Lady Yehenara (嫡夫人叶赫那拉氏, 16 June 1866 - 12 July 1933) was primary consort of

Zaize Zaize (17 March 1868 – June 1929), born Zaijiao, courtesy name Yinping, was a Manchu noble of the Qing dynasty. He is best known for supporting reforms and advocating the adoption of a constitutional monarchy system in the final years of ...

, 5th generation descendant of Yunxu, Prince Yuke of the Second Rank and

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 ...

's 15th surviving son. She was two years older than him. Her personal name was Jingrong (, meaning "still glory").

Life

Family background

Jingrong was a member of the

Bordered Blue Banner The Bordered Blue Banner () was one of the Eight Banners of Manchu military and society during the Later Jin and Qing dynasty of China. It was one of the lower five banners. According to the general annals of the Eight Banners, the Bordered Blue ...

lineage of the Yehe-Nara clan.Both her father and grandfather held a title of third class duke Cheng'en (承恩公) as their daughters were honoured as empresses. * Guixiang (桂祥; 1849–1913), served as first rank military official (都統), and held the title of a third class duke (三等公) ** Paternal grandfather: Huizheng (惠徵; 1805–1853), held the title of a third class duke (三等公) ** Paternal grandmother: Lady Fuca ** First paternal uncle: Zhaoxiang (照祥) ** Third paternal uncle: Fuxiang (福祥) ** Paternal aunt: Empress Xiaoqinxian (Xingzhen (杏贞), 1835–1908), the mother of the

Tongzhi Emperor The Tongzhi Emperor (27 April 1856 – 12 January 1875), also known by his temple name Emperor Muzong of Qing, personal name Zaichun, was the ninth emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign, w ...

(1856–1875) ** Paternal aunt:

Wanzhen Wanzhen (13 September 1841 – 17 June 1896), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Yehe Nara clan, was a consort of Yixuan. She was one year his junior and the younger sister of Empress Cixi and the mother of Emperor Guangxu. Life Family backg ...

(1841–1896), the mother of 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 ...

(1871–1908) * Mother: Lady

Aisin Gioro The House of Aisin-Gioro is a Manchu clan that ruled the Later Jin dynasty (1616–1636), the Qing dynasty (1636–1912), and Manchukuo (1932–1945) in the history of China. Under the Ming dynasty, members of the Aisin Gioro clan served as chie ...

* Two brothers: Deheng (德恒) and Deqi (德棋) * Two younger sisters ** First younger sister: Jingfen (1868-1913),

Empress Xiaodingjing Yehe Nara Jingfen (; 28 January 1868 – 22 February 1913), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Yehe Nara clan, was the wife and empress consort of Zaitian, the Guangxu Emperor. She was empress consort of Qing from 1889 until her husband's death ...

** Second younger sister: Yehenara Jingfang (d.1898), primary Princess Consort Shunchengzhi of the Second Rank ----

Tongzhi era

Lady Yehenara was born on 16 June 1866.

Guangxu era

In 1894, Jingrong became a wife of grace bulwark duke

, adopted son of Yixun, the second in Prince Hui of the first rank, at the age of 28. Although Zaize requested to choose a date of his wedding in 1888, when Jingrong had attended the Elegant Women Selection and had been officially approved as his primary consort by

Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908) was a Manchu noblewoman of the Yehe Nara clan who effectively but periodically controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing dynasty as empress dowager and regent for almost 50 ...

, the wedding was delayed until 1894. Zaize was promoted to grace defender duke after the marriage. Her marriage turned as a successful one. Jingrong was admired by Zaize for her beauty, youthfulness and kindness. Apart from her, Zaize took lady Liu and lady Zhu as concubines. The main motive of Cixi's choice was desire to strengthen ties between her maternal family and imperial clan.Jingrong's paternal aunt,

, became princess consort Chun of the first rank in 1860s, her first younger sister was instated as an empress of the

, while her second younger sister married

Nalehe Nelehe (; 4 July 1881 – 14 February 1917) was a Qing dynasty imperial prince. He was a 16th-generation descendant of Lekdehun, Daišan's grandson and Nurhaci's great-grandson. Life Nelehe was born on 4 July 1881, which translates to 8th day ...

, Prince Shuncheng of the Second Rank in 1889 As a supporter of

Hundred Days' Reform The Hundred Days' Reform or Wuxu Reform () was a failed 103-day national, cultural, political, and educational reform movement that occurred from 11 June to 22 September 1898 during the late Qing dynasty. It was undertaken by the young Guangxu Emp ...

, Zaize was neither executed nor stripped of his privilleges, which might have affected Jingrong. Jingrong was one of the pioneers of teaching foreign languages in Qing dynasty China, as she met many foreigners after 1900. She adopted European outfits together with another princesses consorts of Zaize. Under her supervision, the ducal manor was undergoing reconstruction in order to adapt the estate to innovations of XIX century. Her actions were inspired by 1905 investigation tour to European countries,

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Xuantong era

In 1908, Zaize was granted a status of the prince of the fourth rank together with Jingrong, which meant that they could receive stipends and use garments befitting prince of the fourth rank though remaining grace defender duke and state duchess of the first rank respectively.

After the demise of Qing dynasty

After Xinhai Revolution broke out in 1911, Zaize resigned from his appointments but retained noble title. In 1924, when

Puyi Puyi (7 February 190617 October 1967) was the final emperor of China, reigning as the eleventh monarch of the Qing dynasty from 1908 to 1912. When the Guangxu Emperor died without an heir, Empress Dowager Cixi picked his nephew Puyi, aged tw ...

was evicted from the

Forbidden City The Forbidden City () is the Chinese Empire, imperial Chinese palace, palace complex in the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City in Beijing, China. It was the residence of 24 Ming dynasty, Ming and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasty L ...

, all imperial clansmen followed suit. Jingrong continued to live with Zaize until June 1929. Jingrong died on 12 July 1933 at the age of 67.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jingrong Qing dynasty princesses consorts 1866 births 1933 deaths