Consort clan
The consort clan (Chinese: 外戚; pinyin: wàiqī) is the family, clan of or group related to an empress dowager or a spouse of a Chinese dynastic ruler or a warlord. The leading figure of the clan was either a sibling, cousin, or parent of the empress or consort.
Famous leading figures
Han Dynasty
- Lü Clan - relatives of the Empress Lü Zhi, consort of Emperor Gaozu of Han
- Wei Qing - a brother of the Empress Wei Zifu, consort of Emperor Wu of Han, one of the major military leaders of wars against the Xiongnu
- Huo Qubing - a nephew of Wei Qing and Wi Zifu, also an important general in the war between Han China and Xiongnu.
- Li Guangli - brother of Lady Li (Li Furen) of Emperor Wu of Han. He led the invasion against Dayuan.
- Huo Guang - a younger brother of Huo Qubing (same father but with different mothers), whose granddaughter became the empress of Emperor Zhao of Han. He played an extremely important political role in the eras of Emperor Zhao and Emperor Xuan, sometimes overshadowed the power of the emperors.
- Wang Mang - nephew of Empress Dowager Wang, cousin of Emperor Cheng of Han China and founder of the Xin Dynasty.
- Ma Yuan - father of Empress Ma, consort of Emperor Ming of Han, a major general of Emperor Guangwu of Han who led the expedition to Jiaozhi (today's northern Vietnam)
- Dou Xian - brother of Empress Dowager Dou and brother-in-law of Emperor Zhang of Han China.
- Liang Ji - brother of Empress Dowager Liang, deposed two emperors and later killed in a coup d'etat plotted by eunuchs against him.
- Dou Wu - father of another Empress Dowager Dou and killed in his abortive coup d'etat against eunuchs.
- He Jin - brother of Empress Dowager He and killed after his plot against eunuchs was exposed
- Dong Cheng - father of Concubine Dong of Emperor Xian of Han China and known for his abortive coup d'etat with Liu Bei against Cao Cao.
Three Kingdoms
Jin Dynasty (265-420)
Tang Dynasty