Grand empress dowager

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008)

The title Grand Empress Dowager (simplified and traditional Chinese: 太皇太后, pinyin tài huáng tài hòu, Japanese: たいこうたいごう) was given to the grandmother or a woman from the grandmother generation of the Chinese, Japanese and Korean dynastic ruler. Some grand empress dowagers held regency within the beginning years of reign of an underage or young emperor. Nevertheless the most prominent and infamous dowagers extended long periods of regency even if the emperor was matured enough to govern alone, which was a source of political turmoil according to traditional view of Chinese history.

Chinese Grand Empresses Dowagers include:

• 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
• Grand Empress Dowager Bian (226-230), during the reign of Emperor Ming
• Grand Empress Dowager Li Lingrong (397-400), during the reign of Emperor An
• 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
• Grand Empress Dowager Zhang Yao'er (566-568), during the reign of Emperor Fei
• 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
• Grand Empress Dowager Hu (577), during the reign of Emperor Youzhu
• Grand Empress Dowager Ashina (579—581), during the reign of Emperor Jing
• Grand Empress Dowager Guo (824-848), during the reign of Emperor Jingzong, Emperor Wenzong, Emperor Wuzong, and Emperor Xuānzong
• Grand Empress Dowager Zheng (859-865), during the reign of Emperor Yizong
• 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
• Grand Empress Dowager Xiao Noujin (1055–1057), during the reign of Emperor Daozong
• Grand Empress Dowager Xiao Tansi (1101–1118), during the reign of Emperor Tianzuo
• 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
• Grand Empress Dowager of Dagi (1321–?), during the reign of Gegeen Khan, Emperor Yingzong
• Grand Empress Dowager Budashiri (1333–1338), during the reign of Ukhaantu Khan, Emperor Huizong
• Grand Empress Dowager Zhang (1435-1442), during the reign of Emperor Zhengtong
• Grand Empress Dowager Zhou (1487–1504), during the reign of Emperor Hongzhi
• Grand Empress Dowager Wang (1505-1518), during the reign of Emperor Zhengde
• Grand Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang (1661—1688), during the reign of Emperor Kangxi
• Grand Empress Dowager Cixi (1908), during the reign of Xuantong Emperor (Puyi}

See also

• Empress Dowager

This China-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e