Empress Deng Sui
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Deng Sui ( zh, t=鄧綏; 81 – 17 April 121), formally Empress Hexi ( zh, t=和熹皇后, links=no, l=moderate and pacifying empress), was an
empress The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
of the
Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
through her marriage to
Emperor He of Han Emperor He of Han (; 79 – 13 February 106) was an emperor of the Chinese Han dynasty who ruled from 88 to 106. He was the 4th emperor of the Eastern Han, and the 20th emperor of the Han dynasty. Emperor He was a son of Emperor Zhang and, th ...
, and later its '' de facto'' ruler. Acting as
regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
twice for Emperor Shang, and then for Emperor An. Deng Sui was recognized as a merciful, intelligent leader who guided the dynasty well through a period of excessive natural disaster, disastrous famine, court intrigues, economic inflation and costly military conflicts, and she overcame all the problems and organized the government; as well as a staunch opponent of corruption and bribery, and an effective patron of education and the arts, which fostered growth and development in state. She is considered to be one of the Han dynasty's last effective rulers. Beginning as an imperial consort to Emperor He, she managed to gain favor in the court through her humble and virtuous disposition, as well as her intelligence. She never wore lavish clothes, and refused any special privileges and gifts given to her. She gained the affections of He by expressing her concerns about him producing an heir, and suggesting other concubines that could possibly bear him one. Deng was also known for her beauty, which was recorded in many accounts and was undoubtedly the reason that He became enamored with her. Her influence in court caused He's wife, Empress Yin, to grow jealous, despite Deng's generosity towards her. Deng tried to forge a good relationship with Yin through acts of courtesy and respect, but Yin's jealousy caused her to resent Deng. Her jealousy towards Deng continued to grow until Yin was deposed due to accusations of her committing witchcraft, possibly to curse Deng. The Yin clan was exiled, and Yin later died. The same year, Deng was made empress. As empress, Deng continued to be a humble and virtuous person. She used her status as empress to promote education and became a patron of scholarship and the arts. She opened up opportunities for scholars to become involved in the aristocracy, and encouraged original thinking, giving way to philosophers such as
Ban Zhao Ban Zhao (; 45 or 49 – c. 117/120 CE), courtesy name Huiban (), was a Chinese historian, philosopher, and politician. She was the first known female Chinese historian and, along with Pamphile of Epidaurus, one of the first known female h ...
, one of China's first known female historians and philosophers, who served as Deng's primary educator and ladies-in-waiting. As part of her humility, and possibly her education, Deng refused any tributes that would have normally been given to an empress, instead opting for paper and ink. She sponsored the usage of paper in the imperial palace, and as a result, she is considered to be responsible for the world's adoption of paper. When Emperor He died, Deng, who had not birthed him any heirs, claimed two sons from He's harem, Liu Sheng and Liu Long, both of whom were sickly. Ruling 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 monarch, especially in regards to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese monarchs in the Chines ...
, she deemed Liu Long to be the less sickly of the two and made him heir. She proceeded to serve as regent for Liu Long, and when he died, she had the cousin of Liu Sheng, Prince Sheng, made heir, whom she served as regent for as well. As regent, Deng had full control over the kingdom, and she demonstrated her intelligence through her decisions to cut taxes and reduce palace expenses, which provided great relief for the poor. She was known to be a fair leader who did not tolerate corruption, even within her own family. She was also known to be a very merciful ruler, issuing a general pardon to the family members and associates of Empress Dou (Emperor He's mother), who all had grown powerful during Emperor He's time before being toppled in a
coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
by He, and issuing law reforms that extended the time allowed for death penalty appeals. Through her rule, she successfully guided the dynasty through a period fraught with severe hailstorms, floods, and droughts through her organization of relief efforts. Additionally, she navigated military conflict with the
Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of Nomad, nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese historiography, Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, t ...
and Qiang, who were causing disturbances at the borders. Her administration is considered one of the last periods of stable and effective rule during the Eastern Han dynasty, with subsequent rulers drawn into power struggles that gradually destabilized the empire.


