Grand empress dowager

Grand empress dowager (also grand dowager empress or grand empress mother) (Chinese and Japanese: 太皇太后; pinyin: tàihuángtàihòu; rōmaji: taikōtaigō; Korean: 태 황 태 후 (太皇太后); romaja: Tae Hwang Tae Hu; Vietnamese: Thái Hoàng thái hậu) was a title given to the grandmother,[1] or a woman from the same generation, of a Chinese, Japanese and Korean emperor in East Asia, or a Vietnamese emperor in Southeast Asia.

Some grand empress dowagers held regency during the emperor's childhood. Some of the most prominent empress dowagers extended their regencies beyond the time when the emperor was old enough to govern alone. This was seen as a source of political turmoil, according to the traditional views of Chinese historians.

Chinese grand empress dowagers

Han dynasty

Grand Empress Dowager Lü Zhi (188 BC – 180 BC), during the reign of Emperor Qianshao and Emperor Houshao
Grand Empress Dowager Bo (156 BC – 155 BC), during the reign of Emperor Jing
Grand Empress Dowager Dou (141 BC – 135 BC), during the reign of Emperor Wu
Grand Empress Dowager Shangguan (74 BC – 37 BC), during the reign of Emperor Xuan and Emperor Yuan
Grand Empress Dowager Qiongcheng (33 BC – 16 BC), during the reign of Emperor Cheng
Grand Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun (7 BC – 13 AD), during the reign of Emperor Ai and Emperor Ping
Grand Empress Dowager Fu (帝太太后 instead of 太皇太后) (7 BC – 3 BC), during the reign of Emperor Ai

Cao Wei

Grand Empress Dowager Bian (226–230), during the reign of Emperor Ming

Jin dynasty (265–420)

Grand Empress Dowager Li Lingrong (397–400), during the reign of Emperor An

Liu Song dynasty

Grand Empress Dowager Xiao Wenshou (422–423), during the reign of Emperor Shao
Grand Empress Dowager Lu Huinan (464–466), during the reign of Emperor Qianfei

Chen dynasty

Grand Empress Dowager Zhang Yao'er (566–568), during the reign of Emperor Fei

Northern Wei dynasty

Grand Empress Dowager Helian (452–453), during the reign of Emperor Wencheng
Grand Empress Dowager Feng (471–490), during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen
Grand Empress Dowager Lou Zhaojun (559–560), during the reign of Emperor Fei

Song dynasty

Grand Empress Dowager Cao (1067–1085), during the reign of Emperor Shenzong
Grand Empress Dowager Gao Taotao (1085–1093), during the reign of Emperor Zhezong
Grand Empress Dowager Wu (1189–1197), during the reign of Emperor Guangzong
Grand Empress Dowager Xie (1194–1203), during the reign of Emperor Ningzong
Grand Empress Dowager Xie Daoqing (1274–1276), during the reign of Emperor Gong; the proceeding two emperors were her grandsons but they were fleeing from the Mongols

Liao dynasty

Grand Empress Dowager Xiao Yanmujin (died 933), during the reign of Emperor Taizong
Grand Empress Dowager Xiao Noujin (1055–1057), during the reign of Emperor Daozong
Grand Empress Dowager Xiao Dali (1101–1118), during the reign of Emperor Tianzuo

Jin dynasty (1115–1234)

Tangkuo, Grand Empress Dowager of Qingyuan Palace (1135–1136), during the reign of Emperor Xizong
Heshilie, Grand Empress Dowager of Mingde Palace (1135–1143), during the reign of Emperor Xizong

Yuan dynasty

Grand Empress Dowager of Dagi (1321–?), during the reign of Emperor Yingzong
Grand Empress Dowager Budashiri (1333–1338), during the reign of Emperor Huizong

Ming dynasty

Grand Empress Dowager Zhang (1435–1442), during the reign of the Zhengtong Emperor
Grand Empress Dowager Zhou (1487–1504), during the reign of the Hongzhi Emperor
Grand Empress Dowager Wang (1505–1518), during the reign of the both the Hongzhi Emperor and the Zhengde Emperor
Grand Empress Dowager Zheng (posthumous title), awarded by the Hongguang Emperor

Qing dynasty

Grand Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang (1661–1688), during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor
Grand Empress Dowager Cixi (1908), during the reign of the Xuantong Emperor (Puyi)

References

Twitchett, Denis C.; Mote, Frederick W. (1998-01-28). The Cambridge History of China: Volume 8, The Ming Dynasty. Cambridge University Press. p. 18. ISBN 9780521243339.

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[1] Twitchett, Denis C.; Mote, Frederick W. (1998-01-28). The Cambridge History of China: Volume 8, The Ming Dynasty. Cambridge University Press. p. 18. ISBN 9780521243339.