The ranks of imperial consorts have varied over the course of

Chinese history The history of China spans several millennia across a wide geographical area. Each region now considered part of the Chinese world has experienced periods of unity, fracture, prosperity, and strife. Chinese civilization first emerged in the Y ...

but remained important throughout owing to its prominence in the management of the inner court and in imperial succession, which ranked heirs according to the prominence of their mothers in addition to their birth order. Regardless of the age, however, it is common in English translation to simplify this hierarchy into the three ranks of empress, consorts, and concubines. It is also common to use the term "

harem A harem is a domestic space that is reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A harem may house a man's wife or wives, their pre-pubescent male children, unmarried daughters, female domestic Domestic worker, servants, and other un ...

", an Arabic loan word used in recent times to refer to imperial women's forbidden quarters in many countries. In later

Chinese dynasties For most of its history, China was organized into various Dynasty, dynastic states under the rule of Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarchs. Beginning with the establishment of dynastic rule by Yu the Great , and ending with the Imperial Edic ...

, these quarters were known as the inner palace (內宮; ''nèigōng'') or the rear palace (後宮; ''hòugōng''). In Chinese, the system is called the "rear palace system" (後宮制度; ''hòugōng zhìdù''). No matter the dynasty, the empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') held the highest rank and was the legal wife of the emperor, as well as the chief of the imperial harem and "mother of the nation" (母后天下; ''mǔhòu tiānxià'') which translates to ”imperial mother of all under heaven”. She was also known as the "central palace" (中宮; ''zhōnggōng''). In addition, the emperor would typically have other imperial women (嬪妃; ''pínfēi''). Every dynasty had its set of rules regarding the numerical composition of the harem.

Early history

There existed a class of royal consorts called ''ying'' (媵; ''yìng'') during early historical times in China. These were people who came along with brides as a form of

dowry A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...

. It could be a female cousin or sister of the bride, or people from other countries. Worth noting is the fact that during the

Shang dynasty The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty that ruled in the Yellow River valley during the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and followed by the Western Zhou d ...

, there were times when two queens existed at the same period. The ''

Rites of Zhou The ''Rites of Zhou'' (), originally known as "Officers of Zhou" (), is a Chinese work on bureaucracy and organizational theory. It was renamed by Liu Xin to differentiate it from a chapter in the '' Book of History'' by the same name. To rep ...

'' contains great details of a royal consort ranking system. However, as the ''Rites of Zhou'' is considered by modern scholars to be merely a fictitious constitution for a

utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', which describes a fictiona ...

n society, the system listed in that work of literature cannot be taken word for word. Rather, it offers a rough glimpse into the inner palace during the time.

Ranking system for kings

The ''Rites of Zhou'' states that kings are entitled to the following: # 1 Queen (王后; ''wánghòu'') # 2 Consorts (妃; ''fēi'') # 3 Madames (夫人; ''fūrén'') # 9 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') # 27 Hereditary Ladies (世婦; ''shìfù'') # 81 Royal Wives (御妻; ''yùqī'') It was suggested that a system (not necessarily resembling the one listed above) was set up to prevent the situation of having two queens/empresses.

Ranking system for others

According to the ''Rites of Zhou'', under the

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

fengjian ''Fēngjiàn'' ( zh, c=封建, l=demarcation and establishment) was a governance system and political thought in Ancient China and Imperial China, whose social structure formed a decentralized system of confederation-like government. The rulin ...

'' governance system, aristocratic feudal lords were entitled to nine consorts in total, and cannot marry again after having nine consorts, which makes for one wife and eight concubines. For other officers, they are entitled to one wife and one concubine. For normal citizens, only one wife is allowed.

Qin

Under the

Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ) was the first Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China. It is named for its progenitor state of Qin, a fief of the confederal Zhou dynasty (256 BC). Beginning in 230 BC, the Qin under King Ying Zheng enga ...

, from the reign of King Huiwen: # Queen (王后; ''wánghòu''), which became Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') from the reign of

Qin Shi Huang Qin Shi Huang (, ; February 25912 July 210 BC), born Ying Zheng () or Zhao Zheng (), was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of China. He is widely regarded as the first ever supreme leader of a unitary state, unitary d ...

# Madame (夫人; ''fūrén'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # Lady of Gentleness (良人; ''liángrén'') # Learned Lady (八子; ''bāzi'') # Harmonious Lady (七子; ''qīzi'') # Senior Waiting Lady (長使; ''zhǎngshǐ'') # Junior Waiting Lady (少使; ''shàoshǐ'')

Han

Western Han

During the reign of Gaozu of the

Western Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an 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) and a warring in ...

: # Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # Madame (夫人; ''fūrén'') Later: # Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # Madame (夫人; ''fūrén'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # Lady of Gentleness (良人; ''liángrén'') # Learned Lady (八子; ''bāzi'') # Harmonious Lady (七子; ''qīzi'') # Senior Waiting Lady (長使; ''zhǎngshǐ'') # Junior Waiting Lady (少使; ''shàoshǐ'') From the reign of Emperor Yuan: # Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') # Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú''), created by Emperor Wu # Lady of Youthful Fairness (娙娥; ''xíng‘é''), created by Emperor Wu # Lady of Splendid Countenance (容華; ''rónghuá''), created by Emperor Wu # Lady of Complete Deportment (充衣; ''chōngyī''), created by Emperor Wu # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # Lady of Gentleness (良人; ''liángrén'') # Learned Lady (八子; ''bāzi'') # Harmonious Lady (七子; ''qīzi'') # Senior Waiting Lady (長使; ''zhǎngshǐ'') # Junior Waiting Lady (少使; ''shàoshǐ'') # Courtier of Miscellaneous Uses (五官; ''wǔguān'') # Lady of Complaisant Constancy (順常; ''shùncháng'') # Lady Without Impurity (舞涓; ''wǔjuān'')
Lady of Reverent Gentleness (共和; ''gònghé'')
Lady Who Pleases the Spirit (娛靈; ''yúlíng'')
Lady Who Can Safeguard a Multitude (保林; ''bǎolín'')
Gentle Waiting Lady (良使; ''liángshǐ'')
Lady of Night Attendance (夜者; ''yèzhě'') The

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

: # Consort (妃; ''fēi'') # Bride of Excellence (良娣; ''liángdì'') # Dear Lady (孺人; ''rúrén'')

Eastern Han

In 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 ...

: # Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # Noble Lady (貴人; ''guìrén'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # Lady of the Palace (宮人; ''gōngrén'') # Talented Woman (才女; ''cǎinǚ'') No limits were set for these imperial consorts. This later created situations when more than 20,000 women were living in the palace during the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling.

Three Kingdoms

During the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin dyna ...

period, Cao Wei used the following system:

Cao Wei Wei () was one of the major Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic states in China during the Three Kingdoms period. The state was established in 220 by Cao Pi based upon the foundations laid by his father Cao Cao during the end of the Han dy ...

During the reign of

Cao Cao Cao Cao (; ; ; 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty (), ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation f ...

(who was not an emperor but a king): # Queen (王后; ''wánghòu'') # Madame (夫人; ''fūrén'') # Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') # Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') # Lady of Splendid Countenance (容華; ''rónghuá'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') During the reign of Emperor Wen: # Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # Madame (夫人; ''fūrén'') # Noble Concubine (貴嬪; ''guìpín'') # Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; ''shūyuàn'') # Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') # Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; ''xiūróng'') # Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') # Lady of Splendid Countenance (容華; ''rónghuá'') # Lady of Humble Accomplishments (順成; ''shùnchéng'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # Lady of Gentleness (良人; ''liángrén'') During the reign of Emperor Ming: # Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # Madame (夫人; ''fūrén'') # Noble Concubine (貴嬪; ''guìpín'') # Pure Consort (淑妃; ''shūfēi'') # Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; ''shūyuàn'') # Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') # Lady of Flowering Luminance (昭華; ''zhāohuá'') # Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; ''xiūróng'') # Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; ''xiūyí'') # Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') # Lady of Splendid Countenance (傛華; ''rǒnghuá'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # Lady of Gentleness (良人; ''liángrén'') # Lady of Value (鹺人; ''cuórén'')

Jin

During the

Jin dynasty Jin may refer to: States Jìn 晉 * Jin (Chinese state) (晉國), major state of the Zhou dynasty, existing from the 11th century BC to 376 BC * Jin dynasty (266–420) (晉朝), also known as Liang Jin and Sima Jin * Jin (Later Tang precursor) ...

, the ranks were as follows: # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 3 Madames (夫人; ''fūrén'') ## Noble Concubine (貴嬪; ''guìpín'') ## Madame (夫人; ''fūrén'') ## Noble Lady (貴人; ''guìrén'') # 9 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') ## Pure Consort (淑妃; ''shūfēi'') ## Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; ''shūyuàn'') ## Lady of Pure Ceremony (淑儀; ''shūyí'') ## Lady of Splendid Cultivation (修華; ''xiūhuá'') ## Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; ''xiūróng'') ## Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; ''xiūyí'') ## Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') ## Lady of Splendid Countenance (容華; ''rónghuá'') ## Lady of Sufficient Splendidness (充華; ''chōnghuá'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # Lady of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'') # Lady of Mediocre Talent (中才人; ''zhōngcáirén'')

Northern and Southern dynasties The Northern and Southern dynasties () was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered a ...

Liu Song Song, known as Liu Song (), Former Song (前宋) or Song of (the) Southern dynasties (南朝宋) in historiography, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and the first of the four Northern and Southern dynasties#Southern dynasti ...

# 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 3 Madames (夫人; ''fūrén'') ## Noble Concubine (貴嬪; ''guìpín'') ## Madame (夫人; ''fūrén'') ## Noble Lady (貴人; ''guìrén'') # 9 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') ## Pure Consort (淑妃; ''shūfēi'') ## Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; ''shūyuàn'') ## Lady of Pure Ceremony (淑儀; ''shūyí'') ## Lady of Splendid Cultivation (修華; ''xiūhuá'') ## Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; ''xiūróng'') ## Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; ''xiūyí'') ## Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') ## Lady of Everlasting Splendidness (傛華; ''yǒnghuá'') ## Lady of Sufficient Splendidness (充華; ''chōnghuá'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') From the reign of Emperor Xiaowu: # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 3 Madames (夫人; ''fūrén'') ## Noble Consort (貴妃; ''guìfēi'') ## Noble Concubine (貴嬪; ''guìpín'') ## Noble Lady (貴人; ''guìrén'') # 9 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') ## Pure Consort (淑妃; ''shūfēi'') ## Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; ''shūyuàn'') ## Lady of Pure Ceremony (淑儀; ''shūyí'') ## Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') ## Lady of Bright Countenance (昭容; ''zhāoróng'') ## Lady of Flowering Luminance (昭華; ''zhāohuá'') ## Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') ## Lady of Flowering Countenance (容華; ''rónghuá'') ## Lady of Sufficient Splendidness (充華; ''chōnghuá'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # Lady of Mediocre Talent (中才人; ''zhōngcáirén'') # Favoured Assistant (充衣; ''chōngyī'') From the reign of Emperor Ming: # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 3 Madames (夫人; ''fūrén'') ## Noble Consort (貴妃; ''guìfēi'') ## Noble Concubine (貴嬪; ''guìpín'') ## Noble Beauty (貴姬; ''guìjī'') # 9 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') ## Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; ''shūyuàn'') ## Lady of Pure Deportment (淑儀; ''shūyí'') ## Lady of Pure Countenance (淑容; ''shūróng'') ## Lady of Flowering Luminance (昭華; ''zhāohuá'') ## Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') ## Lady of Bright Countenance (昭容; ''zhāoróng'') ## Lady of Cultivated Splendidness (修華; ''xiūhuá'') ## Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; ''xiūyí'') ## Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; ''xiūróng'') # 5 Post Holders (職; ''zhí'') ## Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') ## Lady of Flowering Countenance (容華; ''rónghuá'') ## Lady of Sufficient Splendidness (充華; ''chōnghuá'') ## Lady of Inherit Glory (承徽; ''chénghuī'') ## Lady of Propitious Honour (列榮; ''lièróng'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # Lady of Mediocre Talent (中才人; ''zhōngcáirén'') # Lady of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'') # Lady of Gentleness (良人; ''liángrén'') # Favoured Assistant (充衣; ''chōngyī'')

