Consort Dowager An (; personal name unknown) (died 949) was the mother of

Shi Chonggui Shi Chonggui () (914 – 10 July 974Shi Chonggui's epitaph indicate that he died of illness at the age of 61 (by East Asian reckoning) on the 18th day of the 6th month of the 6th year of the ''Bao'ning'' era of the reign of Emperor Jingzong of Li ...

(Emperor Chu), the second and final emperor of the Chinese Later Jin dynasty. As he inherited his throne from his uncle (Lady An's brother-in-law)

Shi Jingtang Shi Jingtang ( zh, 石敬瑭; 30 March 892 – 28 July 942''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 283.), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Gaozu of Later Jin (), was the founding emperor of the Later Jin dynasty of China during the Five Dynas ...

(Emperor Gaozu), he honored Shi Jingtang's wife Empress Li

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 Chines ...

, leaving Lady An with the lesser title of consort dowager. After Later Jin's destruction by the Khitan-led Liao dynasty, she followed him into exile deep in Liao territory and died there.

Background

It is not known when Lady An was born. Little is known about her family background beyond that she was from the Daibei region (代北, i.e., the region around and north of modern

Xinzhou Xinzhou, ancient name Xiurong (), is a prefecture-level city occupying the north-central section of Shanxi Province in the People's Republic of China, bordering Hebei to the east, Shaanxi to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the northwest. As ...

Shanxi Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...

). Her husband Shi Jingru (石敬儒)''

New History of the Five Dynasties The ''Historical Records of the Five Dynasties'' (''Wudai Shiji'') is a Chinese history book on the Five Dynasties period (907–960), written by the Song dynasty official Ouyang Xiu in private. It was drafted during Ouyang's exile from 1036 t ...

'', vol. 17. was a cavalry officer of

Li Cunxu Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang (), personal name Li Cunxu (), nickname Yazi (), stage name Li Tianxia (), was the second ruling prince of the Former Jin dynasty (r. 908–923) who later became the founding emperor of the Later Tang dynasty ...

the Prince of Jin. She gave birth to their only known child,

, in 914. Shi Jingru died early, and so Shi Chonggui was raised by and adopted by his younger brother,

.''

Old History of the Five Dynasties The ''Old History of the Five Dynasties'' ( zh, t=舊五代史, pinyin=, p=Jiù Wǔdài Shǐ) was an official history mainly focusing on Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Five Dynasties era (907–960), which controlled much of northern C ...

'', vol. 81.

During Later Jin

In 936, Shi Jingtang, then a

Later Tang Tang, known in historiography as the Later Tang, was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China and the second of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The first three of the Later Tang's four ...

general, rebelled against Later Tang's final emperor

Li Congke Li Congke ( zh, s=李从珂, t=李從珂, p=Lǐ Cóngkē) (11 February 885 – 11 January 937), also known in historiography as the Last Emperor of Later Tang (), Deposed Emperor of Later Tang (), Wang Congke () (particularly during the succee ...

and founded Later Jin. He, with aid from Later Tang's northern rival Khitan Empire's Emperor Taizong, then destroyed Later Tang and took over its territory. In 938, he created Shi Chonggui the Prince of Zheng. At some point (presumably around that time), Lady An was created the Lady of Qin. In 942, Shi Jingtang died. Before his death, he had intended that his only surviving son Shi Chongrui (石重睿) inherit the throne and had entrusted Shi Chongrui to the senior

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

Feng Dao, but Feng, in consultation with the imperial guard general Jing Yanguang, believed that the state needed an older emperor, and therefore supported Shi Chonggui, then the Prince of Qi, to succeed Shi Jingtang. Shi Chonggui honored Shi Jingtang's wife Empress Li as

(and Shi Jingtang's mother or stepmother Empress Dowager Liu as grand empress dowager), but did not immediately honor his own mother. In 943 (by which time Grand Empress Dowager Liu had died), he honored Lady An consort dowager. It was said that Shi Chonggui served both Consort Dowager An and Empress Dowager Li diligently, often attending to their meals. What, if any, influence she had on his governance, including his subsequent renouncing of subservience to the Khitan emperor (whose state had been renamed Liao by this point), was not recorded in history.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 283.

After Later Jin's destruction

In winter 946, Emperor Taizong personally led an army and, after defeating and forcing the surrender of the Later Jin general Du Wei (the husband of a sister of Shi Jingru's and Shi Jingtang's), advanced on then-Later Jin capital

Kaifeng Kaifeng ( zh, s=开封, p=Kāifēng) is a prefecture-level city in east-Zhongyuan, central Henan province, China. It is one of the Historical capitals of China, Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and ...

. Shi Chonggui surrendered, ending Later Jin.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 285. Emperor Taizong then prepared to send him and his family into exile, deep in desolate Liao proper.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 286. Consort Dowager An was said to be old and blind at that point, but was sent into exile with him, Empress Dowager Li, his wife Empress Feng, Shi Chongrui, and Shi Chonggui's adoptive sons (Shi Jingtang's biological grandsons) Shi Yanxu (石延煦) and Shi Yanbao (石延寶). (Emperor Taizong extended Empress Dowager Li an offer not to be exiled, but she declined, choosing to share Shi Chonggui's fate; Consort Dowager An was not said to have been given such an offer.) In 949, by which time Liao was ruled by Emperor Taizong's nephew Emperor Shizong, the Shi household had settled at Liaoyang (遼陽, in modern

Liaoyang Liaoyang ( zh, s=辽阳 , t=遼陽 , p=Liáoyáng) is a prefecture-level city of east-central Liaoning province, China, situated on the Taizi River. It is approximately one hour south of Shenyang, the provincial capital, by car. Liaoyang is hom ...

Liaoning ) , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = Clockwise: Mukden Palace in Shenyang, Xinghai Square in Dalian, Dalian coast, Yalu River at Dandong , image_map = Liaoning in China (+all claims hatched).svg , ...

), but was apparently separated from any ethnic Han. Empress Dowager Li decided to go meet Emperor Shizong herself, asking to be resettled near a Han city and be given land for agriculture. Emperor Shizong agreed, and decided to move them to Jian Prefecture (建州, in modern Chaoyang,

). While they were on the trek to Jian, Consort Dowager An died. As she was dying, she gave the instruction, "You should burn my bones and toss the ashes to the south. May it be that my spirit may return to Han lands."''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 288. However, her instructions were not completely followed. Her body was burned (but as there were not sufficient plants for firewood around, a wagon or wagons had to be dismantled to be used as fuel), and either her ashes or charred bones were taken to Jian Prefecture. After Empress Dowager Li died not long after and her body was also burned, they were buried together.

Notes and references

* ''

'', vol. 17. * ''

Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...

'', vols.

283 Year 283 ( CCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Carus and Carinus (or, less frequently, year 1036 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 283 for this y ...

, 286,

288 Year 288 ( CCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Maximian and Ianuarianus (or, less frequently, year 1041 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:An, Consort Dowager 9th-century births 949 deaths People from Shanxi Jin (Later Tang precursor) people Later Tang people Later Jin (Five Dynasties) people Liao dynasty people Mothers of Chinese emperors