Empress Quan (1241–1309) (), was a Chinese empress consort of the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

, married to

Emperor Duzong of Song Emperor Duzong of Song (2 May 1240 – 12 August 1274), personal name Zhao Qi, was the 15th emperor of the Song dynasty of China and the sixth emperor of the Southern Song dynasty. He was a nephew of his predecessor, Emperor Lizong, and reigne ...

Life

Quan was selected to be the primary spouse and empress of the future Emperor Duzong of Song in 1261, because of family connections (she was the great niece of emperor Lizong's mother). She gave birth to two sons, one of whom died early, and the other one, the future

Emperor Gong of Song Emperor Gong of Song (2 November 1271 – 1323), personal name Zhao Xian, was the 16th emperor of the Song dynasty of China and the seventh emperor of the Southern Song dynasty. The sixth son of his predecessor, Emperor Duzong, Zhao Xian c ...

, was named heir to the throne and crown prince. Not much is known of Empress Quan during the reign of her spouse. The Emperor indulged in personal pleasure and trusted the affairs of state to his grand chancellor

Jia Sidao Jia Sidao (August 25, 1213 – October 1275), courtesy name Shixian, was a Chinese government official who served as chancellor of the Southern Song dynasty of China. He was the younger brother of a concubine of Emperor Lizong, who had the spec ...

. In August 1274, Emperor Duzong died one month after the Mongol invasion of China, and her son succeeded to the throne as emperor. Being four years old, a regency was appointed to handle the affairs of state, but Empress Quan was not appointed regent: instead, the position of regent was filled by the adoptive mother of her late spouse, the Grand Dowager Empress Xie Daoqing, while

continued to manage the affairs. As the Mongol invasion progressed, Empress Quan accompanied her son, the Dowager Empress regent and the rest of the Imperial family and court in the evacuation to the south.

After the Mongol conquest

On February 1276, the Song dynasty capitulated to the Mongols at Lin'an, and the Regent Empress Xie Daoqing surrendered herself and the child emperor Gong, the son of Quan, as well as the rest of the Imperial family and court to the Mongols. Empress Quan the accompanied her son the former emperor and the Imperial princesses and concubines to the Mongolian capital of Beijing where they all formally submitted to the Mongol emperor. The Grand Empress Dowager, however, did not join them until a few months later. From Beijing, the continued to the Yuan Mongol emperor's summer residence in Inner Mongolia, where they were welcomed with a grand banquet and stripped from their Song titles. They were however awarded with tax-free properties in Beijing, where they settled the following years. When the former Grand Dowager Empress Xie Daoqing died in 1283, the former Empress Quan entered the Zhengzhi nunnery in Beijing.Lily Xiao Hong Lee, Sue Wiles: Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume II: Tang Through Ming 618 - 1644

Notes

* Lily Xiao Hong Lee, Sue Wiles: Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume II: Tang Through Ming 618 - 1644 {{DEFAULTSORT:Quan, Empress Song dynasty empresses Song dynasty empresses dowager 1241 births 1309 deaths 13th-century Chinese women 13th-century Chinese people 14th-century Chinese women 14th-century Chinese people People from Shaoxing Mothers of Chinese emperors 13th-century women regents 13th-century regents