Southern Qi Qi, known in historiography as the Southern Qi ( or ) or Xiao Qi (), was a Chinese imperial dynasty and the second of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties era. It followed the Liu Song dynasty and was succee ...

From the reign of Emperor Gao: # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 3 Madames (夫人; ''fūrén'') ## Noble Concubine (貴嬪; ''guìpín'') ## Madame (夫人; ''fūrén'') ## Noble Lady (貴人; ''guìrén'') # 9 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') ## Lady of Splendid Cultivation (修華; ''xiūhuá'') ## Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; ''xiūyí'') ## Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; ''xiūróng'') ## Pure Consort (淑妃; ''shūfēi'') ## Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; ''shūyuàn'') ## Lady of Pure Deportment (淑儀; ''shūyí'') ## Lady Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') ## Lady of Flowering Countenance (容華; ''rónghuá'') ## Lady of Sufficient Splendidness (充華; ''chōnghuá'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # Lady of Mediocre Talent (中才人; ''zhōngcáirén'') # Lady of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'') In 483, when Emperor Wu ascended to the throne, the positions of ''noble consort'' (貴妃; ''guìfēi'') and ''pure consort'' (淑妃; ''shūfēi'') were elevated to independent categories, just beneath the empress. In 489, the position of ''lady of bright countenance'' (昭容; ''zhāoróng'') was added to fill the gap created upon the elevation of ''pure consort'' (淑妃; ''shūfēi''). The crown prince: # Bride of Excellence (良娣; ''liángdì'') # Lady Who Can Safeguard a Multitude (保林; ''bǎolín'') # Lady of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'')

Liang

During the reign of Emperor Wu: # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 3 Madames (夫人; ''fūrén'') ## Noble Consort (貴妃; ''guìfēi'') ## Noble Concubine (貴嬪; ''guìpín'') ## Noble Beauty (貴姬; ''guìjī'') # 9 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') ## Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; ''shūyuàn'') ## Lady of Pure Deportment (淑儀; ''shūyí'') ## Lady of Pure Countenance (淑容; ''shūróng'') ## Lady of Flowering Brightness (昭華; ''zhāohuá'') ## Lady of Bright Countenance (昭容; ''zhāoróng'') ## Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') ## Lady of Cultivated Splendidness (修華; ''xiūhuá'') ## Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; ''xiūyí'') ## Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; ''xiūróng'') # 5 Post Holders (職; ''zhí'') ## Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') ## Lady of Flowering Countenance (容華; ''rónghuá'') ## Lady of Sufficient Splendidness (充華; ''chōnghuá'') ## Lady of Inherit Glory (承徽; ''chénghuī'') ## Lady of Propitious Honour (列榮; ''lièróng'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # Lady of Gentleness (良人; ''liángrén'') # Lady of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'') The crown prince: # Bride of Excellence (良娣; ''liángdì'') # Lady Who Can Safeguard a Multitude (保林; ''bǎolín'')

Chen

Initially, during the reign of Emperor Wu, no specific ranking system for imperial consorts were devised, due to his desire to live a simple life. It was only during Emperor Wen's reign that a ranking system came into being: # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 3 Madames (夫人; ''fūrén'') ## Noble Consort (貴妃; ''guìfēi'') ## Noble Concubine (貴嬪; ''guìpín'') ## Noble Beauty (貴姬; ''guìjī'') # 9 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') ## Lady of Pure Beauty (淑媛; ''shūyuàn'') ## Lady of Pure Deportment (淑儀; ''shūyí'') ## Lady of Pure Countenance (淑容; ''shūróng'') ## Lady of Flowering Brightness (昭華; ''zhāohuá'') ## Lady of Bright Countenance (昭容; ''zhāoróng'') ## Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') ## Lady of Cultivated Splendidness (修華; ''xiūhuá'') ## Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; ''xiūyí'') ## Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; ''xiūróng'') # 5 Post Holders (職; ''zhí'') ## Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') ## Lady of Flowering Countenance (容華; ''rónghuá'') ## Lady of Sufficient Splendidness (充華; ''chōnghuá'') ## Lady of Inherit Glory (承徽; ''chénghuī'') ## Lady of Propitious Honour (列榮; ''lièróng'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # Lady of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'') # Lady of Gentleness (良人; ''liángrén'')

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei ( zh, c=北魏, p=Běi Wèi), Tuoba Wei ( zh, c=拓跋魏, p=Tuòbá Wèi), Yuan Wei ( zh, c=元魏, p=Yuán Wèi) and Later Wei ( zh, t=後魏, p=Hòu Wèi), was an Dynasties of China, impe ...

