Feng'en zhenguo gong

Feng'en zhenguo gong (; ; ), translated as "Grace Defender Duke" or "Duke Who Guards the State by the Grace" or "State Duke of the First Rank", was one of the royal and noble titles of the Qing dynasty. A title was created in 1653 by division of the zhenguo gong title into two ranks following the criterion of sharing Eight Privileges. The title was the seventh highest rank in the extended system of ranks and the fifth inheritable rank.

Rules of grant

The title could be granted to the son of Prince of the First Rank born to Primary Princess Consort of the First Rank. The son of Primary Princess Consort of the First Rank could be further promoted until he reached the father's title (iron-cap peerage). The title was usually the lowest possible to inherit in the peerage of the First Rank except of special circumstances. The title could also convey a honorifical name consisting of two characters. The title could be made perpetually inheritable in case of abolition of the peerage.

The title could be also granted to the son of Prince of the Fourth rank born to Primary Princess Consort of the Fourth Rank.

Family members

Princess consort

Princess consort was styled as "feng'en zhenguo gong furen" (奉恩鎮國公夫人), which translates to "State Duchess of the First Rank". Often the title was replaced by the term Primary Wife (嫡妻).

Sons

Son of the feng'en zhenguo gong was granted a title of feng'en fuguo gong (奉恩輔國公, translated as: "grace bulwark duke" or "State Duke of the Second Rank"). The son of feng'en zhenguo gong born to mistress was given a title being two ranks lower.

Daughters

Daughter born to primary consort of feng'en zhenguo duke was granted a title of Lady of the Third Rank (鄉君). Daughters born to secondary consort of feng'en zhenguo gong was granted a title of sixth rank clanswoman.

Allowances and court attire

Feng'en zhenguo gong

Allowance

The allowance of grace defender duke reached 700 taels of silver and 700 hu of rice.

Attire

• Mandarin hat with ruby-inlaid finial decorated with two dragons and 5 pearls (winter) or 1 turquoise and 1 pearl (summer) and two-eyed peacock feathers
• Surcoat with two mandarin squares embroidered with four-clawed dragons
• Court dress befitting prince of the third rank
• Golden yellow girdles with dark blue pendants and square-shaped jade decorations
• Court beads with dark blue strings
• Fur coat made of the sable fur and trimmed with clair de lune colour satin

State duchess of the first rank

Attire

• Crown decorated with 3 peacocks each embellished with three pearls, finial with 5 pearls and ruby and 3 strings of pearls connected with two lapis lazuli inlaid plaques
• Diadem decorated with 5 ruyi cloud shaped plaques bejeweled with pearls and 3 strings of pearls connected with two lapis lazuli inlaid plaques
• Formal and semiformal robes befitting princess consorts of the third rank
• Surcoat embroidered with 8 roundels of flowers according to the luoshu pattern (2 circles on the shoulders, two circles on the breast and back respectively and 4 roundels on the bottom

Xiangjun

Allowance

The basic allotment of xiangjun reached 40 taels and 40 hu of rice. As most of the ladies of the third rank were married off, the allowance included 40 taels and 5 rolls of fabrics. Xiangjun (title) was allowed to have 4 personal maids and 2 bodyguards.

Attire

• Crown and diadem befitting state duchess of the second rank
• Court robes befitting princess consort of the third rank
• Semiformal robes befitting state duchess of the first rank

Notable titles

The following table includes the titles conveying honorifical names.

References