Family background and early life

Deng Sui was born in 81 AD in Nanyang. Her father Deng Xun (鄧訓) was the sixth son of
Emperor Guangwu Emperor Guangwu of Han (; 15 January 5 BC29 March AD 57), born Liu Xiu (), courtesy name Wenshu (), was a Chinese monarch. He served as an emperor of the Han dynasty by restoring the dynasty in AD 25, thus founding the Eastern Han dynasty. He ...
's prime minister
Deng Yu Deng Yu (2 – June 585th month of the 1st year of the ''Yong'ping'' era, per Emperor Ming's biography in ''Book of the Later Han''. The month corresponds to 11 Jun to 9 Jul 58 in the Julian calendar.), courtesy name Zhonghua, was a Chinese sta ...
. Her mother, Lady Yin, was a daughter of a cousin of Emperor Guangwu's wife Empress
Yin Lihua Yin Lihua (; 5–26 February 64 AD), formally Empress Guanglie (光烈皇后), was an empress during the Eastern Han dynasty. She was the second empress of her husband Emperor Guangwu (Liu Xiu), even though she was his first wife and married ...
. She had a noted interest in studying, being able to read historical texts at age six and being able to recite the
Book of Documents The ''Book of Documents'' ( zh, p=Shūjīng, c=書經, w=Shu King) or the ''Classic of History'', is one of the Five Classics of ancient Chinese literature. It is a collection of rhetorical prose attributed to figures of ancient China, a ...
and
Analects The ''Analects'', also known as the ''Sayings of Confucius'', is an ancient Chinese philosophical text composed of sayings and ideas attributed to Confucius and his contemporaries, traditionally believed to have been compiled by his followers. ...
when she was twelve. She was selected to be in the palace in 95. She became a consort to Emperor He in 96, when she was 15, and he was 17. She may have been notable for her stature; at 166 centimeters she was two inches taller than the average man of the period.


Imperial consort and empress

When Deng Sui became an imperial consort, Emperor He had already created Empress Yin empress. Empress Yin was described as beautiful but short and clumsy, and she was also known for jealousy. Consort Deng tried to foster a proper relationship with her by being humble, and was described as constantly trying to cover Empress Yin's mistakes. This, however, only drew Empress Yin's jealousy, as Emperor He became impressed with her and considered her one of his favorites. Empress Yin was also not pleased that Consort Deng, concerned that Emperor He was constantly losing sons in childhood, often recommended other consorts for him to have sexual relations with. Once, when Emperor He was ill, Empress Yin made the remark that if she became empress dowager, the Dengs would be slaughtered. Upon hearing that remark, Consort Deng considered committing suicide, and one of her ladies-in-waiting saved her by falsely telling her that the emperor had recovered. However, the emperor did soon recover, so Consort Deng and her family escaped a terrible fate. In 102, Empress Yin and her grandmother, Deng Zhu (鄧朱), were accused of using witchcraft to curse imperial consorts (probably including Consort Deng). She was deposed and died of sorrow, probably in 102 as well. Emperor He created Consort Deng empress on 21 November of that year to replace her. As empress, Empress Deng was described as diligent and humble, and she resisted offers by Emperor He to promote her relatives. She was taught by
Ban Zhao Ban Zhao (; 45 or 49 – c. 117/120 CE), courtesy name Huiban (), was a Chinese historian, philosopher, and politician. She was the first known female Chinese historian and, along with Pamphile of Epidaurus, one of the first known female h ...
, whom she made a
Lady-in-Waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...
. She also prohibited the commanderies and principalities from offering her tributes—which had been customary for empresses to receive. As Empress, she refused all tributes from abroad, insisting on receiving annual gifts of paper and ink instead.


