Empress Dowager Xiao (; personal name unknown) (died 7 October 951?''

History of Liao History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

'', vol. 5.

Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, ; zh, t=中央研究院) is the national academy of the Taiwan, Republic of China. It is headquartered in Nangang District, Taipei, Nangang, Taipei. Founded in Nanjing, the academy supports research activities in mathemat ...

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), formally Empress Rouzhen (柔貞皇后), was an

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 ...

of the Khitan-led Chinese Liao dynasty. She was a concubine of

Yelü Bei Yelü Bei () (899'' History of Liao'', vol. 72. – January 7, 937''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 280.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), also known as Yelü Tuyu (耶律突欲 or 耶律圖欲), posthumously honored Emperor Wenxian Q ...

(posthumously honored Emperor Yizong) and the mother of Emperor Shizong (Yelü Ruan).

Background

Not much is known about Lady Xiao's background, because she lacked a biography in the ''

s biographies for empresses (including posthumously honoured empresses). (Yelü Bei's wife, also with the surname of Xiao, was posthumously honoured Empress Duanshun, and similarly lacked a biography in the ''History of Liao'').''History of Liao'', vol. 71. Her son with Yelü Bei, Yelü Ruan, was Yelü Bei's oldest son. It is not known whether she bore Yelü Bei any other children, but it is known that she was not the mother of his two youngest sons, Yelü Longxian (耶律隆先) (born of Lady Da) and Yelü Daoyin (耶律道隱) (born of Lady Gao).''History of Liao'', vol. 72.

As empress dowager

In 947, then-Liao emperor Emperor Taizong (Yelü Bei's younger brother) died, and Yelü Ruan was supported by the Liao chieftains to succeed him (as Emperor Shizong).''

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 ...

'', vol. 280.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 281. He honoured Lady Xiao as

. He established a headquarters for her family. In 951, Yelü Bei's cousin Yelü Chage (耶律察割) started a coup and assassinated Emperor Shizong.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 290. It appeared that Empress Dowager Xiao was also killed in the coup, likely on the same day, because the biography of Emperor Shizong's wife,

Empress Xiao Sagezhi Xiao Sagezhi (; died 8 October 951''History of Liao'', vol. 5.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), posthumous name Empress Huaijie (懷節皇后), was an empress consort of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China. She was one of ...

indicated that Yelü Chage mutinied and "killed the Empress Dowager and the Emperor" while explicitly stating that Empress Xiao Sagezhi was killed the next day. In 1052, Emperor Shizong's great-grandson Emperor Xingzong, when giving greater posthumous honours to Yelü Bei, posthumously honoured both her and Yelü Bei's wife with empress titles.''History of Liao'', vol. 20.

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Xiao, Empress Dowager 951 deaths Year of birth unknown Year of death uncertain Liao dynasty empresses dowager Xiao clan 10th-century Khitan women 10th-century Khitan people Mothers of Chinese emperors