, who would set a trap for Murong Bao and have him killed later that year, and then claim the throne. Murong Sheng was spared, however, because he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Empress Fu Xunying
Fu Xunying (苻訓英) (died 407) was an empress of the Xianbei-led Chinese Later Yan dynasty. Her husband was Murong Xi (Emperor Zhaowen). Life Fu Xunying was a daughter of Fu Mo (苻謨), a member of Former Qin's imperial house before he surrendered to Later Yan under military pressure. As of 397, he was the mayor of Later Yan's capital Zhongshan (中山, in modern Baoding, Hebei) when the Later Yan emperor Murong Bao (Emperor Huimin) abandoned Zhongshan in face of Northern Wei military attacks, and he was subsequently killed by Murong Bao's nephew Murong Xiang (慕容詳) the Duke of Kaifeng, who wanted to be emperor himself. His family was slaughtered. Somehow, however, Fu Xunying and her older sister Fu Song'e were not killed—perhaps they escaped the slaughter, or perhaps they were no longer in Zhongshan at that point. After Murong Xi became emperor in 401 after succeeding his nephew Murong Sheng (Emperor Zhaowu), he took Fu Song'e and Fu Xunying as imperial consorts i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gao Yun (Northern Yan)
Gao Yun (高雲) (died 409), at one time Murong Yun (慕容雲), courtesy name Ziyu (子雨), formally Emperor Huiyi of (Later)/(Northern) Yan ((後)/(北)燕惠懿帝), was an emperor who, depending on the historian's characterization, was either the last emperor of the Later Yan, or the first emperor of its succeeding state Northern Yan. He was a descendant of the royal house of Goguryeo (Gaogouli), whose ancestors were captured by the Former Yan. He was adopted into the Later Yan imperial house after helping the emperor Murong Bao (Emperor Huimin) put down a rebellion by Murong Bao's son Murong Hui. He became emperor after the people rebelled against the despotic rule of his adoptive uncle Murong Xi (Emperor Zhaowen), and during his reign, he used the title "Heavenly Prince" (''Tian Wang''). In 409, he was assassinated, and after a disturbance, was replaced by his ethnic Han general Feng Ba (Emperor Wencheng). Original from the University of California Early life Gao Yun's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
