Empress Deng (邓皇后)

Overview

The translated histories identify Empress Deng as a consort and royal family member. This record brings together 7 passages from 2 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Empress Deng	邓皇后	Deng Huanghou
Surname	Deng	邓
Title	Empress Deng	邓皇后
Title	Empress Deng	鄧
Title	Empress Dowager	太后
Title	Honored Lady Deng	邓贵人
Surname		鄧	Deng

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Female

Sex: female
Explicit · houhanshu:115:s0017, nanqishu:020:s0084

Roles

Consort
Royal Family Member

Life and dates

Death

Statement: empress dowager died
Explicit · houhanshu:115:s0029

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 東漢 · Western Interval: Start: AD 80 · End: AD 121
Explicit event contextual date · nanqishu:020:s0084
Source Date: Text: 永元十三年 · Western Year: AD 101
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:115:s0017, houhanshu:115:s0016
Source Date: Text: 永元十四年 · Western Year: AD 102
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:115:s0018, houhanshu:115:s0016

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Spouse of Emperor He (和帝)
Kinship Term: honored lady / empress / 贵人/皇后 · Union Category: marriage · Subject Role: wife · Object Role: husband

Career and standing

Status: empress · Action: established
Explicit · houhanshu:115:s0018
Status: clan executed · Action: Deng clan executed after her death
Explicit · houhanshu:115:s0029

Places and affiliations

Label: Eastern Han / 汉 · Relation: under
Strongly inferred · houhanshu:115:s0017

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: kingmaker · Action: enthroned-Emperor-An-instead-of-Sheng
Explicit · houhanshu:115:s0025
Kind: political · Role: regent · Action: preferred-infant-Shang-for-regency
Explicit · houhanshu:115:s0023

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 115Volume 104: Five Elements Part Two · 6 passages

Open chapter

是时和帝幸邓贵人，阴后宠衰怨恨，上有欲废之意。 Emperor He had turned to Lady Deng while Empress Yin, fallen from favor, smoldered with hate; the emperor meant to cast her off.

明年，会得阴后挟伪道事，遂废，迁于桐宫，以忧死，立邓贵人为皇后。 The next year the Yin empress was caught in a sorcery scandal, stripped of rank, confined to the Cold Palace, and left to die of shame; Lady Deng became empress in her place.

先是和帝崩，有皇子二人，皇子胜长，邓皇后贪殇帝少，欲自养长立之。 After He’s death two princes survived; Liu Sheng was the elder, but Empress Deng preferred the infant Shang so she could prolong her regency.

胜有厥疾不笃，群臣咸欲立之，太后以前既不立胜，遂更立清河王子，是为安帝。 Liu Sheng was fit enough to rule, and the court wanted him, but the dowager—having once passed him over—enthroned the Qinghe prince’s son as Emperor An instead.

司空周章等心不厌服，谋欲诛邓氏，废太后、安帝，而更立胜。 Zhou Zhang and other ministers secretly planned a coup: wipe out the Deng family, depose regent and emperor, and restore Liu Sheng.

及太后崩，邓氏被诛。 After the dowager’s death the Dengs were extirpated.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 20Volume 20 Biographies 1: Empresses and Consorts · 1 passage

Open chapter

若使掖作同休，陰教遠燮，則馬、鄧風流，復存乎此。 Had the side palaces rested in one accord and the women's teaching steadied the realm from within, the elegance of the Ma and Deng empresses might have returned here.