During the reign of Emperor Daowu, the ranking system was very simple, and only contained the rank of ''madame'' (夫人; ''fūrén''). However, there existed an unwritten, subjective system of prestige. It was during the reign of Emperor Taiwu that the system listed below came into existence: # Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # Left Lady of Bright Deportment (左昭儀; ''zuǒzhāoyí'')
Right Lady of Bright Deportment (右昭儀; ''yòuzhāoyí'') # Noble Lady (貴人; ''guìrén'') # Lady of the Pepper Chamber (椒房; ''jiāofáng'') # Passing Attendant (中式; ''zhōngshì'') During the

sinicization Sinicization, sinofication, sinification, or sinonization (from the prefix , 'Chinese, relating to China') is the process by which non-Chinese societies or groups are acculturated or assimilated into Chinese culture, particularly the language, ...

of Northern Wei, Emperor Xiaowen reformed the ranking system to the system below: # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # Left Lady of Bright Deportment (左昭儀; ''zuǒzhāoyí'')
Right Lady of Bright Deportment (右昭儀; ''yòuzhāoyí'') # 3 Madames (夫人; ''fūrén'') # Third Concubine (三嬪; ''sānpín'') # Sixth Concubine (六嬪; ''(liùpín'') # Hereditary Lady (世婦; ''shìfù'') # Imperial Wife (御妻; ''yùqī'')

Northern Qi Qi, known as the Northern Qi (), Later Qi (後齊) or Gao Qi (高齊) in historiography, was a Dynasties in Chinese history, Chinese imperial dynasty and one of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties during the ...

In the beginning, there were only three ranks: # Madame (夫人; ''fūrén'') # Concubine (嬪; ''pín'') # Lady (禦; ''yù'') From the reign of Emperor Wucheng: # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 1 Left Lady of Beautiful Blooming (左娥英; ''zuǒéyīng'')
1 Right Lady of Beautiful Blooming (右娥英; ''yòuéyīng'') # 1 Pure Consort (淑妃; ''shūfēi'') # 1 Left Lady of Bright Deportment (左昭儀; ''zuǒzhāoyí'')
1 Right Lady of Bright Deportment (右昭儀; ''yòuzhāoyí'') # 3 Madames (夫人; ''fūrén'') ## Madame of Great Moral (弘德; ''hóngdé'') ## Madame of Just Moral (正德; ''zhèngdé'') ## Madame of High Moral (崇德; ''chóngdé'') # Upper Concubines (上嬪; ''shàngpín'') ## Upper Concubine of Great Honor (隆徽; ''lónghuī'') ## Upper Concubine of Light Plan (光猷; ''guāngyóu'') ## Upper Concubine of Bright Instruction (昭訓; ''zhāoxùn'') # Lower Concubines (下嬪; ''xiàpín'') ## Lower Concubine of Proclaimed Honor (宣徽; ''xuānhuī'') ## Lower Concubine of Proclaimed Brightness (宣明; ''xuānmíng'') ## Lower Concubine of Congealed Brightness (凝暉; ''nínghuī'') ## Lower Concubine of Congealed Splendidness (凝華; ''nínghuá'') ## Lower Concubine of Conducive Splendidness (順華; ''shùnhuá'') ## Lower Concubine of Light Instruction (光訓; ''guāngxùn'') # 27 Hereditary Ladies (世婦; ''shìfù'') # Lady of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'') # Selected Lady (採女; ''cǎinǚ'')

Northern Zhou Zhou (), known in historiography as the Northern Zhou (), was a Xianbei-led Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of China that lasted from 557 to 581. One of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties of China's ...

# 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') #3 Madames (夫人; ''fūrén''), later 3 Consorts (妃; ''fēi'') ## Noble Consort (貴妃; ''guìfēi'') ## Great Noble Consort (長貴妃; ''zhǎngguìfēi'') ## Virtuous Consort (德妃; ''défēi'') # 3 Lady Officials (㚤; ''yì'') # 6 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') ## Lady of Bright Splendidness (昭化; ''zhāohuà'') # Lady of Imperial Beauty (禦媛; ''yùyuàn'') ## Lady of Upper Beauty (上媛; ''shàngyuàn'') ## Lady of Middle Beauty (中媛; ''zhōngyuàn'') ## Lady of Lower Beauty (下媛; ''xiàyuàn'') # Lady of Imperial Gracefulness (禦婉; ''yùwǎn'') ## Lady of Upper Gracefulness (上婉; ''shàngwǎn'') ## Lady of Middle Gracefulness (中婉; ''zhōngwǎn'') ## Lady of Lower Gracefulness (下婉; ''xiàwǎn'') During the reign of Emperor Xuan, five empresses were created (unprecedented by Chinese standards): #

Yang Lihua Yang Lihua (; 561–609) was an empress of the Xianbei-led Chinese Northern Zhou dynasty, and later a princess of the Sui dynasty. Background Yang Lihua was born in 561, as the eldest daughter of Yang Jian, then the heir apparent to Yang ...

(楊麗華), Primary Great Heavenly Empress (天元大皇后; ''tiānyuándàhuánghòu'') #

Zhu Manyue Zhu Manyue (; 547–586), later known by her Buddhist name Fajing (法淨), was a concubine of Emperor Xuan (Yuwen Yun) of the Xianbei-led Northern Zhou dynasty of China. She was the mother of Emperor Jing (Yuwen Chan), last emperor of Northern Z ...

(朱滿月), Great Heavenly Empress (天大皇后; ''tiāndàhuánghòu'') #

Chen Yueyi Chen Yueyi (; 570 - 650), later Buddhist nun name Huaguang (華光), was a concubine of Emperor Xuan of the Northern Zhou dynasty of China. Chen Yueyi's father was Chen Shanti (陳山提), and she was his eighth daughter. Chen Shanti was initiall ...

(陳月儀), Great Central Heavenly Empress (天中大皇后; ''tiānzhōngdàhuánghòu'') #

Yuchi Chifan Yuchi Chifan () or Yuchi Fanchi () (566 – 595), later Buddhist nun name Huashou (華首), was a concubine of the Emperor Xuan of the Northern Zhou dynasty of China. Yuchi Chifan's grandfather Yuchi Jiong the Duke of Shu was a renowned general o ...

