han9

漢

THE FINAL EMPERORS OF FORMER HAN 

49 – 33 Hàn Gāozōng Xiào Yuán-huángdì Liú Shì (漢 高宗 孝 元皇帝 劉 奭), Eleventh Emperor of Han, the Fundamental Emperor. Eldest son of the Tenth Emperor, Xuāndì, he was born in 74, shortly before his father ascended to the throne. He was made Imperial Heir in 67, but thereafter his father became estranged from him, and began to think that he was too much of an idealist to be Emperor. No action resulted from these doubts, however, and Yuándì came to the throne in 49. Immediately, much of the palace luxury was curtailed in order to lighten the load on the commoners. Further downsizing followed; in 47 Yuándì abandoned the island of Hainan in southern China rather than incur the expense of quelling a revolt there, aggressive foreign adventures were denigrated, obscure palaces were demolished, and the government salt and iron monopolies abolished. This last was idealistic, but impractical; the government struggled to balance its books and the monopolies were soon re-established. Money woes continued; armies were stood down, Funerary Temples for the deceased Emperors were deconsecrated and funerary services were cancelled at the tombs of most of the Imperial ancestors; only to be restored and then cancelled again. 

Yuándì himself was highly cultured, writing poems, playing many instruments, and displaying a keen interest in Confucianism, but he struggled to take the initiative and to deal with the practical realities of the state. Though he appointed many very talented and well-educated men to positions of power, he also allowed himself to be dominated by eunuchs. His reign was dominated by a conflict between traditional structures and a desire to reform, both to save money and to ensure the welfare of the common people; that this conflict was not resolved had no immediate ill effects, but it contributed to the fall of the Former Han some thirty years later. He died in 33, receiving the posthumous title of Gāozōng (高宗), Lofty Patriarch.

He married (first) Sīmǎ Liáng-dì (司馬 良娣), whom he loved deeply; she died before 51. 

He married (second) Xiàoyuán-tàihuángtàihòu Wáng Zhèngjūn (孝元太皇太后 王 政君), also known as Chángxìn-gōng (長信宮), born in 71, she became Empress Dowager in 33 after her husband's death (her brother became Grand Marshal). With time her power continued to increase, and she was appointed Grand Empress Dowager in 7 BC. She selected Píngdì to be the Fourteenth Emperor in 1 BC and, as he was a minor, was appointed his Regent, though the duties were actually performed by her nephew Wáng Măng (王 莽). She watched bitterly as Wáng Măng used the authority that he exercised on her behalf to seize the throne for himself. When he finally demanded that the Heirloom Seal of the Realm be delivered over to him, as the new Emperor, she flung it to the ground in fury. The new dynasty titled her Wénmǔ-tàihuángtàihòu (文母太皇太后), Grand Empress Dowager Mother of Culture, but she lived out her last years bitter at the destruction of the Han until her death in AD 13. 

He took as a concubine (first) Gōng-huángtàitàihòu Fù (恭皇太太后 傅), sometimes known as Yǒngxìn-gōng (永信宮). He invented the new title of Zhāoyí (昭儀), for her to reflect his high esteem for her. After her grandson Āidì, became the Thirteenth Emperor, she enjoyed significant influence and was promoted to 'Divine Empress Dowager' in 7 BC, to ‘Imperial Grand Empress Dowager’ in 6 BC and to 'Divine Grand Empress Dowager' in 3 BC (These unusual titles allowed her rank to be increased without explicitly demoting Empress Dowager Wáng Zhèngjūn, and reflected a contest for control of the state between the two Empresses' families and allies); but died in 2 BC. In AD 5 she was disinterred and posthumously demoted to commoner. 

