Emperor Shang of Han (; late October or early November 105 – 21 September 106) was an infant
emperor
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 Chinese
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 ...
and the fifth emperor of the Eastern Han.
Born Liu Long, the infant was placed on the throne by the Empress Dowager
Deng Sui
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 of the Eastern Han dynasty through her marriage to Emperor He of Han, and later its '' de fact ...
when he was barely 100 days old, despite him having an older brother, Liu Sheng ().
Empress Dowager Deng also kept Liu Hu () – the twelve-year-old cousin of the young emperor and future
Emperor An of Han
Emperor An of Han (; 9430 April 125) was an Emperor of the Han dynasty and the sixth emperor of the Eastern Han, ruling from 106 to 125. He was a grandson of Emperor Zhang and cousin to Emperor Shang of Han, who died while Deng Sui, the emp ...
– 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 ...
as insurance against the emperor's death. Liu Hu ascended to the throne when Emperor Shang died in September 106; however, Dowager Deng still remained as the
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 ...
for the teenager Emperor An. A
decree
A decree is a law, legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, monarch, royal figure, or other relevant Authority, authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislativ ...
by Empress Dowager Deng during this reign shed light on bureaucratic inefficiency.
Emperor Shang's reign, like his father's before him, was once again marred by corrupt eunuchs interfering themselves in important matters of state.
Early life
Prince Liu Long was born in autumn 105 to
Emperor He and a
concubine
Concubinage is an interpersonal relationship, interpersonal and Intimate relationship, sexual relationship between two people in which the couple does not want to, or cannot, enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarde ...
whose identity is unknown. Because Emperor He had, during his reign, frequently lost sons due to childhood illnesses, according to the superstitions of the time, both Prince Long and his older brother Prince Sheng 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 outside the palace to nurture.
When Emperor He died in February 106, his wife, Empress
Deng Sui
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 of the Eastern Han dynasty through her marriage to Emperor He of Han, and later its '' de fact ...
, brought the young princes back to the palace. Prince Sheng was older but regarded as frequently ill and unfit for the throne; therefore Empress Deng created the infant Prince Long
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 ...
and soon after had him proclaimed Emperor Shang, with Empress Deng acting 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 ...
.
Reign
After Emperor Shang was proclaimed emperor, his brother Prince Sheng was created the Prince of Pingyuan.
Concerned that Emperor Shang might not live long, Empress Dowager Deng also kept Liu Hu () – the twelve-year-old cousin of the young emperor and future
Emperor An of Han
Emperor An of Han (; 9430 April 125) was an Emperor of the Han dynasty and the sixth emperor of the Eastern Han, ruling from 106 to 125. He was a grandson of Emperor Zhang and cousin to Emperor Shang of Han, who died while Deng Sui, the emp ...
– 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 ...
as insurance against the emperor's death. Prince Hu was viewed by some as the rightful heir to Emperor He, as he was the son of Prince Qing of Qinghe, who was once a crown prince under Emperor He's father
Emperor Zhang but was deposed due to machinations of Emperor Zhang's wife
Empress Dou.
As Emperor Shang was an infant, actual and formal power were vested with Empress Dowager Deng. Her brother Deng Zhi () became the most powerful official in the imperial government. During the short reign, Empress Dowager Deng issued a general pardon to those who had had rights stripped from them for associating with the family of Empress Dou.
Death
In September 106, Emperor Shang died.
The officials had by this time realized that his older brother, Prince Sheng, was not as ill as originally thought and therefore wanted to make him emperor. However, Empress Dowager Deng was concerned that Prince Sheng might bear a grudge at not being made emperor before his brother, and therefore insisted on making Emperor Shang's cousin, Prince Hu, emperor instead.
Emperor Shang, having died as a toddler, was not given a separate tomb, as is customary for emperors. Rather, in order to avoid unnecessary expenses, he was buried in the same tomb complex as his father Emperor He.
Prince Hu ascended to the throne – with the posthumous name "Emperor An" – when Emperor Shang died in 106; however, Dowager Deng still remained as the
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 ...
for the teenager Emperor An. A
decree
A decree is a law, legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, monarch, royal figure, or other relevant Authority, authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislativ ...
by Empress Dowager Deng during this reign shed light on bureaucratic inefficiency.
Era name
* ''Yanping'' () 106
See also
*
Family tree of the Han dynasty
Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as m ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shang Of Han
Eastern Han dynasty emperors
Monarchs who died as children
Child monarchs from Asia
105 births
106 deaths
2nd-century Chinese monarchs
Emperors from Luoyang