(尉遲熾繁), Great Left Heavenly Empress (天左大皇后; ''tiānzuǒdàhuánghòu'') #

Yuan Leshang Yuan Leshang (; 570 - 630), later Buddhist nun name Huasheng (華勝), was a concubine of the Emperor Xuan of the Northern Zhou dynasty of China. Yuan Leshang's father was Yuan Sheng (元晟), a Northern Zhou official and a descendant of the Nor ...

(元樂尚), Great Right Heavenly Empress (天右大皇后; ''tiānyòudàhuánghòu'') In addition, there was an innumerable number of women in the palace.

Sui

At the beginning of the

Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty ( ) was a short-lived Dynasties of China, Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged peri ...

, there existed a simple system of ranking: # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 4 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') # 9 Hereditary Ladies (世婦; ''shìfù'') # 38 Ladies of His Majesty (禦女; ''yùnǚ'') There also existed a system of female palace officers (女官; ''nǚguān'') to manage ceremonial affairs in the inner palace. The system was based on similar systems of the past. After the death of Empress Dugu, Emperor Wen expanded the ranks to the following: # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 3 Noble Ladies (貴人; ''guìrén'') # 9 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') # 27 Hereditary Ladies (世婦; ''shìfù'') # 81 Ladies of His Majesty (禦女; ''yùnǚ'') During the reign of Emperor Yang, the ranking system was expanded yet again: # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 3 Consorts (妃; ''fēi'') ## Noble Consort (貴妃; ''guìfēi'') ## Pure Consort (淑妃; ''shūfēi'') ## Virtuous Consort (德妃; ''défēi'') # 9 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') ## Lady of Conducive Wellness (順儀; ''shùnyí'') ## Lady of Supportive Wellness (順容; ''shùnróng'') ## Lady of Splendid Wellness (順華; ''shùnhuá'') ## Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; ''xiūyí'') ## Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; ''xiūróng'') ## Lady of Cultivated Splendidness (修華; ''xiūhuá'') ## Lady of Complete Deportment (充儀; ''chōngyī'') ## Lady of Complete Countenance (充容; ''chōngróng'') ## Lady of Complete Splendidness (充華; ''chōnghuá'') # 12 Ladies Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') # 15 Hereditary Ladies (世婦; ''shìfù'') ## Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') ## Lady of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'') # 24 Ladies of Treasure (寶林; ''bǎolín'') # 24 Ladies of His Majesty (禦女; ''yùnǚ'') # 37 Ladies of Elegance (採女; ''cǎinǚ'')

Tang

Imperial consorts of the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

were organized in eight or nine ranks, in addition to the empress. They were also called the "inner officials" (內官; ''nèiguān''), as opposed to "palace officials" (宮官; ''gōngguān''), the bureaucracy. # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 4 Consorts (妃; ''fēi'') ## Noble Consort (貴妃; ''guìfēi'') ## Pure Consort (淑妃; ''shūfēi'') ## Virtuous Consort (德妃; ''défēi'') ## Worthy Consort (賢妃; ''xiánfēi'') # 9 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') ## Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') ## Lady of Bright Countenance (昭容; ''zhāoróng'') ## Lady of Bright Beauty (昭媛; ''zhāoyuàn'') ## Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; ''xiūyí'') ## Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; ''xiūróng'') ## Lady of Cultivated Beauty (修媛; ''xiūyuàn'') ## Lady of Complete Deportment (充儀; ''chōngyí'') ## Lady of Complete Countenance (充容; ''chōngróng'') ## Lady of Complete Beauty (充媛; ''chōngyuàn'') # 9 Ladies of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') # 9 Ladies of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # 9 Ladies of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'') # 27 Ladies of Treasure (寶林; ''bǎolín'') # 27 Ladies of His Majesty (禦女; ''yùnǚ'') # 27 Selected Ladies (採女; ''cǎinǚ'') During the reign of Emperor Gaozong: # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 4 Consorts (妃; ''fēi'') ## Noble Consort (貴妃; ''guìfēi'') ## Pure Consort (淑妃; ''shūfēi'') ## Virtuous Consort (德妃; ''défēi'') ## Worthy Consort (賢妃; ''xiánfēi'') # 9 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') ## Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') ## Lady of Bright Countenance (昭容; ''zhāoróng'') ## Lady of Bright Beauty (昭媛; ''zhāoyuàn'') ## Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; ''xiūyí'') ## Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; ''xiūróng'') ## Lady of Cultivated Beauty (修媛; ''xiūyuàn'') ## Lady of Complete Deportment (充儀; ''chōngyí'') ## Lady of Complete Countenance (充容; ''chōngróng'') ## Lady of Complete Beauty (充媛; ''chōngyuàn'') # 9 Ladies of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') # 9 Ladies of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # 9 Ladies of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'') Emperor Gaozong wants to create and promote Lady Wu, who ranked currently as Lady Wu of Bright Deportment (武昭儀; Wū Zhāoyí) to Royal Consort (宸妃, ''chēnfei'') because, the 4 ranks of consorts were already occupied but, the court officials opposed this idea, saying that it is unprecedented on which the emperor can only have four consorts and the character chēn (宸) was used to refer the power of the emperor, thus Emperor Gaozong does not carry out his plan. In 662, the titles were temporarily changed to be devoid of feminine quality. This seemingly feminist change was reverted in the twelfth month of 670. The rationales were not explained in official records in both instances. However, some scholars have speculated it to be the suggestion of Empress Wu to her husband. From the reign of Emperor Xuanzong: # 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 3 Consorts (妃; ''fēi'') ## Consort of Conferred Kindness (惠妃; ''huìfēi'') ## Magnificent Consort (麗妃; ''lìfēi'') ## Splendid Consort (華妃; ''huáfēi'') # 6 Ladies of Ceremony (儀; ''yí'') ## Lady of Pure Ceremony (淑儀; ''shūyí'') ## Lady of Virtuous Ceremony (德儀; ''déyí'') ## Lady of Worthy Ceremony (賢儀; ''xiányí'') ## Lady of Conducive Ceremony (順儀; ''shùnyí'') ## Lady of Graceful Ceremony (婉儀; ''wǎnyí'') ## Lady of Fragrant Ceremony (芳儀; ''fāngyí'') # 4 Ladies of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # 7 Ladies of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'') The crown prince: # Crown Princess (太子妃; ''tàizǐfēi'') # 2 Ladies of Excellence (良娣; ''liángdì'') # 6 Ladies of Filial Excellence (良嬡; ''liángyuàn'') # 10 Ladies of Inherent Excellence (承徽; ''chénghuī'') # 16 Ladies of Clear Instruction (昭訓; ''zhāoxùn'') # 24 Ladies of Decorous Service (奉儀; ''fèngyí'')