He took as a concubine (second) in 48- Xìndū-huánghòu Féng Yuán (信都皇后 馮 媛), usually known as Féng-zhāoyí (馮昭儀), daughter of Féng Fèngshì (馮 奉世), a famed general, Superintendent of the Capital (48 – 46), General of the Right (46 – 44), Director of the Vassal States (44 – 42), General of the Left, Superintendent of the Palace & a Marquis of the Interior from 42 until his death in  39 or 38; she was charged with cursing the Emperor and committed suicide in 6 BC. 

He took as a concubine (third) a daughter of Wèi Zǐháo (衛 子豪), Superintendent of the Guards. 

He took as a concubine (fourth) Wáng Zhāojūn Qiáng (王 昭君 牆), who was given to the ruler of the Xiongnu to be his consort in 33 BC. 

33 – 7 BC Hàn Xiào Chéng-huángdì Liú Ào (漢 孝 成皇帝 劉 驁), Twelfth Emperor of Han, the Successful Emperor. Born in 51, he was instantly beloved by his grandfather Xuāndì, the Tenth Emperor, and was made Imperial Heir to the Heir at birth. His father, Yuándì, the Eleventh Emperor, confirmed his status as Imperial Heir in 48, but later the two became estranged, due to Chéngdì’s fondness for wine and other pleasures of the palace. Nevertheless, thanks to a capable servant, he remained Heir and succeeded to the throne in 33. Despite his love of luxury, downsizing of palace expenditure continued in his reign, with the abolition of more palaces, funerary cults and even wilderness sanctuaries, which were replaced with services in the Capital. The Yellow River burst its banks and flooded north China severely in his reign. Prefering to spend his time drinking in the harem, his administration was dominated by members of his mother and grandmother’s Wang clan. One of these, Wáng Măng (王 莽), slowly gathered powers to himself and would, after Cheng’s death usurp power from the Han Dynasty altogether. He died in 7 BC, childless, but having named a nephew as heir.

He married (first) Chéngdì-huánghòu Xū Kuā (成帝皇后 許 誇), daughter of Xū Jiā (許 嘉), Imperial Grand Marshal from 41 to 30. She became Empress in 31, but failed to produce a child and she was demoted in 18 for making curses and forced to poison herself in 8 BC. 

He took as a concubine (first) Bān-jiéyú (班婕妤), an aunt to the authors of the History of Former Han; she bore a son, but he died, and she was accused of making curses and discarded as a consort; she became an attendent to the Empress Dowager Wáng Zhèngjūn and after the Emperor's death was an attendent at his tomb. 

In 25, he took as a concubine (second) Zháng-měirén (長美人), sister-in-law to the Grand Marshal Wáng Fèng (王 鳳), himself a close relative of the Empress Dowager Wáng Zhèngjūn. 

He took as a concubine (third) Wèi-jiéyú Lǐ Píng (衛婕妤 李 平) in 20. 

He married (second) Xiàochéng-huánghòu Zhào Fēiyàn (孝成皇后 趙 飛燕) “the Flying Swallow,” a palace slave who was taken into the Emperor's household after he, in disguise, saw her perform. She was given the title of zhāoyí; she became Empress in 16 and Empress Dowager in 7 BC, only to be demoted in 1 BC and exiled to the Northern Palace; she committed suicide shortly after. 

He took as a concubine (fourth) Zhào-zhāoyí (趙昭儀), younger sister of Empress Zhào Fēiyàn, she killed one of the emperor’s infant sons in 12 and another in 11; she remained in favour and helped convince the Emperor to select his nephew as his successor, but she was blamed for the Emperor's death in 7 BC and committed suicide. 

He took as a concubine (fifth) Xū-měirén (許美人). 

He took as a concubine (sixth) Wáng-měirén (王美人), who was cursed by members of the Xū family while pregnant. 