Regency


Regency for Emperor Shang of Han

In 106, with China facing a financial crisis, Emperor He died, creating a succession crisis. Empress Deng and all of the imperial consorts had been without sons for a long time. (Emperor He was described as having had a number of sons who died in young age; it is unclear whether Empresses Yin or Deng ever gave birth, but it appears that they did not.) Late in Emperor He's reign, he had two sons—whose mothers were not mentioned in history—Liu Sheng and Liu Long. Under the superstition of the time, it was thought that they might survive better if they grew up outside the palace in light of their other brothers' early deaths, so both were given to
foster parent Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home (residential child care community or treatment centre), or private home of a state- certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent", or with a family memb ...
s. At the time Emperor He died, Liu Sheng, the older son, was still young (but actual age is not recorded in history) and believed to be constantly ill. The younger, Liu Long, was only 100 days old. Both were welcomed back to the palace, and Empress Deng created Liu Long crown prince, believing that he would be healthier, and then that night he was proclaimed emperor, as Emperor Shang. Power was in Empress Dowager Deng's hands, as regent for the infant emperor, and her brother Deng Zhi (鄧騭) quickly became the most powerful official at court. She also sought the advice of Ban Zhao, until her death in 116. She issued a general pardon, which benefitted the people who had rights stripped from them for associating with the family of Empress Dou, whose family had been powerful during the early reign of Emperor He but had been toppled in a coup d'état. Late in 106, the young emperor died, creating yet another succession crisis. By this time, the officials had realized that Prince Sheng (then Prince of Pingyuan) was not as ill as initially thought, and they generally wanted him to be emperor. However, Empress Dowager Deng, concerned that Prince Sheng would bear a grudge for not having been made emperor first, had other ideas. She insisted on making Emperor Shang's cousin Prince Hu, who was seen by some as the rightful heir, emperor instead. He took the throne as Emperor An, at age 12.


Regency for Emperor An of Han

When Emperor An ascended the throne, his father Liu Qing was still alive, as was his wife Consort Geng—who had remained in the capital
Luoyang Luoyang ( zh, s=洛阳, t=洛陽, p=Luòyáng) is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zheng ...
with him until his ascension. (Emperor An's mother Consort Zuo Xiao'e (左小娥), Liu Qing's concubine, had died sometime earlier.) However, Deng Sui was able to ensure exclusive control over the young emperor still, as empress dowager, by sending Consort Geng to join her husband Liu Qing in his Principality of Qinghe. Deng Sui showed herself to be an able regent who did not tolerate corruption, even by her own family members. She also carried out criminal law reforms. For example, in 107, she issued an edict that extended the period for death penalty appeals. She cut the expenses of the royal court, like the making of expensive handicrafts such as
jade Jade is an umbrella term for two different types of decorative rocks used for jewelry or Ornament (art), ornaments. Jade is often referred to by either of two different silicate mineral names: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in t ...
and
ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and Tooth, teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mamm ...
carvings and sent home palace attendants with superfluous functions. She also demanded less tribute from the provinces. While Empress, she twice opened the imperial granaries to feed the hungry; forced the reduction of income landlords received from the land they rented out; she repaired waterways and cut court rituals and banquets. In 107, however, there would be major problems on the borders. First, kingdoms of the
Western Regions The Western Regions or Xiyu (Hsi-yü; ) was a historical name specified in Ancient Chinese chronicles between the 3rd century BC to the 8th century AD that referred to the regions west of the Yumen Pass, most often the Tarim Basin in prese ...
(or Xiyu, modern
Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...
and
Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...
), which had submitted to Han suzerainty during the times of the great general
Ban Chao Ban Chao (; 32–102 CE), courtesy name Zhongsheng, was a Chinese diplomat, explorer, and military general of the Eastern Han dynasty. He was born in Fufeng (region), Fufeng, now Xianyang, Shaanxi. Three of his family members—father Ban Biao, ...
, had been resisting Ban's successors for some time due to their harsh regulations, and in 107, Empress Dowager Deng finally decreed that Xiyu be abandoned. That same year, Qiang tribes, who had been oppressed by Han officials for more than a decade and fearful that they would be ordered to quell Xiyu rebellions, rebelled themselves. This was a major rebellion, affecting a wide region over modern
Shaanxi Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...
,
Gansu Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...
, and northern
Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...
, and Qiang forces even made incursions into modern
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 ...
and threatened the capital at one point. The situation became so severe that Deng Zhi considered abandoning Liang Province (涼州, roughly modern
Gansu Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...
), a proposal that Empress Dowager Deng wisely rejected. The rebellion would not be put down until 118, by which point the western empire was in shambles. Also, in 107 to 109, there were many natural disasters—floods, droughts, and hail, in different parts of the empire. Empress Dowager Deng was largely effective in organizing disaster relief efforts. In 109, South
Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of Nomad, nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese historiography, Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, t ...
, which had been a loyal vassal up to this point, rebelled as well, believing that Han had been so weakened by Qiang rebellions that it would be easy target. However, after Han made a strong show of force, South Xiongnu submitted again and would not become a trouble spot for the rest of Han dynasty. On 22 November 110, Empress Dowager Deng's mother Lady Yin died. Her brothers resigned their posts to observe a period of mourning for three years, and after initially not approving the request, she eventually did, under female scholar
Ban Zhao Ban Zhao (; 45 or 49 – c. 117/120 CE), courtesy name Huiban (), was a Chinese historian, philosopher, and politician. She was the first known female Chinese historian and, along with Pamphile of Epidaurus, one of the first known female h ...
's suggestion. Even though they were without major government posts, however, they remained powerful advisors. As the years went by, Empress Dowager Deng's original humble nature appeared to entirely wear away as she hung onto power. When some of her relatives and close associates suggested that she transfer power to Emperor An, she became angry at them and would not do so.