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, governments were replaced frequently, and as a result, it is difficult for modern scholars to derive any solid information on ranking systems during these times. However, it is known that the

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 ...

used the following system: # Lady of Bright Countenance (昭容; ''zhāoróng'') # Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') # Lady of Bright Beauty (昭媛; ''zhāoyuàn'') # Missionary Lady (出使; ''chūshǐ'') # First Lady of His Majesty (禦正; ''yùzhèng'') # True Servant (侍眞; ''shìzhēn'') # Lady of Honorable Talent (懿才; ''yìcái'') # Lady of Unity (咸一; ''xiányī'') # Precious Flower (瑤芳; ''yáofāng'') # Lady of Honorable Moral (懿德; ''yìdé'') # Lady of Promise (宣一; ''xuānyī'') Whether there were any limits to the holders of these titles are unknown.

Song, Liao, Jin

Song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

# 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 4 Consorts (妃; ''fēi'') ## Noble Consort (貴妃; ''guìfēi'') ## Pure Consort (淑妃; ''shūfēi'') ## Virtuous Consort (德妃; ''défēi'') ## Able Consort (賢妃; ''xiánfēi'') ## Imperial Consort (宸妃; ''chénfēi''), created by Emperor Renzong # Concubine (嬪; ''pín'') ## Lady of Highest Ceremony (太儀; ''tàiyí'') ## Lady of Noble Ceremony (貴儀; ''guìyí'') ## Lady of Imperial Ceremony (妃儀; ''fēiyí'') ## Lady of Warm Ceremony (淑儀; ''shūyí'') ## Lady of Graceful Ceremony (婉儀; ''wǎnyí'') ## Lady of Conducive Ceremony (順儀; ''shùnyí'') ## Lady of Conducive Appearance (順容; ''shùnróng'') ## Lady of Warm Appearance (淑容; ''shūróng'') ## Lady of Graceful Appearance (婉容; ''wǎnróng'') ## Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') ## Lady of Bright Countenance (昭容; ''zhāoróng'') ## Lady of Bright Beauty (昭媛; ''zhāoyuàn'') ## Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; ''xiūyí'') ## Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; ''xiūróng'') ## Lady of Cultivated Beauty (修媛; ''xiūyuàn'') ## Lady of Complete Deportment (充儀; ''chōngyí'') ## Lady of Complete Countenance(充容; ''chōngróng'') ## Lady of Complete Beauty (充媛; ''chōngyuàn'') # Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # Lady of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'') # Noble Lady (貴人; ''guìrén'')

Liao

# 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 2 Ladies of Beautiful Ceremony (麗儀; ''lìyí'') # 3 Ladies of Warm Ceremony (淑儀; ''shūyí'') # 4 Ladies of Bright Ceremony (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') # 5 Ladies of Conducive Ceremony (順儀; ''shùnyí'') # 6 Ladies of Fragrant Ceremony (芳儀; ''fāngyí'') # 7 Ladies of Peaceful Ceremony (和儀; ''héyí'')

Jin

# 1 Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # 2 Primary Consorts (元妃; ''yuánfēi'') # 4 Consorts (妃; ''fēi'') ## Noble Consort (貴妃; ''guìfēi'') ## Pure Consort (淑妃; ''shūfēi'') ## Virtuous Consort (德妃; ''défēi'') ## Able Consort (賢妃; ''xiánfēi'') # 9 Concubines (嬪; ''pín'') ## Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') ## Lady of Bright Countenance (昭容; ''zhāoróng'') ## Lady of Bright Beauty (昭媛; ''zhāoyuàn'') ## Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; ''xiūyí'') ## Lady of Cultivated Countenance (修容; ''xiūróng'') ## Lady of Cultivated Beauty (修媛; ''xiūyuàn'') ## Lady of Complete Deportment (充儀; ''chōngyí'') ## Lady of Complete Countenance (充容; ''chōngróng'') ## Lady of Complete Beauty (充媛; ''chōngyuàn'') # 9 Ladies of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') # 9 Ladies of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') # 9 Ladies of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'') # 27 Ladies of Treasure (寶林; ''bǎolín'') # 27 Ladies of His Majesty (禦女; ''yùnǚ'') # 27 Selected Ladies (採女; ''cǎinǚ'')

Yuan

The

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

ranking system was at its simplest, and only consisted of empress, consort, and concubine. While there was only one empress at a time, there were no limits on the number of consorts or concubines. Although the number of ranks were few, there existed a sub-system of ranking by prestige inside the Yuan harem. An imperial consort's tent (

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

: 宮帳; ''gōngzhàng''; translated from the

Mongolian Mongolian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Mongolia, a country in Asia * Mongolian people, or Mongols * Bogd Khanate of Mongolia, the government of Mongolia, 1911–1919 and 1921–1924 * Mongolian language * Mongolian alphabet * ...

term for

yurt A yurt (from the Turkic languages) or ger (Mongolian language, Mongolian) is a portable, round tent covered and Thermal insulation, insulated with Hide (skin), skins or felt and traditionally used as a dwelling by several distinct Nomad, nomad ...

s: 斡兒垜; ''wòérkàng'') determined her status; multiple women often lived in the same one. In the many tents that existed, the imperial consort of the first tent was considered to be the most prestigious woman. As with all parts of the Mongol Empire,

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

provided women to the Yuan dynasty. One of them was

Empress Gi Empress Gi or Empress Ki (; 1315–1369(?)), also known as Empress Qi () or Öljei Khutuk ( Mongolian: Өлзийхутаг; ), was a Goryeo-born empress consort of the Yuan dynasty. She was one of the primary empresses of Toghon Temür (Emper ...

