Princess Shou-En (December 7, 1830 – April 13, 1859) personal name unknown, was a Qing dynasty princess and the sixth

daughter A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state, condition or quality of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show r ...

Emperor Daoguang The Daoguang Emperor (16 September 1782 – 26 February 1850), also known by his temple name Emperor Xuanzong of Qing, personal name Mianning, was the seventh emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His ...

of the Qing dynasty and Consort Jing of the Borjigit clan.Initially titled Heshuo Princess,but she was later granted the title of Shou'en Gurun Princess. She was married to Jing Shou, a member of the

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...

elite.

Early Life

Princess Shou'en Gurun was born on January 20, 1831 (or December 7, 1830 in the

lunar calendar A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases ( synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based on the solar year, and lunisolar calendars, whose lunar months are br ...

) as the sixth daughter of

, and only daughter of her mother, Consort Jing of the Borjigit clan. Initially, she held the title of Heshuo Princess until 1844, when she was granted the higher title of Shou'en Gurun Princess.

Married Life

In 1845, she officially married Jing Shou, whose family belonged to the

Bordered Yellow Banner The Bordered Yellow Banner () was one of the Eight Banners of Manchu people, Manchu military and society during the Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin and Qing dynasty of China. The Bordered Yellow Banner was one of three "upper" banner armies u ...

of the Manchu Eight Banners. After marriage, Jing Shou was granted an official position, and later inherited the rank of First Class Duke due to his elder brother's passing without heirs. The imperial court allocated an annual silver

stipend A stipend is a regular fixed sum of money paid for services or to defray expenses, such as for scholarship, internship, or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from an income or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work pe ...

to the

princess Princess is a title used by a female member of a regnant monarch's family or by a female ruler of a principality. The male equivalent is a prince (from Latin '' princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for ...

instead of direct property management to simplify financial matters. Despite her elevated status, Princess Shou'en's marriage and financial privileges were inferior to those of her elder sister, Princess Shou'an. She received a dowry of silver, real estate, and an apothecary with a substantial capital. During the reign of

Emperor Xianfeng The Xianfeng Emperor (17 July 1831 – 22 August 1861), also known by his temple name Emperor Wenzong of Qing, personal name Yizhu, was the eighth emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China proper. During his re ...

, she and her sister offered silver to support military expenses, but their brother, the emperor, declined, citing the need to maintain their household.

Death

In April 1859, Princess Shou'en passed away at the age of 30 (though some historical records mistakenly list her age as 38). Upon her death, her husband returned her estate as per regulations. Records show that many of her household servants were elderly or ill, prompting an investigation to verify their health conditions. Jing Shou had at least four sons and six daughters, one of whom married the eldest daughter of Prince Gong. However, no historical evidence suggests that Princess Shou'en was the biological mother of any of his children.

References

{{Authority control Daughters of emperors Qing dynasty princesses 1830 births 1859 deaths