X-Nico

unusual facts about empress dowager



Dou Xian

In the following year, the older of these two sisters became Empress Zhangde, the wife of Emperor Zhang of Han, and lasted briefly as empress dowager and regent during the early reign of Emperor He of Han.

Ottonian Renaissance

The Byzantine influence further increased with the marriage of Otto II with Princess Theophanu, who upon her husband's death in 983 ruled as Empress dowager for her minor son Otto III until 991.

The Twins of Destiny

It followed the (fictional) quest of two children, Jules and Julie, in their travels across Eurasia seeking to overthrow the Empress Dowager of China, and consequently, release their fathers from imprisonment.


see also

Anchee Min

Her fiction emphasizes strong female characters, such as Jiang Qing, the wife of chairman Mao Zedong, and Empress Dowager Cixi, the last ruling empress of China.

Consort Xu

Empress Dowager Xu (died 926), known as Consort Xu (徐賢妃) of the Former Shu before she became empress dowager

Emperor Hui of Han

He tried to protect Ruyi, Prince Yin of Zhao, his younger half-brother, from being murdered by Empress Dowager Lü, but failed.

Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei

Power soon fell into the hands of the official Yifu Hun, who tried to monopolize power and executed a number of other officials, including Buliugu Li, but in 466 was in turn ambushed by Emperor Wencheng's wife Empress Dowager Feng.

Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei

He therefore sent secret messengers to the general Erzhu Rong, who controlled the region around Bing Province (并州, modern central Shanxi), ordering him to advance on Luoyang to force Empress Dowager Hu to remove Zheng and Xu.

In 528, Emperor Xiaoming tried to curb his mother's powers and kill her lover Zheng Yan (鄭儼) by conspiring with the general Erzhu Rong, and Empress Dowager Hu killed him.

He particularly tried to curb the powers of Empress Dowager Hu's brother-in-law Yuan Cha and the eunuch Liu Teng (劉騰).

Empress Dowager Bo

The future Empress Dowager Bo's father, Gentleman Bo (薄翁), came from Wu County (吳縣, in modern Suzhou, Jiangsu).

Empress Dowager Wang

Empress Wang Zhenfeng (王貞風) (436–479), empress dowager of the Liu Song Dynasty, Emperor Houfei's stepmother

Empress Wang Zhi (王娡) (died 126 BC), empress dowager of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu's mother

Empress Wang Xianyuan (王憲嫄) (427–464), empress dowager of the Liu Song Dynasty, Emperor Qianfei's mother

Empress Dowager Xia

The future Empress Dowager Xia was from Kuaiji Commandery (會稽, roughly modern Shaoxing, Zhejiang).

Empress Dowager Xiao

Empress Xiao Yanyan (蕭燕燕) (932–1009), Khitan empress dowager of the Liao Dynasty, Emperor Shengzong's mother

Empress Wang Zhi

It was because of this that Empress Dowager Dou wanted to create Wang Xin a marquess, a move initially blocked by his prime minister Zhou Yafu (周亞夫), although Emperor Jing eventually carried out the creation anyway.

Franz Eckert

In 1897, he was invited to compose a special song, which he titled Kanashimi no kiwami, for the funeral of Empress Dowager Eishō (widow of Emperor Kōmei).

Lü Clan Disturbance

(Princess Yuan of Lu's husband and Zhang Yan's father, Zhang Ao (張敖), had, during Emperor Gao's reign, been the Prince of Zhao, but was removed as part of the policy against non-Liu princes, so Grand Empress Dowager Lü might have felt that making Zhang Yan a prince would be considered to be more justified; when Zhang Ao died in 182 BC, he was posthumously honored as a prince.

Origen

At Caesarea, Origen was joyfully received, was the guest of Firmilian, bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, and perhaps also of the empress-dowager Julia Avita Mamaea.

Prince of Zhao

Liu Ruyi, (198 BC – 194 BC) fourth son of Emperor Gaozu of Han, killed by Empress Dowager Lü.

Tourmaline

The Empress Dowager Cixi of China loved pink tourmaline and bought large quantities for gemstones and carvings from the then new Himalaya Mine, located in San Diego County, California.

Wei Fangzhi

When someone warned him that not doing so risked offending them, he responded, "Life and death are all determined by heaven. How can a real man prostrate himself to flatter imperial relatives just to avoid disaster?" Soon, Wei was falsely accused by Empress Dowager Wu's trusted secret police official Zhou Xing, and he was exiled to Dan Prefecture (儋州, roughly modern Danzhou, Hainan), and his assets were seized.

Yuan Hao

Emperor Xiaoming conspired with the general Erzhu Rong to have Erzhu advance on Luoyang to force Empress Dowager to give up power and to kill Zheng and Xu.

When this plot was discovered, Empress Dowager Hu poisoned Emperor Xiaoming and installed Yuan Zhao, a young child of an imperial prince, as emperor.

Yuan Yong

In 528, with Empress Dowager Hu and Emperor Xiaoming in a conflict after Emperor Xiaoming wanted to put Empress Dowager Hu's lover Zheng Yan (鄭儼) to death by conspiring with the general Erzhu Rong, Empress Dowager Hu poisoned Emperor Xiaoming and put the young child Yuan Zhao, a great-grandson of Emperor Xiaowen from a collateral line, on the throne.

He made Yuan Xie's son Yuan Ziyou emperor (as Emperor Xiaozhuang) and threw Empress Dowager Hu and Yuan Zhao into the Yellow River to drown.

Yuan Zhao

The general Erzhu Rong, with whom Emperor Xiaoming had conspired against Empress Dowager Hu, refused to recognize Yuan Zhao as emperor, quickly descending on the capital Luoyang with his troops and declaring a son of Emperor Xiaowen's brother Yuan Xie, Yuan Ziyou, emperor (as Emperor Xiaozhuang).

Zhongnanhai

During the reign of the Empress Dowager Cixi, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor would often live in the Zhongnanhai compound, travelling to the Forbidden City only for ceremonial duties.

Zhou Yafu

The Empress Dowager wanted to create him a marquess for his intercession with the emperor after the Prince of Liang was involved in the assassination of nearly a dozen ministers (including Yuan Ang) as part of a dispute over the imperial succession.