, who, through her political command and incorporation of Korean females and eunuchs in the court, spread Korean clothing, food, and lifestyle in the

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

. The entry of Korean women into the Yuan court was reciprocated by the entry of Yuan princesses into the Goryeo court, beginning with the marriage of

King Chungnyeol Chungnyeol (3 April 1236 – 30 July 1308), personal name Wang Kŏ, was the 25th king of Korea's Goryeo dynasty from 1274 to 1308. He was the son of Wonjong, his predecessor on the throne. Chungnyeol was king during the Japan of Mongol Invasi ...

and a daughter of

Kublai Khan Kublai Khan (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder and first emperor of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China. He proclaimed the ...

; in total, nine princesses of the Yuan imperial family married into the Goryeo royal family.

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 ...

surrendered to the Mongols in 1276 and was married off to a Yuan princess of the Borjigin clan; they had one son, Zhao Wanpu, who was only exiled after Emperor Gong's death due to his mother's ancestry.

Paul Pelliot Paul Eugène Pelliot (28 May 187826 October 1945) was a French sinologist and Orientalist best known for his explorations of Central Asia and the Silk Road regions, and for his acquisition of many important Tibetan Empire-era manuscripts and ...

and

John Andrew Boyle John Andrew Boyle (10 March 1916 – 19 November 1978), was a British historian, an accomplished linguist, and Oriental scholar. Life and career John was born at Worcester Park, Surrey, England, on 10 March 1916. His father, Andrew Boyle, was ...

identified references to Zhao Xian in ''The Successors of Genghis Khan'' chapter of

Rashid al-Din Hamadani Rashīd al-Dīn Ṭabīb (;‎ 1247–1318; also known as Rashīd al-Dīn Faḍlullāh Hamadānī, ) was a statesman, historian, and physician in Ilkhanate Iran.Jami' al-tawarikh ''Jāmiʿ al-Tawārīkh'' () is a work of literature and history, produced in the Mongol Ilkhanate. Written by Rashid al-Din Hamadani (1247–1318 AD) at the start of the 14th century, the breadth of coverage of the work has caused it to be call ...

''; he mentions a Chinese ruler who was an "emir" and son-in-law to the "qan" (khan) after being removed from his throne by the Mongols and he is also called "monarch of Song" (宋主; ''sòngzhŭ'') in the book.

Ming

The

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

system was simple with five commonly used ranks: # Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # Imperial Noble Consort (皇貴妃; ''huángguìfēi'') # Noble Consort (貴妃; ''guìfēi'') # Consort (妃; ''fēi'') # Concubine (嬪; ''pín'') Other known titles: # Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; ''jiéyú'') # Lady of Bright Deportment (昭儀; ''zhāoyí'') # Lady of Bright Countenance (昭容; ''zhāoróng'') # Noble Lady (貴人; ''guìrén'') # Lady of Beauty (美人; ''měirén'') For the crown prince: # Crown Princess (太子妃; ''tàizǐfēi'') # Lady of Talent (才人; ''cáirén'') # Lady of Selected Service (選侍; ''xuǎnshì'') # Woman of Gentleness (淑女; ''shūnǚ'') Human tribute, including servants,

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, and virgin girls came from China's various ethnic tribes, as well as Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Central Asia, Siam, Champa, and Okinawa.

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

sent a total of 114 women to the Ming dynasty, consisting of 16 virgin girls (accompanied by 48 female servants), 42 cooks, and 8 performers. The women were sent to the

Yongle The Yongle Emperor (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Chengzu of Ming, personal name Zhu Di, was the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424. He was the fourth son of the Hongwu ...

and

Xuande The Xuande Emperor (16 March 1399 31 January 1435), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Xuanzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Zhanji, was the fifth emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1425 to 1435. He was the son and successor of ...

emperors in a total of seven missions between 1408 and 1433. Xuande was the last Ming emperor to receive human tribute from Korea; with his death in 1435, 53 Korean women were repatriated. There was much speculation that the Yongle Emperor's real mother was a Korean or Mongolian concubine. Relations between Ming China and Joseon Korea improved dramatically and became much more amicable and mutually profitable during Yongle's reign. Both Yongle and Xuande are said to have had a penchant for Korean cuisine and women. Central Asian concubines, mostly of Uighur and Mongol origin, were provided to the

Zhengde Emperor The Zhengde Emperor (26 October 149120 April 1521), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Wuzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Houzhao, was the 11th List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1505 to 1 ...

by a Muslim guard and Sayyid Hussein from Hami. The speculation about Zhengde becoming a Muslim is remembered alongside his excessive and debauched behavior with his concubines of foreign origin. Muslim Central Asian women were favored by Zhengde like how Korean women were favored by Yongle and Xuande.

