Empress Xiaoduanwen

Empress Xiaoduanwen
孝端文皇后
Portrait of Empress Xiaoduanwen in court dress, by anonymous painter
Empress of the Qing dynasty
Tenure1636 – 21 September 1643
SuccessorErdeni Bumba
Born(1599-05-31)31 May 1599
Died28 May 1649(1649-05-28) (aged 49)
Forbidden City, Shuntian Prefecture, Zhili (in present-day Beijing)
Burial
Spouse
(m. 1614; died 1643)
Issue
  • Princess Wenzhuang of the First Rank
  • Princess Jingduan of the First Rank
  • Princess Yong'an of the First Rank
Names
Jerjer (哲哲)
Posthumous name
Empress Xiaoduan Zhengjing Renyi Zheshun Cixi Zhuangmin Futian Xiesheng Wen (孝端正敬仁懿哲順慈僖莊敏輔天協聖文皇后)
ClanBorjigin (博爾濟吉特; by birth)
Aisin-Gioro (by marriage)
FatherManggusi
MotherGunbu
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese孝端文皇后
Simplified Chinese孝端文皇后
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXiàoduānwén Huánghòu
Manchu name
Manchu scriptᡥᡳᠶᠣᠣᡧᡠᠩᡤᠠ
ᡩᠣᡵᠣᠩᡤᠣ
ᡤᡝᠩᡤᡳᠶᡝᠨ ᡧᡠ
ᡥᡡᠸᠠᠩᡥᡝᠣ
Romanizationhiyoošungga doronggo genggiyen šu hūwangheo

Empress Xiaoduanwen (31 May 1599 – 28 May 1649), of the Khorchin Borjigin clan, personal name Jerjer, was a wife of Hong Taiji. She was seven years his junior.

Life

Family background

  • Father: Manggusi (莽古思); held the title of prince of the first rank (親王)
    • Grandfather: Namusai (納穆賽); held the title of beile (貝勒)
  • Mother: Gunbu (袞布)
  • One elder brother and one younger brother
  • Two younger sisters

Jerjer was born on the eighth day of the intercalary fourth lunar month in the 27th year of the reign of the Wanli Emperor, which translates to 31 May 1599 in the Gregorian calendar.

On 28 May 1614, Jerjer married Hong Taiji and became one of his multiple wives.

Tianming era

In 1623, Hong Taiji divorced his second primary consort, and elevated Jerjer to the position.

Lady Borjigit's niece, Bumbutai, the future Empress Dowager Zhaosheng, would marry Hong Taiji in March or April 1625.

Jerjer gave birth in 1625 to Hong Taiji's second daughter, Princess Wenzhuang of the First Rank, on 2 August 1628 to his third daughter, Princess Jingduan of the First Rank, and on 7 October 1634 to his eighth daughter, Princess Yong'an of the First Rank.

Another niece, Harjol, the future primary consort Minhui, would marry Hong Taiji on 6 December 1634.

Chongde era

When Hong Taiji conferred titles on five of his wives in August 1636, he instated Jerjer as consort of the central palace.

Shunzhi era

The system of honors and titles was quite chaotic during the early years of the Qing dynasty and Jerjer wasn't elevated to the rank of empress dowager following Hong Taiji's death, she held the status and power due to one.

Jerjer died on 28 May 1649 and was interred in the Zhao Mausoleum. She was posthumously honoured with the title "Empress Xiaoduanwen".

Titles

  • During the reign of the Wanli Emperor (r. 1572–1620):
    • Lady Borjigit
    • Secondary consort (側福晉; from 28 May 1614)
  • During the reign of Nurhaci (r. 1616–1626):
    • Primary consort (大福晉; from 1623)
  • During the reign of Hong Taiji (r. 1626–1643):
    • Empress (皇后; from Aug 1636)
  • During the reign of the Shunzhi Emperor (r. 1643–1661):
    • Empress Dowager (皇太后; from 21 Sep 1643)
    • Empress Xiaoduanwen (孝端文皇后; from 1649)

Issue

  • Makata (馬喀塔), Princess Wenzhuang of the First Rank (固倫溫莊公主; 10 September 1625 – April/May 1663), Hong Taiji's second daughter
    • Married Erke Khongghor (額爾克孔果爾; d. 1641), of the Chahar Borjigin clan, on 16 February 1636
    • Married Abunai (阿布奈; 1635–1675), of the Chahar Borjigin clan, in 1645, and had issue (two sons)
  • Dazhe (達哲), Princess Jingduan of the First Rank (固倫靖端公主; 2 August 1628 – June/July 1686), Hong Taiji's third daughter
  • Princess Yong'an Duanzhen of the First Rank (固倫永安端貞公主; 7 October 1634 – February/March 1692), Hong Taiji's eighth daughter
    • Married Bayasihulang (巴雅斯護朗), of the Khorchin Borjigin clan, in 1645

See also

Notes

References

  • Hummel, Arthur W. Sr., ed. (1943). "Hsiao-tuan Wên Huang-hou" . Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period. United States Government Printing Office.
  • Wan, Yi; Shuqing, Wang; Yanzhen, Lu; Scott, Rosemary E. (1988). Daily Life in the Forbidden City: The Qing Dynasty, 1644-1912 (Illustrated ed.). Viking. ISBN 0670811645.
  • Zhao, Erxun (1928). Draft History of Qing (Qing Shi Gao) (in Chinese). Vol. 214.