Han Empress Dowager (漢太后)

Overview

The translated histories identify Han Empress Dowager as a consort, royal family member, and ruler. This record brings together 9 passages from 4 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Han Empress Dowager	漢太后	Han Taihou
Title	empress dowager	太后
Title	Empress Dowager	太后	Taihou
Title	Empress Dowager	太后
Title	Han empress dowager	漢太后
Title	Han Empress Dowager	漢太后	Han Taihou
Title	Han Empress Dowager	漢太后
Title	Illustrious Sage Empress Dowager	昭聖皇太后

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Title only
Sex: Female

Sex: female
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:130:s0016, xinwudaishi:011:s0055, xinwudaishi:050:s0003
Value: female
Strongly inferred · xinwudaishi:070:s0014

Roles

Consort
Royal Family Member
Ruler

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 三年 · Western Year: AD 950
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:070:s0014, xinwudaishi:070:s0013
Source Date: Text: 乾祐三年十一月 · Western Year: AD 950
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:011:s0042, xinwudaishi:011:s0046, xinwudaishi:011:s0057
Source Date: Text: 京師平定 · Western Year: AD 951
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:130:s0016
Source Date: Text: 太祖監國 · Western Interval: Start: AD 950 · End: AD 951
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:050:s0003

Career and standing

Title: Illustrious Sage Empress Dowager / 昭聖皇太后 · Action: honored
Explicit · xinwudaishi:011:s0066

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: authority · Action: named-heir · Other Person Id: Liu Yun (劉赟)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:070:s0014
Kind: political · Role: issuer · Action: ordered-regency · Other Person Id: Guo Wei (郭威)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:011:s0064

References in the histories

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

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 130Volume 130 Book of Later Zhou 32: Biographies 10: Wang Jun, Murong Yanchao, Yan Honglu, Cui Zhoudu · 2 passages

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京師平定，受漢太后令，充樞密使。 Once the capital was secured he received orders from the Han empress dowager and was appointed director of the bureau of military affairs.

周兵犯京師，隱帝出勞軍，太后使彥超衛帝，彥超曰：「北兵何能為，當於陣上唱坐使歸營。」 When Zhou troops marched on the capital, Yindi went out to review the army. The empress dowager ordered Yanchao to protect the emperor. Yanchao said, "What can northern soldiers do? I will stand on the field and call the commissioner to return to camp."

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 11Volume 11 Later Zhou Annals 2: Taizu · 5 passages

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戊子，率百官朝太后於明德門，請立嗣君。 On wuzi he led the civil and military officials to the Bright Virtue Gate to bow before the Empress Dowager and beg that a successor be chosen.

太后下令：文武百寮、六軍將校，議擇賢明，以承大統。 The Empress Dowager commanded the court and the six armies to choose a worthy man to bear the succession.

辛卯，請太后臨朝聽政，以王峻為樞密使，翰林學士、尚書兵部侍郎範質為副使。 On xinmao he had the Empress Dowager preside at court. Wang Jun became Privy Commissioner; Fan Zhi, Hanlin academician and Minister of War, vice commissioner.

庚申，太后制以威監國。 On gengshen the Empress Dowager named Wei regent of the realm.

己巳，上漢太后尊號曰昭聖皇太后。 On jisi he honored the Han empress dowager as Illustrious Sage Empress Dowager.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 50Volume 50 Miscellaneous Biographies 30: Wang Jun, Wang Yin, Liu Ci, Wang Huan, Zhe Congruan · 1 passage

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