 |
The Chinese Northern Qi dynasty had six empresses consort in its history:
Yuwen Hu (宇文護), courtesy name Sabao, formally Duke Dang of Jin (晉蕩公), was a regent of the Xianbei-led Northern Zhou dynasty of China. He first came into prominence as the nephew of Western Wei's paramount general Yuwen Tai, and after Yuwen Tai's death in 556, he became the guardian to Yuwen Tai's son Yuwen Jue.
Gao Yan (558–571), courtesy name Renwei (仁威), posthumously honored as Emperor Gong'ai of Chu (楚恭哀帝), was an imperial prince of China's Northern Qi dynasty. He was a son of the Emperor Wucheng and Empress Hu, and was known as the Prince of Langye. In 571, during the reign of his older brother Gao Wei, he tried to seize power and killed Gao Wei's trusted official He Shikai and his allies. Gao Yan himself was killed after his army fled upon the arrival of the Jinyang army led by Hulü Guang. Some sources suggest he was killed by the powerful lady-in-waiting Lu Lingxuan, after a failed attempt to kill her.
Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou ( 周武帝), personal name Yuwen Yong (宇文邕), Xianbei name Miluotu (禰羅突), was an emperor of the Xianbei-led Northern Zhou dynasty of China. As was the case of the reigns of his brothers Emperor Xiaomin and Emperor Ming, the early part of his reign was dominated by his cousin Yuwen Hu, but in 572 he ambushed Yuwen Hu and seized power personally. He thereafter ruled ably and built up the power of his military, destroying the rivaling Northern Qi dynasty in 577 and annexing its territory. His death the next year, however, ended his ambitions of uniting China, and under the reign of his erratic son Emperor Xuan, Northern Zhou itself soon deteriorated and was usurped by Yang Jian, who founded the Sui dynasty, in 581.
Empress Dowager Chinu, formally Empress Xuan, was an empress dowager of the Xianbei-led Chinese Northern Zhou dynasty. She was the mother of Emperor Wu.
Emperor Wucheng of Northern Qi ( 齊武成帝) (537–569), personal name Gao Zhan, nickname Buluoji (步落稽), was an emperor of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. In traditional Chinese historiography, he was presented as a minimally competent ruler who devoted much of his time to feasting and pleasure-seeking, neglecting the affairs of the state. The state was governed with assistance from his adviser He Shikai and other appointed administrators. In 565, he passed the throne to his young son Gao Wei, taking the title Taishang Huang, but continued to make key decisions. He died in 569 at the age of 31, and the Northern Qi would fall in 577.
Empress Hu was an empress consort and empress dowager of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. Her husband was Emperor Wucheng. She was the empress dowager during the reign of her son Gao Wei. Hu was known to be debauched and promiscuous, having multiple love affairs even with eunuchs. Even after the Northern Qi was overthrown by the Northern Zhou, she continued to have affairs with the new emperors until she died in the Sui dynasty.
He Shikai (524–571), courtesy name Yantong (彥通), was an official of the Northern Qi dynasty of China. He was a close associate of the Emperor Wucheng prior to the latter's accession to the throne, and he became a powerful official during Emperor Wucheng's reign. He was criticized in traditional histories as a corrupt and incompetent official. After Emperor Wucheng's death, Emperor Wucheng's son Gao Yan, the Prince of Langya, was displeased with the authority that He Shikai was still wielding, and killed him in a coup in 571, but subsequently was himself killed.
Gao Wei (高緯), often known in history as Houzhu of Northern Qi ( 齊後主), courtesy name Rengang (仁綱), sometimes referred to by his later Northern Zhou-created title of Duke of Wen (溫國公), was the penultimate emperor of the Northern Qi dynasty of China. During his reign, the Northern Qi's imperial administration was plunged into severe corruption and wastefulness, with the military suffering after Gao Wei killed the great general Hulü Guang in 572. Rival Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou launched a major attack in 576, and Northern Qi forces collapsed. Gao Wei, who formally passed the throne to his son Gao Heng, was captured while trying to flee to Chen dynasty, and later that year, the Northern Zhou emperor executed him and almost all members of his clan.
Empress Hulü was an empress of the Northern Qi dynasty of China. She was Gao Wei's first empress, and she was a daughter of the general Hulü Guang.
