Xiao Yanyan

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Xiao Yanyan
Empress Dowager Chengtian of Liao
Empress Dowager Xiao 1892.jpg
from one 1892 print of the novel Legends of Generals of the Yang Family (《楊家將傳》) [note 1]
Regent of the Liao dynasty
Regency13 October 982 – 23 December 1009
Monarch Emperor Shengzong (son)
Born953
Died(1009-12-29)December 29, 1009
SpouseYelü Xian (Emperor Jingzong)
Issue
  • Yelü Longxu (Emperor Shengzong), son
  • Yelü Longqing (耶律隆慶), son
  • Yelü Longyou (耶律隆祐), son
  • Yelü Guanyinnü (耶律觀音女), daughter
  • Yelü Changshounü (耶律長壽女), daughter
  • Yelü Yanshounü (耶律延壽女), daughter
Names
Family name: Xiāo (蕭)
Khitan name: Yanyan (燕燕)
Chinese name: Xiāo Chuò (蕭 綽)
Regnal name
Empress Dowager Ruìdé Shénlüè Yìngyùn QĬhuà Chéngtiān (睿 德 神 略 應 運 啟 化 承 天 皇太后)
Posthumous name
Empress Shèngshén Xuānxiàn (聖 神 宣 獻 皇后)
Empress Ruìzhì (睿 智 皇后)
Father Xiao Siwen (蕭思溫)
Mother Yelü Lübugu (耶律呂不古)

Xiao Chuo, nickname Yanyan (Chinese :蕭燕燕 [1] ; 953 – 29 December 1009 [2] ), also known as Empress Dowager Chengtian (承天皇太后) was a Khitan empress and military leader of imperial China's Liao dynasty. [3] [4] She was regent on behalf of her son from 982. [3]

Contents

History

Xiao Yanyan was the 3rd child of Xiao Siwen (蕭思溫), Liao's chancellor. [5] Also referred to by the name Xiao Chuo, Xiao's original Khitan family name was Bali (拔裏氏). [6] She was the youngest of the Xiao sisters, along with Xiao Hunian and Lady Xiao. [3]

Xiao later married Emperor Jingzong of Liao and would go on to bear the crown PrinceYelü Longxu. [7] [5] Being granted the title of Empress, Xiao was influential during her husband's reign. [8] [4]

She would go on to become regent for her son in 982 when he ascended the Liao throne as Emperor Shengzong at 12 years old after the untimely death of Emperor Jingzong of Liao who died while returning from a hunting trip. [4] [9] [10]

In Khitan culture, it was acceptable for women to take part in military action, and indeed to be military commanders: Xiao became a military commander of great renown. [11] In 986, the Liao Empire was invaded by the Song dynasty to the south under the leadership of Emperor Taizong of Song, but was defeated by Liao forces under Xiao's command; she is said to have commanded the troops herself on the front line of the battle. [7] They routed the Song soldiers and captured thousands, who, as it was her birthday, Xiao pardoned. [4] A further invasion by the Song would ensue in 989 only to be defeated once again by Liao forces resulting in the death of Yang Ye.

In her personal life, Empress Dowager Chengtian was reported to have an accepted, spouse-like relationship with her advisor - and commanded of the Northern Chancellery - Han Derang. [12] [13]

As Empress Dowager Chengtian, Xiao commanded her own army of 10,000 cavalry and would personally lead the Liao army in battle against the Song in 1005, despite being over 50 years old by that point. [4]

Known for her great skills in civil administration, Empress Dowager Chengtian retained great influence until her death at age 57 in 1009. [14] [4] Chinese chronicles, such as The History of the Liao, credit most of the success of Emperor Shengzong's reign to his mother, Chengtian. [13] [15]

She was also instrumental in arranging a marriage between her son and her court lady, Xiao Noujin.[ citation needed ] However, she had a poor relationship with her two older sisters, and she eventually poisoned or murdered both of them.[ citation needed ]

Modern references

Film and television

Literature

Notes

  1. ↑ Essentially the same novel, with slight modifications by publishers and editors, as the second half of the Records of the Two Songs, South and North (《兩宋南北志傳》) written by Xiong Damu (熊大木) in the late 16th century.

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Empress Xiao may refer to:

Yaonian Yanmujin or Xiao Yanmujin, formally Empress Xuanjian (宣簡皇后), was an empress dowager of the Khitan-led Chinese Liao dynasty. She was the mother of Liao's founder Emperor Taizu of Liao and the wife of his father Yelü Saladi (耶律薩剌的). During the reign of Emperor Taizu's son Emperor Taizong, she was grand empress dowager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yelü Sha</span>

Yelü Sha, courtesy name Anyin (安隱), of the Yelü clan was a Khitan general and statesman in imperial China's Liao dynasty.

Empress Dowager Xiao (蕭太后) may refer to:

Yelü Lihu (耶律李胡) (911-960), also named Honggu (洪古), courtesy name Xiyin (奚隱), formally Emperor Zhangsu (章肅皇帝), was an imperial prince of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty. As the third son of Liao's founding emperor Emperor Taizu and his wife Empress Shulü Ping, Yelü Lihu served as crown prince during the reign of his older brother Emperor Taizong, who was their second son, as Empress Shulü wanted him to be emperor after Emperor Taizong. However, after Emperor Taizong's death, their older brother Yelü Bei's son Yelü Ruan was able to defeat Yelü Lihu in battle and take the throne. Yelü Lihu was put under arrest and later died while under arrest.

