Empress Xiaokangzhang

Empress Xiaokangzhang
Empress of the Qing Dynasty
Spouse	Shunzhi Emperor
Issue
Kangxi Emperor
Posthumous name
Empress Xiaokang Cihe Zhuangyi Gonghui Wenmu Duanjing Chongwen Yusheng Zhang (孝康慈和莊懿恭惠溫穆端靖崇文育聖章皇后)
House	House of Aisin Gioro (by marriage)
Father	Tong Tulai
Born	1640
Died	20 March 1663 (aged 23) Beijing, China

Empress Xiaokangzhang
Chinese	孝康章皇后
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Xiàokāngzhāng Huánghòu
Lady Tunggiya
Chinese	佟佳氏
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Tóngjiā Shì

Empress Xiaokangzhang (Manchu: Hiyoošungga Nesuken Eldembuhe Hūwangheo; 1640 - 20 March 1663) was a consort of the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. She was posthumously granted the title of Empress because her son Xuanye was enthroned as the Kangxi Emperor in 1661.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Posthumous title 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 Succession

Biography

Empress Xiaokangzhang's original family name was Tong (佟).^[1] Although her family was of Jurchen origin, they had lived among the Han Chinese for many generations and had been assimilated into Han Chinese society. Empress Xiaokangzhang's father was Tong Tulai (佟圖賴; 1606–1658), a military commander. Her grandfather was Tong Yangzhen (佟養真; d. 1621). She had two brothers - Tong Guogang (佟國綱; d. 1690) and Tong Guowei (佟國維; d. 1719). Empress Xiaokangzhang's clan was originally under the Han Chinese Plain Blue Banner, and was moved to the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner of the Eight Banners after the Kangxi Emperor was enthroned. As a result, Empress Xiaokangzhang's family name Tong was changed to the Manchu clan name Tunggiya.

Lady Tunggiya entered the Shunzhi Emperor's court as an ordinary consort. She never received any titles during Shunzhi's reign. In 1654 she bore the Shunzhi Emperor a son, Xuanye. When Shunzhi died in 1661, Xuanye was chosen to be the successor and was installed on the throne as the Kangxi Emperor. Lady Tunggiya was then granted the title of "Empress Dowager Cihe" (慈和皇太后).

Lady Tunggiya died on 20 March 1663 in the Forbidden City at the age of 23. Her death was reportedly due to an unknown illness but the circumstances surrounding her death were suspicious.^[2] Although she had never been Empress during the reign of the Shunzhi Emperor, she was posthumously granted the title of "Empress Xiaokangzhang" by her son, the Kangxi Emperor. She was interred in the Fuling Mausoleum together with the Shunzhi Emperor and his favourite concubine Consort Donggo.

Posthumous title

Empress Xiaokangzhang's full posthumous title is:

• Empress Xiaokangcihezhuangyigonghuiwenmuduanjingchongwenyushengzhang
  (孝康慈和莊懿恭惠溫穆端靖崇文育聖章皇后)

See also

• Ranks of Imperial Consorts in China#Qing
• Qing Dynasty nobility

Notes

1. ^ Chiumei Ho: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong. London 2004, p. 23.
2. ^ Silas Wu, passage to power: K'ang-hsi and his heir apparent, 1661-1722 (Cambridge: council on East Asian Studies, Harvard University, 1979), 14-15, 195-96, n. 5.

References

• The Last Emperors "A Social History of Qing Imperial Institutions", Evelyn S. Rawski. ISBN 0-520-22837-5
• Daily Life in the Forbidden City, Wan Yi, Wang Shuqing, Lu Yanzhen ISBN 0-670-81164-5
• Draft history of the Qing dynasty《清史稿》卷二百十四．列傳一．后妃傳．世祖孝康章皇后.
• Passionate women: female suicide in late imperial China. Paul S. Ropp,Paola Zamperini,Harriet Thelma Zurndorfer. ISBN 9004120181, 9789004120181.

Succession

Chinese royalty
Preceded by Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang	Empress Dowager of China 1661–1663	Succeeded by Empress Xiaohuizhang
Preceded by Empress Xiaohuizhang	Empress of China Posthumous	Succeeded by Consort Donggo (Empress Xiaochengren actual living successor)

Persondata
Name	Xiaokangzhang, Empress
Alternative names
Short description	Qing Dynasty empress
Date of birth	1640
Place of birth
Date of death	March 20, 1663
Place of death	Beijing, China