Empress Hu was an empress of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. She was Gao Wei's second empress.
Mu Sheli (穆舍利), originally named Mu Yeli (穆邪利), nickname Huanghua (黃花), was an empress of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. She was Gao Wei's last empress.
Hulü Guang (515–572), courtesy name Mingyue (明月), was an ethnic Tiele general of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. During the late years of the dynasty—the reigns of Emperor Wucheng and Gao Wei, traditionally viewed as a period of corruption and debauchery when the Northern Qi's once-powerful status was deteriorating—Hulü was viewed as the key pillar to the state and its army, maintaining the army's strength against the rivaling Northern Zhou and Chen dynasties. However, the powerful officials Zu Ting and Mu Tipo, had disagreements with him and accused him of plotting treason. In 572, Gao Wei executed Hulü. The Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou was very glad about the news and declared a general pardon, and in 578, the Northern Qi fell to the Northern Zhou.
Zu Ting, courtesy name Xiaozheng (孝征), was an official of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty (550–577). He was renowned for his literary and administrative talents.
Gao Heng, often known in historiography as the Youzhu of Northern Qi, was the last emperor of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. In 577, the Northern Qi was under a major attack by the rivaling Northern Zhou dynasty. Gao Heng's father Gao Wei, then emperor, wanted to try to deflect ill omens that portended a change in imperial status. He and therefore passed the throne to Gao Heng. Later that year, after they fled in face of Northern Zhou forces' arrival, they were captured and taken to the Northern Zhou capital Chang'an. There in winter 577, the Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou ordered them, as well as other members of the Gao clan, to commit suicide. Northern Qi territories were annexed by the Northern Zhou, marking the collapse of the Northern Qi dynasty. Gao Jie (高湝) succeeded to the Northern Qi throne thereafter, although this was only nominal due to the dynasty de facto end. For several years Gao Wei's cousin Gao Shaoyi also claimed the imperial title in exile, under Tujue's protection.
Lu Lingxuan (陸令萱) was a lady in waiting in the palace of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. As she served as the wet nurse to the emperor Gao Wei, she became exceedingly powerful during his reign, at times eclipsing in importance his mother Empress Dowager Hu and was often criticized by historians for her corruption and treachery.
Mu Tipo (穆提婆), né Luo Tipo (駱提婆), was a Xianbei official of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. He was a close associate of the emperor Gao Wei, and during the latter part of Gao Wei's reign controlled the political scene along with his mother Lu Lingxuan, and the other favorites of Gao Wei, Han Zhangluan and Gao Anagong. In 577, in the midst of a major attack by rival Northern Zhou, Mu surrendered to Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou and was made a provincial governor, but after Northern Zhou destroyed Northern Qi and took over its territory, Emperor Wu falsely accused Mu of conspiring with Gao Wei, and killed Mu and forced Gao Wei and other members of the Gao clan to commit suicide.
Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou (北周宣帝), personal name Yuwen Yun (宇文贇), courtesy name Qianbo (乾伯), was an emperor of the Xianbei-led Northern Zhou dynasty of China. He was known in history as an erratic and wasteful ruler, whose actions greatly weakened the Northern Zhou regime. As part of that erratic behavior, he passed the throne to his son Emperor Jing in 579, less than a year after taking the throne, and subsequently entitled not only his wife Yang Lihua empress, but four additional concubines as empresses. After his death in 580, the government was taken over by his father-in-law Yang Jian, who soon deposed his son Emperor Jing, ending the Northern Zhou and establishing the Sui dynasty.
Dugu Qieluo or Dugu Jialuo, formally Empress Wenxian (文獻皇后), was an empress of the Chinese Sui dynasty. She was the wife of Emperor Wen, who, on account of his love and respect for her, as well as an oath they made while they were young, did not have any concubines for at least most of their marriage, an extreme rarity among Chinese emperors. However, she had a bipolar personality that made it difficult to judge her, sometimes cruel and domineering and sometimes kind and unassuming. But was exceedingly powerful and influential during her husband's reign and assisted the emperor in running the empire. She was heavily involved in his decision to divert the order of succession from their oldest son Yang Yong to the second son Yang Guang, and her influence in changing the succession eventually led to the fall of the Sui dynasty.
 | This Chinese royalty–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |