The following is a list of empresses and queens consort of China, who formed the highest tier of the imperial Chinese harem system. China has periodically been divided into kingdoms as well as united under empires, resulting in consorts titled both queen and empress. The empress title could also be given posthumously, as to the mothers and grandmothers of the founders of dynasties.
Empresses and queens
The title of empress (, húanghòu) could also be given posthumously. The posthumous empresses are listed separately by the year they were given the title.
Western Han dynasty (202 BCEâÂÂ9 CE)
Cao Wei (220âÂÂ266)
Shu Han (221âÂÂ263)
Jin dynasty (266âÂÂ403, 404âÂÂ420)
Huan Chu dynasty (403âÂÂ404)
Ran Wei (350âÂÂ352)
Southern Liang (397âÂÂ404, 408âÂÂ414)
Later Qin
Western Qin
Former Yan
Later Yan
Northern Yan
Southern Yan
Xia
Northern and Southern dynasties
Liu Song
Southern Qi
Northern Wei
Western Wei
Eastern Wei
Northern Qi
Liang dynasty
Chen dynasty
Northern Zhou
Sui dynasty
Tang dynasty
- 626âÂÂ636: Empress Zhangsun, empress consort of Emperor Taizong
- 650âÂÂ655: Empress Wang, first empress consort of Emperor Gaozong
- 655âÂÂ684: Wu Zetian, second empress consort of Emperor Gaozong, later also an empress regnant
- 684âÂÂ684: Empress Wei, empress consort of Emperor Zhongzong
- 684âÂÂ690: Empress Liu, empress consort of Emperor Ruizong
- 705âÂÂ710: Empress Wei (second time), empress consort of Emperor Zhongzong
- 710âÂÂ710: Empress Lu, empress consort of Emperor Shang
- 712âÂÂ724: Empress Wang, empress consort of Emperor Xuanzong
- 758âÂÂ762: Empress Zhang, empress consort of Emperor Suzong
- 786âÂÂ786: Empress Wang, empress consort of Emperor Dezong
- 898âÂÂ900: Empress He, empress consort of Emperor Zhaozong
- 901âÂÂ904: Empress He (second time), empress consort of Emperor Zhaozong
Qin
Han (Dingyang)
Xia
Yan
Qi
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
Qi
Former Shu
Yan
Later Liang
Southern Han
Later Tang
Wu
Min
Southern Tang
Later Jin
Yin
Later Han
Later Zhou
Northern Han
Song dynasty
- 929-958: Empress He, first empress consort of Emperor Taizu
- 960âÂÂ963: Empress Wang, second empress consort of Emperor Taizu
- 968âÂÂ976: Empress Song, third empress consort of Emperor Taizu
- 984âÂÂ997: Empress Li, empress consort of Emperor Taizong
- 997âÂÂ1007: Empress Guo, first empress consort of Emperor Zhenzong
- 1012âÂÂ1022: Empress Liu, second empress consort of Emperor Zhenzong and Senior regent Song dynasty
- 1024âÂÂ1033: Empress Guo, first empress consort of Emperor Renzong
- 1034âÂÂ1063: Empress Cao, second empress consort of Emperor Renzong
- 1065âÂÂ1067: Empress Gao, empress consort of Emperor Yingzong
- 1068âÂÂ1085: Empress Xiang, empress consort of Emperor Shenzong
- 1092âÂÂ1096: Empress Meng, first empress consort of Emperor Zhezong
- 1099âÂÂ1100: Empress Liu, second empress consort of Emperor Zhezong
- 1100âÂÂ1108: Empress Wang, first empress consort of Emperor Huizong
- 1111âÂÂ1126: Empress Zheng, second empress consort of Emperor Huizong
- 1126âÂÂ1127: Empress Zhu, empress consort of Emperor Qinzong
- 1127âÂÂ1139: Empress Xing, first empress consort of Emperor Gaozong
- 1143âÂÂ1162: Empress Wu, second empress consort of Emperor Gaozong
- 1162âÂÂ1167: Empress Xia, first empress consort of Emperor Xiaozong
- 1167âÂÂ1189: Empress Xie, second empress consort of Emperor Xiaozong
- 1189âÂÂ1194: Empress Li Fengniang, empress consort of Emperor Guangzong
- 1194âÂÂ1200: Empress Han, first empress consort of Emperor Ningzong
- 1200âÂÂ1224: Empress Yang, second empress consort of Emperor Ningzong
- 1227âÂÂ1264: Empress Xie Daoqing, empress consort of Emperor Lizong
- 1267âÂÂ1274: Empress Quan, empress consort of Emperor Duzong
Yuan dynasty
- 1260âÂÂ1281: Chabi, first empress consort of Emperor Shizu
- 1283âÂÂ1294: Nambui, second empress consort of Emperor Shizu
- 1295âÂÂ1307: Bulugan, empress consort of Emperor Chengzong
- 1310âÂÂ1311: Zhenge, empress consort of Emperor Wuzong
- 1313âÂÂ1320: Radnashiri, empress consort of Emperor Renzong
- 1321âÂÂ1323: Sugabala, empress consort of Emperor Yingzong
- 1324âÂÂ1328: Babukhan Khatun, empress consort of Emperor Taiding
- 1328âÂÂ1329: Budashiri, empress consort of Emperor Wenzong
