Empress Dowager Xuande (宣德太后)

Overview

The translated histories identify Empress Dowager Xuande as a consort, royal family member, and ruler. This record brings together 9 passages from 3 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Empress Dowager Xuande	宣德太后	Xuande taihou
Title	Dowager Empress Xuande	宣德太后	Xuande Taihou
Title	Empress Dowager	皇太后
Title	Empress Dowager Xuande	宣德太后
Title	Empress Dowager Xuande	宣德太后	Xuāndé Tàihòu
Title	Xuande	宣德	Xuande

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Title only
Sex: Female

Sex: female
Explicit · liangshu:023:s0030, nanqishu:050:s0026
Sex: female
Strongly inferred · nanqishu:008:s0015

Roles

Consort
Royal Family Member
Ruler

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 中興二年 · Western Year: AD 502
Explicit event contextual date · nanqishu:008:s0048, nanqishu:008:s0084, nanqishu:050:s0026
Source Date: Text: 中興元年 · Western Year: AD 501
Explicit · liangshu:023:s0030, liangshu:023:s0029
Source Date: Text: 中興元年十二月 · Western Year: AD 501
Explicit event contextual date · nanqishu:008:s0043
Source Date: Text: 梁王定京邑 · Western Year: AD 501
Explicit event contextual date · nanqishu:050:s0026
Source Date: Text: 永元二年十二月壬辰 · Western Year: AD 500
Explicit · nanqishu:008:s0015

Places and affiliations

Label: Southern Qi / 南齊 · Relation: member-of
Explicit · nanqishu:008:s0015
Place: inner palace / 內殿 · Relation: resided-at
Explicit · nanqishu:008:s0048
Organization: Southern Qi / 南齊 · Relation: affiliated-with
Explicit · nanqishu:050:s0001

Works and attributed material

Kind: edict · Role: issuer · Other Person Id: Xiao Baoyi (蕭寶義) · Quote: 不言之化，形于自遠。
Explicit · nanqishu:050:s0026, nanqishu:050:s0027
Kind: order · Role: author · Other Person Id: Prince of Liang (梁王)
Explicit · nanqishu:008:s0043
Kind: order · Role: author · Provenance: Mode: quotation · Speaker Person Id: Empress Dowager Xuande (宣德太后)
Explicit · nanqishu:008:s0015, nanqishu:008:s0016, nanqishu:008:s0017

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: regent · Action: presided-at-court · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 中興二年春正月戊戌 · Western Year: AD 502
Explicit · nanqishu:008:s0048
Kind: political · Role: subject · Action: withdrew-to-outer-palace · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 中興二年四月辛酉 · Western Year: AD 502
Explicit · nanqishu:008:s0084

References in the histories

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

Book of Liang, Chapter 23Volume 23: Ye, Prince of Changsha; Boyou, Prince of Yongyang; Yuanjian, Prince of Hengyang; Xiang, Prince of Guiyang · 1 passage

Open chapter

宣德太后臨朝，改贈太傅。 When Empress Dowager Xuande assumed the regency, his posthumous rank was raised to Grand Preceptor.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 8Volume 8 Annals 8: Emperor He of Southern Qi · 5 passages

Open chapter

壬辰，驍騎將軍夏侯亶自京師至江陵，稱宣德太后令：「西中郎將南康王宜纂承皇祚，光臨億兆。 On renchen, Swift-as-Steeds General Xiahou Dan arrived from the capital at Jiangling and announced an order of Empress Dowager Xuande: "The Western Palace Attendant, the Prince of Nankang, should succeed to the throne and rule the myriad people.

己巳，皇太后令以梁王爲大司馬、錄尚書事、驃騎大將軍、揚州刺史，封建安郡公，依晉武陵王遵承制故事，百僚致敬。 On jisi, the empress dowager ordered that the Prince of Liang be made grand marshal, supervisor of the Masters of Writing, general of agile cavalry, and governor of Yang Province, enfeoffed as Duke of Jian'an, with authority following the precedent of Prince Wuling of Jin when he held the imperial mandate; all officials were to pay him homage.

二年春正月戊戌，宣德太后臨朝，入居內殿。 In spring, on wuxu of the first month of year 2, Empress Dowager Xuande presided at court and took up residence in the inner palace.

三月乙未，皇太后令給梁國錢五百萬，布五千匹，絹千匹。 On yiwei of the third month, the empress dowager ordered that the Liang kingdom be supplied with five million cash, five thousand bolts of cloth, and one thousand bolts of silk.

夏四月辛酉，禪詔至，皇太后遜外宮。 In summer, on xinyou of the fourth month, the abdication edict arrived, and the empress dowager withdrew to an outer palace.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 50Volume 50 Biographies 31: Emperor Wen's Two Princes, Emperor Ming's Seven Princes · 3 passages

Open chapter

梁王定京邑，宣德太后令以寶義爲太尉，領司徒。 After the Prince of Liang secured the capital, Dowager Empress Xuande ordered Bao Yi appointed Grand Commandant while retaining the Ministry of Education.

宣德太后臨朝，梁王爲建安公，改封寶夤爲鄱陽王。 When Dowager Empress Xuande held court, the Prince of Liang was made Duke of Jian'an, and Bao Yin was reassigned as Prince of Poyang.

中興二年，謀反，宣德太后令賜死。 In the second year of Zhongxing (502) he plotted rebellion, and Dowager Empress Xuande ordered him put to death.