Xiao Noujin was a Khitan empress dowager of China's Liao dynasty. She was a concubine of Emperor Shengzong, the mother of Emperor Xingzong, and one of the three Liao grand empresses dowager. She had great influence after the accession of her son the throne in 1031.

Xiao Hunian, also known as Hehan (和罕) was a Khitan noble lady of imperial China's Liao dynasty. She was one of the Xiao sisters and the oldest sister of Lady Xiao and Xiao Yanyan.

Lady Xiao, also known as Yileilan (伊勒兰) was a Khitan noble lady of imperial China's Liao dynasty. She was one of the Xiao sisters along with Xiao Hunian and Xiao Yanyan.

Han Derang, known for his Khitan name, Yelü Longyun, Xingning, or Yaoge was a Chinese politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Liao Dynasty during the reign of Empress Xiao Chuo. He was a native of Hebei Yutian (祖籍河北玉田) and born into the Shihou Family.

Xiao Siwen was a Chinese politician who served as the chancellor and northern commissioner for military affairs of the Liao dynasty. He was the father of Xiao sisters. However, for the sake of the overall situation and family glory, he agrees to make his youngest daughter Xiao Yanyan married with Yelü Xian and in 969, after Yanyan become the Liao Empress, Xiao then honoured as King of Wei (魏王). Later, when he an accompanied Xian Siwen on the hunt, he was assassinated by Gao Xun's people.

Yelü Lübugu or known by the title Princess of Yan State, was a Liao dynasty princess and the first daughter of Emperor Taizong of Liao. She then married Prime Minister Xiao Siwen and bore him the three Xiao Sisters. However, she died from her illness. Her youngest daughter Xiao Yanyan married with Yelü Xian and in 969 and become the Liao empress. The Xiao family was the consort kin of the Liao dynasty, all future empresses and imperial brides originating from this faction.

Han Kuangsi was a physician and minister of the Liao dynasty. He wrote The Epitaph of Han Kuangsi (韩匡嗣墓志), which was discovered in the Bairin Left Banner in 1995.

Ding Lingguang, formally known as Empress Dowager Mu (穆皇太后), was an imperial concubine of Xiao Yan, Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty. She was a native of Qiao County (谯国), today's Bozhou City, Anhui Province.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ (景宗睿智皇后萧氏，讳绰，小字燕燕，...) Liao Shi, vol.71
  2. ↑ ([统和二十七年十二月]辛卯，皇太后崩于行宫.) Liao Shi, vol.14
  3. 1 2 3 Snodgrass, Mary Ellen (2023-12-20). Women Warriors in History: 1,622 Biographies Worldwide from the Bronze Age to the Present. McFarland. ISBN   978-1-4766-5032-6.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lee, Lily Xiao Hong; Wiles, Sue (2015-01-28). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume II: Tang Through Ming 618 - 1644. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-317-51562-3.
  5. 1 2 Shang, Xizhi; Liang, Liangxing (1994). Tales of Empresses and Imperial Consorts in China. Hai Feng Publishing Company. ISBN   978-962-238-218-3.
  6. ↑ 遼史.卷七十一.后妃傳:"後族唯乙室、拔裏氏，而世任其國事。太祖慕漢高皇帝，故耶律兼稱劉氏；以乙室、拔裏比蕭相國，遂為蕭氏。...景宗睿智皇后蕭氏，諱綽，小字燕燕，北府宰相思溫女。"
  7. 1 2 Zhu, Ruixi; Zhang, Bangwei; Liu, Fusheng; Cai, Chongbang; Wang, Zengyu (2016-12-22). A Social History of Medieval China. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-1-107-16786-5.
  8. ↑ The Chalice and the Blade in Chinese Culture: Gender Relations and Social Models. China Social Sciences Publishing House. 1995. ISBN   978-7-5004-1741-5.
  9. ↑ SK, Lim (2018-11-12). Chinese Imperial Women (2010 Edition - EPUB). Asiapac Books Pte Ltd. ISBN   978-981-229-994-9.
  10. ↑ Zhang, Shiwei (2021-11-16). The Logical Deduction of Chinese Traditional Political Philosophy. Springer Nature. ISBN   978-981-16-4376-7.
  11. ↑ Hinsch, Bret (2020-12-16). Women in Song and Yuan China. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   978-1-5381-4492-3.
  12. ↑ Wanton Women in Late-Imperial Chinese Literature: Models, Genres, Subversions and Traditions. BRILL. 2017-04-18. ISBN   978-90-04-34062-6.
  13. 1 2 McMahon, Keith (2013-06-06). Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN   978-1-4422-2290-8.
  14. ↑ " Women in power 750-1000" from Guide2womenleaders.com, last accessed January 13, 2007
  15. ↑ Kuhn, Dieter (2011-10-15). The Age of Confucian Rule. Harvard University Press. ISBN   978-0-674-24434-4.
  16. ↑ chinesemov. "Battle Between Song and Liao Dynasties (2019)".

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