He had relations with Cáo-gōng (曹 宫), a learned daughter of an Imperial slave, who was employed to instruct the Empress on poetry; she was ordered to drink poison in 12 BC after giving birth to a son. He had issue:

7 – 1 BC Hàn Xiào Āi-huángdì Liú Xīn (漢 孝 哀皇帝 劉 欣), Thirteenth Emperor of Han, the Lamented Emperor. Born in 26, a grandson of Yuándì the Eleventh Emperor, he was King of Dìngtáo, until 9 BC, when he was made heir to the Imperial throne, after impressing the Emperor with his learning. He aspired to strengthen his personal power, but, like his predecessor, found himself in the shadow of the Wang clan; themselves locked in a struggle for control with the maternal relatives of the Emperor. Moreover, he was afflicted with painful arthritis, which made it difficult for him to tend to his duties; and dominated by his homosexual lover Dǒng Xián (董 賢). Āidì died in 1 BC. He ‘did not care for women’ and therefore left no heir; he was succeeded by a first cousin.

He married Āidì-huánghòu Fù (哀帝皇后 傅), who was not promoted to Empress Dowager at his death, instead she was exiled to Guei Palace in 1 BC. Shortly thereafter she was demoted to commoner and committed suicide. 

He took as a male lover Gāoān-hóu Dǒng  Xián Shèngqīng (高安侯 董 賢 聖卿), on whom were showered titles, money and positions culminating in his appointment as Grand Marshal and General of Defence; the Emperor even tried to appoint him Heir. 

He took as a concubine Dǒng-zhāoyí (董昭儀), his lover's sister.

1 BC – AD 6 Hàn Yuánzōng Xiào Píng-huángdì Liú Kàn (漢 元宗 孝 平皇帝 劉 衎), Fourteenth Emperor of Han, the Peaceful Emperor. Born Liú Jīzǐ (劉 箕子) in 9 BC, he became King of Zhōngshān in 8 and was chosen by the Wang clan to succeed his cousin as Emperor in 1 BC. He was  only a child and continually sickly, which made him easy to dominate. The de facto Regent and ruler of China throughout his reign was Wáng Măng (王 莽), who carried out a number of reforms intended to improve the country, weaken the Imperial clan, increase his personal popularity, and strengthen his hold on power, but gave the appearance of behaving like the ideal Confucian Minister. There are hints in the Han-shu that the Empire was already in significant disorder: amnesties were granted constantly, nomad vassals revolted in AD 7 and the sources refer to “warring knights,” military bands outside of official control. As Píngdì grew older he began to resent  Wáng Măng’s control and attempt to take power for himself, but in AD 6 he died, allegedly (but probably not actually) poisoned by the Regent. He received the posthumous title of Yuánzōng (元宗), First Patriarch (ironic, given that he was childless and the final reigning Emperor of Former Han).

He was married to Dìngān-guǎn Wáng (定安館 王), daughter of Regent Wáng Măng. After his death she bonded with his infant successor-in-waiting Rúzǐ. Wáng Măng thought this dangerous and so she was separated from him, imprisoned at Mingguang Palace and demoted. 

AD 6 – 9 Liú Yīng Rúzǐ (劉 嬰 孺子), Fifteenth Emperor of Han. Born in AD 5, a distant cousin of his predecessor (a great great grandson of Tenth Emperor Xuāndì), he was selected by the Regent, Wáng Măng, as Imperial Heir solely because his infancy guarenteed that Wáng Măng would retain full power. He was never actually crowned Emperor, officially being a mere Crown Prince. Wáng Măng promised that he would be enthroned when he reached adulthood, but in AD 9 he usurped power for himself. Rúzǐ was made Duke of Dìngān (定安公) and instructed to perform the ancestral sacrifices for the Liú family. He was kept in complete seclusion, such that he could barely talk. He was married to a grandaughter of Wáng Măng, by his eldest son Wáng Yǔ (王 宇) (see XIN). He remained in seclusion at the restoration of the Han Dynasty in AD 23. In AD 25 a military commander attempted to appoint him Emperor, so the Sixteenth Han Emperor, Gēngshǐdì, whose rule was increasingly shaky, had him murdered.