Qing

The

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

system was one of the simplest systems in Chinese history. Officially, there were eight ranks: # Empress (皇后; ''huánghòu'') # Imperial Noble Consort (皇貴妃; ''huángguìfēi'') # Noble Consort (貴妃; ''guìfēi'') # Consort (妃; ''fēi'') # Concubine (嬪; ''pín'') # Noble Lady (貴人; ''guìrén'') # First Class Attendant (常在; ''chángzài'') # Second Class Attendant (答應; ''dāyìng'') There was no fixed number of holders for the three lowest ranks. ''Lady-in-waiting'' (官女子; ''guānnǘzǐ'') was typically used to refer the palace maids who has been liked by the emperor and keep them at his side attending to him but, without a formal/proper title. It was not part of the official ranking. The system was solid, but the number of imperial consorts an emperor actually had during the Qing dynasty is subject to wild variations. The

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ...

holds the record for having the most imperial consorts with 79, while the

Guangxu Emperor The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), also known by his temple name Emperor Dezong of Qing, personal name Zaitian, was the tenth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China ...

holds the record for having the fewest, with one empress, his cousin, the Empress of Yeha Nara Clan and 2 consorts who are sisters, Consort Zhen and

Consort Jin Consort Jin may refer to: Imperial consorts with the surname Jin * Jin Yueguang ( 315) and Jin Yuehua ( 315–318), two of Liu Cong's later empresses The Han-Zhao emperor Liu Cong (Han-Zhao), Liu Cong, after his third wife Empress Liu E (Han-Zhao) ...

— a total of 3 imperial consorts. There were limits placed on how many imperial consorts could hold the ranks of ''concubine'' and above. An emperor could have 1 empress, 1 imperial noble consort, 2 noble consorts, 4 consorts and 6 concubines at a time. The ranks of noble lady, first class attendant and second class attendant were unlimited. An imperial woman who had attained the rank of ''concubine'' and above would be given a residence in the main section of one of the palace in the inner court of the Forbidden City and become its mistress (主位, ''zhǔwèi''), and when being addressed by lower ranked imperial concubines and servants, she would have to be called ''your imperial highness'' (娘娘; ''níangníang''). All people were expected to use deprecating self-titles when addressing higher ranked people and imperial consorts were no different. While those imperial women whose ranks of noble lady, first class attendant and second class attendant, can only live in the side halls of the palace. Those imperial women whose ranks from concubine to empress, they can have a sedan chair, to be carried by designated eunuchs, followed by the banner holder, imperial guards, maids and eunuchs, bringing the royal regalias in a royal entourage. The empress entourage was called ''yíjià'' (仪驾), the imperial noble consort and noble consorts entourage was called ''yízhàng'' (仪仗) and the consorts and concubines entourage was called ''cǎizhàng'' (彩仗). Those ranks of noble lady, first class attendant and second class attendant can't have a sedan chair, unless given/permitted by the emperor. The empress was the only legal wife of the emperor, while his other women were considered imperial concubines. The empress' children was called ''legitimate heir'' (嫡子, ''dízǐ''), on which the princes that was bore by the empress have the higher chance of inheriting the throne; while the children of the other imperial consorts were called ''imperial concubine child'' (庶子, ''shùzǐ''). When the crown prince ascended to the throne, he was allowed to posthumously promote his late wives (even the imperial wives of the late emperors) in the ranks. A primary consort could be honored as empress, while secondary consorts and mistresses could be elevated to any of the seven other ranks (from second class attendant to imperial noble consort). A posthumous title (谥号;shìhào) is given to the empress and imperial noble consort after they die. The total characters in the empresses posthumous title is 16 while, there are only 2 characters in the imperial noble consort. For the empress given posthumous names, (孝; xiào) which means “filial”, is always initial and ended with the emperors name (号, hào); but the emperors name is only given to the empress after the emperor died. For the imperial noble consort given posthumous name, it uses their honor names (封号; fēnghào) and added one character (either initial or last). An emperor would be careful when promoting an imperial consort to the rank of ''imperial noble consort'' because this rank was considered a deputy empress (副后; ''fùhòu''). As such, the promotions mostly happened when an imperial consort (usually a noble consort) was hopelessly ill and the emperor wanted to console her (it was believed that a promotion was a blessing and could aid in dispelling the sickness), when the empress needed someone to assist her in managing the inner court or when the empress was dead and someone else was needed to manage the inner court. An empress who outlived her husband would become empress dowager (皇太后; ''huángtàihòu'') and would be known as ''imperial mother, empress dowager'' (母后皇太后; ''mŭhòu huángtàihòu''). In the cases when the new emperor's birth mother was one of the former emperor's imperial consorts, she would also become empress dowager and would be known as ''sage mother, empress dowager'' (聖母皇太后; ''shèngmŭ huángtàihòu''), as well as being posthumously honored as empress. An empress dowager who lived through the reigns of at least two subsequent emperors would be called ''grand empress dowager'' (太皇太后; ''tàihuángtàihòu''). The other imperial consorts of the former emperor would be addressed as ''dowager'' (太; ''tài'') according to their rank, but it was not required. A concubine would be called ''concubine dowager'' (太嬪; ''tàipín''), a consort would be called ''consort dowager'' (太妃; ''tàifēi''), a noble consort would be called ''noble consort dowager'' (貴太妃; ''guìtàifēi'') and an imperial noble consort would be called ''imperial noble consort dowager'' (皇貴太妃; ''huángguìtàifēi''). The empress and imperial consorts were expected to pay respect to the elders who held the positions above. However, the former emperor's low-ranked imperial concubines (noble lady, first class attendant and second class attendant) would simply be referred to as ''palace woman of the late emperor'' (先帝宮女; ''xiāndì gōngnü''). A prince's harem consists of only three ranks: # Primary Consort (嫡福晋; ''dífújìn'') # Secondary Consort (侧福晋; ''cèfújìn'') # Mistress (格格; ''gége'') The ''primary consort'' is the official wife of the prince and only one can have this position. The ''secondary consort'' are the second wives of the prince, on which only two can occupy the position. The ''mistress'' are the women of the princes on which, they came from the lower background family/clans, on which, they can came from the main and secondary consorts as dowry maids or a tribute of the government officials to the emperor and gifted as a maid to the prince.

References

Citations

Sources

* * Zizhi Tongjian (1084), vol. 203 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ranks Of Imperial Consorts In China Chinese imperial consorts Chinese culture Concubinage Chinese concubines