This article is about the Western Han empress. For the first wife of the Ming dynasty Taichang Emperor, see Empress Xiaoyuanzhen.
This article is about Emperor Yuan's (of Han) wife. For other empresses of the same surname, see Empress Wang.
In this Chinese name, the family name is Wang.
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Empress Xiao Yuan
Wang Zhengjun
Empress Xiao Yuan
Empress consort of the Han Dynasty
Predecessor
Empress Wang
Successor
Empress Xu
Born
71 BC Yuancheng
Died
3 February 13 AD (aged 83)
Spouse
Emperor Yuan of Han
Issue
Emperor Cheng of Han
Names
Family name: Wang 王 Given name: Zhengjun 政君
Titles
太子妃 Crown Princess (50–48 BC) 皇后 Empress (48–33 BC) 皇太后 Empress Dowager (33–7 BC) 太皇太后 Grand Empress Dowager (7 BC – 8) 新室文母太皇太后 Grand Empress Dowager Wenwu of Xin Dynasty(8–13)
Posthumous name
Empress Xiaoyuan 孝元皇后
Father
Wang Jin, Marquess of Yangping
Mother
Li Qin
Wang Zhengjun (Chinese: 王政君; 71 BC – 3 February 13 AD[1]), officially Empress Xiaoyuan (孝元皇后), later and more commonly known as Grand Empress Dowager Wang, born in Yuancheng (modern Handan, Hebei), was an empress during the Western Han dynasty of China, who played important roles during the reigns of five successive Han emperors (her husband, son, two stepgrandsons, and stepgreat-grandnephew) and later (according to traditional historians, unwittingly) led to the usurpation of the throne by her nephew Wang Mang. She is largely viewed sympathetically by historians as an unassuming and benevolent if overly doting woman who suffered much in her long life, who tried to influence the empire as well as she could, and tried to use her power for the benefit of the empire, and who was not a party to her nephew's machinations, but whose failure, leading to the downfall of the Western Han Dynasty, was her overdependence on her clan (the Wangs).
^guichou day of the 2nd month of the 5th year of the Shi Jian'guo era, per Wang Zhengjun's biography in Book of Han
WangZhengjun (Chinese: 王政君; 71 BC – 3 February 13 AD), officially Empress Xiaoyuan (孝元皇后), later and more commonly known as Grand Empress Dowager Wang...
the Gengshi Emperor. Born in 45 BCE, Wang Mang was a son of Wang Man (王曼), a younger brother of Empress WangZhengjun, and his wife Qu (渠, family name unknown)...
Wang Mang was appointed regent by Grand Empress Dowager WangZhengjun. Dissatisfied with his father's dictatorial regency, in AD 3, Wang's son Wang Yu...
Empress Dowager WangZhengjun becomes Grand Empress Dowager and the Emperor's grandmother Consort Fu becomes Empress Dowager. Wang Mang resigns as head...
concerned, so he had Empress Wang select the most beautiful of the young ladies in waiting and had them sent to Prince Shi. WangZhengjun was one of the ladies...
four women possessing empress dowager titles at the same time—Empress WangZhengjun (Emperor Cheng's mother and Emperor Yuan's wife), Empress Zhao Feiyan...
relatives held the title of regent. Following the death of Ai, WangZhengjun's nephew Wang Mang (45 BC – 23 AD) was appointed regent as Marshall of State...
consorts, Consort Wang (later more commonly known as Grand Empress Dowager WangZhengjun). He was Emperor Yuan's first-born son. On 17 June 47 BC, Emperor Yuan...
married to Emperor Xuan WangZhengjun (王政君) (71 BC–AD 13), empress of the Han dynasty, married to Emperor Yuan Empress Wang (Ping) (王皇后, given name unknown)...
Dowager Wang seized power back from Emperor Ai's favorite Dong Xian and made her nephew Wang Mang regent to the succeeding Emperor Ping. Wang Mang, who...
cousin Ping, who is enthroned on October 17. Wang Mang is appointed regent by Empress Dowager WangZhengjun, his aunt. Former regent Dong Xian, who was...
Bo Wang Zhi Chen Jiao Wei Zifu Empress Shangguan Xu Pingjun Huo Chengjun Empress WangWangZhengjun Empress Xu Zhao Feiyan Empress Fu Empress Wang (Xin...
second longest in Chinese history (behind only the 47-year reign of Empress Wang, the wife of Ming dynasty's Wanli Emperor, who lived over 1,600 years later)...
was handed over to the Chanyu as his bride. The long life of Empress WangZhengjun (71 BCE–13 CE), wife of Emperor Yuan and mother to Emperor Cheng, ensured...
(王閎), an imperial attendant and grandnephew of Grand Empress Dowager WangZhengjun, the step-grandmother of Emperor Ai, who also made similar requests...
Egypt (d. 30 BC) Hyeokgeose, Korean king and founder of Silla (d. AD 4) WangZhengjun, empress of the Western Han dynasty (d. AD 13) Cleopatra II Selene,...
appears to be one of those instances.) Wang had his political allies force his aunt, Grand Empress Dowager WangZhengjun, to issue an edict granting him the...
Emperor Yuan's stepmother WangZhengjun (王政君) (71 BC – AD 13), empress dowager of the Han dynasty, Emperor Cheng's mother Empress Wang (Ping) (8 BC – AD 23)...
then approached Consort Wang Zhi, another concubine favoured by Emperor Jing, and offered to marry her daughter to Consort Wang's 5-year-old son Liu Che...
cognomen Creticus. Nessebar in modern-day Bulgaria comes under Roman rule. WangZhengjun, Chinese empress of the Han dynasty (d. AD 13) Castus, Gallic gladiator...
Bo Wang Zhi Chen Jiao Wei Zifu Empress Shangguan Xu Pingjun Huo Chengjun Empress WangWangZhengjun Empress Xu Zhao Feiyan Empress Fu Empress Wang (Xin...
Bo Wang Zhi Chen Jiao Wei Zifu Empress Shangguan Xu Pingjun Huo Chengjun Empress WangWangZhengjun Empress Xu Zhao Feiyan Empress Fu Empress Wang (Xin...
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