Death

In April 121, Empress Dowager Deng died and was buried with her husband Emperor He with full honors on 30 April. Emperor An finally took power at age 28. His
wet nurse A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeding, breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, if she is unable to nurse the child herself sufficiently or chooses not to do so. Wet-nursed children may be known a ...
Wang Sheng (王聖) and trusted
eunuch A eunuch ( , ) is a male who has been castration, castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2 ...
s Li Run (李閏) and Jiang Jing (江京), who had waited for years to have power, falsely accused Empress Dowager Deng of having considered deposing Emperor An and replacing him with his cousin, Liu Yi (劉翼) the Prince of Hejian. In anger, Emperor An removed all of Empress Dowager Deng's relatives from government and forced many of them to commit suicide. Later that year, however, he partially reversed his orders, and some of Empress Dowager Deng's relatives were allowed to return, but the clan had been decimated by then.


Historical assessment

Deng is considered to have ruled "with conspicuous competence." She was regarded as an able and diligent administrator, is considered responsible for the world's first official adoption of paper, and was a patron of the arts. During her regency, she cut palace expenses, provided relief for the poor, was able to meet the challenge of natural disasters including crippling floods, droughts and hailstorms in several parts of the empire, as well as largely quelling wars with
Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of Nomad, nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese historiography, Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, t ...
and Qiang. She was praised for her attention to criminal justice. Well educated, Empress Deng created new positions for scholars, encouraged original thinking, and was responsible for the standardization of the five classics. She called 70 members of the imperial families to study the classics and oversaw their examinations herself.Monro, Alexander, ''The Paper Trail: An Unexpected History of a Revolutionary Invention'' (Vintage Books, 2017) She is seen as the last effective ruler of the Han Empire, as the later Emperors and Empress Dowagers were pulled into internal power struggles and corruption, leading to the fall of the Empire.


References

It is said that ''Deng'', depending on dialect, can be spelled as ''Tang, Teng, Thean, Thian, Thien''. Deng is a Chinese surname, the surname of the late
Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping also Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Teng Hsiao-p'ing; born Xiansheng (). (22 August 190419 February 1997) was a Chinese statesman, revolutionary, and political theorist who served as the paramount leader of the People's R ...
.


Sources

*Monro, Alexander (2017) ''The Paper Trail: An Unexpected History of a Revolutionary Invention'' (Vintage Books) *''
Book of Later Han The ''Book of the Later Han'', also known as the ''History of the Later Han'' and by its Chinese name ''Hou Hanshu'' (), is one of the Twenty-Four Histories and covers the history of the Han dynasty from 6 to 189 CE, a period known as the Late ...
'', vols. 4, 10, part 1. * ''
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. 48, 49, 50. * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Deng, Sui Han dynasty empresses 81 births 121 deaths 1st-century Chinese women 1st-century Chinese people 2nd-century women regents Han dynasty regents Han dynasty empresses dowager 2nd-century regents