- 1329âÂÂ1329: Babusha, empress consort of Emperor Mingzong
- 1329âÂÂ1332: Budashiri (second time), empress consort of Emperor Wenzong
- 1332âÂÂ1332: Daliyetemishi, empress consort of Emperor Ningzong
- 1333âÂÂ1335: Danashri, first empress consort of Emperor Huizong
- 1337âÂÂ1365: Bayan Khutugh, second empress consort of Emperor Huizong
- 1340âÂÂ1370: Empress Gi, third empress consort of Emperor Huizong
Ming dynasty
- 1368âÂÂ1382: Empress Ma, empress consort of the Hongwu Emperor
- 1399âÂÂ1402: Empress Ma, empress consort of the Jianwen Emperor
- 1402âÂÂ1407: Empress Xu, empress consort of the Yongle Emperor
- 1424âÂÂ1425: Empress Zhang, empress consort of the Hongxi Emperor
- 1425âÂÂ1428: Empress Hu Shanxiang, first empress consort of the Xuande Emperor
- 1428âÂÂ1435: Empress Sun, second empress consort of the Xuande Emperor
- 1442âÂÂ1449: Empress Qian, empress consort of the Zhengtong Emperor
- 1449âÂÂ1452: Empress Wang, first empress consort of the Jingtai Emperor
- 1452âÂÂ1456: Empress Hang, second empress consort of the Jingtai Emperor
- 1457âÂÂ1464: Empress Qian (second time), empress consort of the Tianshun Emperor (former Zhengtong Emperor)
- 1464âÂÂ1464: Empress Wu, first empress consort of the Chenghua Emperor
- 1464âÂÂ1487: Empress Wang, second empress consort of the Chenghua Emperor
- 1487âÂÂ1505: Empress Zhang, empress consort of the Hongzhi Emperor
- 1506âÂÂ1521: Empress Xia, empress consort of the Zhengde Emperor
- 1522âÂÂ1528: Empress Chen, first empress consort of the Jiajing Emperor
- 1528âÂÂ1534: Empress Zhang, second empress consort of the Jiajing Emperor
- 1534âÂÂ1547: Empress Fang, third empress consort of the Jiajing Emperor
- 1566âÂÂ1572: Empress Chen, empress consort of the Longqing Emperor
- 1578âÂÂ1620: Empress Wang Xijie, empress consort of the Wanli Emperor
- 1621âÂÂ1627: Empress Zhang, empress consort of the Tianqi Emperor
- 1628âÂÂ1644: Empress Zhou, empress consort of the Chongzhen Emperor
Southern Ming
Qing dynasty
Empresses dowager
The title of Empress dowager (, húangtàihòu) was automatically given to a former Empress consort and widow of an Emperor. The title, Empress dowager, could be granted a widow of an Emperor even when she had not been the Empress consort during the reign of her spouse. Therefore, a separate list is given of the Empresses dowager, which, in some cases, equals the list of Empresses consort, and in other cases, not.
Han dynasty
Northern Dynasties
Northern Wei
Tang dynasty
Song dynasty
Yuan dynasty
Ming dynasty
Qing dynasty
Grand empresses dowager
Empresses whose titles were granted posthumously
Sui dynasty
Tang dynasty
Song dynasty
- 961: Empress Dowager Du, mother of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong
- 960: Empress He, married to Emperor Taizu
- 976: Empress Yin, married to Emperor Taizong
- 976: Empress Fu, married to Emperor Taizong
- 997: Empress Li, mother of Emperor Zhenzong
- 997: Princess Pan, married to Emperor Zhenzong
- 1033: Consort Li, mother of Emperor Renzong
- 1036: Empress Yang, married to Emperor Zhenzong
- 1054: Empress Zhang, married to Emperor Renzong
- 1101: Empress Chen, mother of Emperor Huizong
- 1102: Empress Zhu, mother of Emperor Zhezong
- 1113: Empress Mingda, married to Emperor Huizong
- 1121: Empress Mingzhe, married to Emperor Huizong
- 1159: Empress Xianren, mother of Emperor Gaozong
- 1162: Empress Chengmu, married to Emperor Xiaozong
Yuan dynasty
Ming dynasty and Southern Ming dynasty
Qing dynasty
- 1626: Empress Xiaoliewu, married to Nurhaci
- 1636: Empress Xiaocigao, mother of Hong Taiji
- 1660: Empress Xiaoxian, married to the Shunzhi Emperor
- 1663: Empress Xiaokangzhang, mother of the Kangxi Emperor
- 1688: Empress Xiaozhuangwen, grandmother of the Kangxi Emperor
- 1723: Empress Xiaogongren, mother of the Yongzheng Emperor
- 1777: Empress Xiaoshengxian, mother of the Qianlong Emperor
- 1796: Empress Xiaoyichun, mother of the Jiaqing Emperor
- 1820: Empress Xiaomucheng, married to the Daoguang Emperor
- 1850: Empress Xiaodexian, married to the Xianfeng Emperor
- 1855: Empress Xiaojingcheng, married to the Daoguang Emperor
- 1908: Xingzhen, Empress Xiaoqinxian, married to Xianfeng Emperor, mother of Tongzhi Emperor
See also
Notes
References
Bibliography