Empress Xiaozhaoren

Empress Xiaozhaoren (1653 – 18 March 1678), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Niohuru clan, was the second wife of the Kangxi Emperor.^[1][2] She was empress of China during the Qing dynasty from 1677 until her death in 1678.^[3]

Her father was the regent Ebilun, and she was originally an imperial concubine until her promotion to empress in 1677.^[4]

Life

Empress Xiaozhaoren's personal name was not recorded in history.

Family background

• Father: Ebilun (遏必隆; ? – 1673), served as one of the Four Regents of the Kangxi Emperor, and held the title of a first class duke (一等公)
  • Paternal grandfather: Eidu (額亦都; 1562–1621)
  • Paternal grandmother: Mukushen (穆庫什; 1595–1659), Nurhaci's fourth daughter
• Mother: Lady Šušu-Gioro (舒舒觉罗氏), a secondary wife
• Seven brothers
  • First elder brother: Sailin (塞林), third class imperial guard (三等侍卫)
  • Second elder brother: unnamed
  • Third younger brother: Faka (法喀; 17 May 1664 – 9 February 1713), first class duke (一等公)
  • Fourth younger brother: Yanzhu (颜珠; 1665 – ?), first class imperial guard (一等侍卫)
  • Fifth younger brother: Fubao (富保; 1678 – ?), second class imperial guard (任二等侍卫)
  • Sixth younger brother: Yinde (尹德), first class duke ( 一等公)
  • Seventh younger brother: Alingga (阿靈阿; 1670–1716)
• Five sisters
  • First elder sister: Princess Consort, wife of Zhashen (扎什) of the Mongol Barin clan (巴林氏)
  • Third younger sister: Noble Consort Wenxi (? – 1694)^[5]
  • Fourth younger sister: Duchess of the Fourth Rank, wife of Yunsheng (云升) of the Aisin-Gioro clan (愛新覺羅氏)
  • Fifth younger sister: First Class Viscountess, wife of Ayushen (阿玉什)

Kangxi era

In 1665, Lady Niohuru entered the Forbidden City and became a mistress (格格) of the Kangxi Emperor. She did not receive any rank or title initially. After the Kangxi Emperor's first wife, Empress Xiaochengren, died on 6 June 1674, the Emperor did not elevate any of his imperial consorts to the position of empress to replace her. On 18 September 1677, Lady Niohuru was first mentioned in official histories when the Kangxi Emperor instated her as the new empress. She died on 18 March 1678 and was interred in the Jing Mausoleum of the Eastern Qing tombs alongside Empress Xiaochengren.

Titles

• During the reign of the Shunzhi Emperor (r. 1643–1661):
  • Lady Niohuru (鈕祜祿氏)
• During the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661–1722):
  • Mistress (格格; from 1665)
  • Empress (皇后; from 18 September 1677)^[6]
  • Empress Xiaozhao (孝昭皇后; from 11 May 1678)^[7]
• During the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1722–1735):
  • Empress Xiaozhaoren (孝昭仁皇后; from July 1723)^[8]

See also

• Imperial Chinese harem system#Qing
• Royal and noble ranks of the Qing dynasty

Notes

References

• Niuhulu jiapu 鈕祜祿家譜 [Genealogy of the Niohuru Clan] (in Chinese).
• Qinggong dang'an 清宮檔案 [Archives of the Qing Palace] (in Chinese).
• Qing huangshi sipu 清皇室四譜 [Four Genealogies of the Qing Imperial Clan] (in Chinese).
• Du, Jiaji. "清代《玉牒》中的滿族史資料及其價值 [Materials on Manchu History in the Qing Dynasty's "Imperial Genealogy" and Their Value]". Liu Chaishao de boke 刘柴烧的博客 [Liu Chaishao's Blog] (in Chinese). Chinese Social History Research Centre, School of History, Nankai University. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
• 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).