Empress Xiaozhuangwen – The first matriarch of the Qing dynasty

Empress Xiaozhuangwen was one of the most respected Empresses in the Qing Dynasty. She was influential in the reigns of three emperors in the early Qing dynasty. Empress Xiaozhuangwen was a consort of Emperor Hong Taiji. Her son became the Shunzhi Emperor. She also raised and taught Emperor Kangxi politics which would help him to become one of China’s greatest rulers.^[1] Through her wisdom and talent for statecraft, Empress Xiaozhuangwen helped stabilize the Qing Dynasty throughout China.

Empress Xiaozhuangwen was born on 28 March 1613 C.E. Her first name was Bembutai.^[2] She was from the noble Khorchin Mongolian Borjigit clan. Her father was Prince Jaisan. Borjigit Bembutai grew up to be very beautiful, clever, and obedient.^[3] She also had a strong interest in politics.^[4]

On 10 March 1625 C.E., Borjigit Bembutai’s brother named Uskan accompanied her to Postzing to marry Hong Taiji, who was also the husband of her aunt, Jerjer (the future Empress Xiaoduanwen).^[5] Bembutai Borjigit married Hong Taiji. She was thirteen, and he was twenty years her senior.^[6] In 1628 C.E., Hong Taiji became King of Nurhaci’s Jin Dynasty. Hong Taiji made Borjigit Bembutai his Imperial Consort. Consort Borjigit bore three daughters to Hong Taiji. In 1634 C.E., Consort Borjigit’s elder sister, Harjol, married Hong Taiji and became an Imperial Consort. In 1636 C.E., Hong Taiji became Emperor of the new ruling Qing Dynasty. Hong Taiji gave her the title of Consort Zhuang of West Yongfu Palace.^[7] On 15 March 1638 C.E., Consort Zhuang gave birth to Hong Taiji’s ninth son named Fulin (the future Shunzhi Emperor). During Hong Taiji’s reign as Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Consort Zhuang assisted him with internal affairs and helped him consolidate his throne among the Manchus.^[8]

On 21 September 1643 C.E., Emperor Hong Taiji suddenly died just as he was preparing to attack the last Ming Dynasty fortification. When Consort Zhuang heard the news of her husband’s death, she was deeply heartbroken and wanted to be buried with him.^[9] However, the ministers convinced her not to do so because the Qing empire was unstable with no appointed successor.^[10] The two rivals for the Qing throne were Hooge (Emperor Hong Taiji’s eldest son) and Dorgon (Emperor Hong Taiji’s younger brother).^[11] Consort Zhuang saw that Dorgon’s claim was weaker than Hooge’s claim and proposed an idea to him.^[12] She proposed for her son to become Emperor, and Dorgon would become Regent.^[13] Dorgon liked this idea and proposed it to the other factions.^[14] The factions all agreed. Thus, Fulin accended the throne as Emperor Shunzhi, and Dorgon was appointed Regent. Consort Zhuang became Empress Dowager Zhaosheng. In 1644 C.E., Dorgon commanded the Qing Imperial Army and attacked Beijing.^[15] In September 1644 C.E., the Qing Dynasty moved their capital from Shenyang to Beijing.^[16] The Qing Imperial Family officially settled into the Forbidden City, and Emperor Shunzhi was formally crowned Emperor of China.^[17]

Empress Dowager Zhaosheng assisted Dorgon with state affairs.^[18] Some sources claimed that she and Dorgon were lovers and even secretly married.^[19] However, there is no evidence that they were lovers.^[20] Empress Dowager Zhaosheng summoned noble daughters of the aristocracy to be well-educated.^[21] This won her the loyalty of the nobility and generals.^[22] Empress Dowager Zhaosheng also arranged strategic political marriages within her family.^[23] In 1650 C.E., Dorgon died, and Emperor Shunzhi’s full responsibilities as Emperor were restored to him. His mother was still very influential and continued to assist him with affairs of state.^[24] However, some sources claimed that Empress Dowager Zhaosheng had a strained relationship with her son.^[25] This is because Emperor Shunzhi deposed his first Empress, whom his mother had chosen.^[26] In 1656 C.E., there was a poor harvest in Jifu District, and the Empress Dowager gave them money to help alleviate their hunger.^[27] She even lowered their taxes.^[28]

On 5 February 1661 C.E., Emperor Shunzhi died. His son, Xuanye, ascended the throne as Emperor Kangxi. Empress Dowager Zhaosheng helped Emperor Kangxi with state affairs and tutored him in politics.^[29] When Emperor Kangxi’s mother, Empress Dowager Cihe, died, Empress Dowager Zhaosheng raised the young Emperor. Under Emperor Kangxi’s reign, Empress Dowager Zhaosheng eliminated ineffective ministers and installed capable ministers.^[30] In 1673 C.E., a rebellion known as The War of the Three Feudatories fought against the Qing Dynasty. Empress Dowager Zhaosheng carefully picked General Dao Xueshi to suppress the rebels.^[31] The rebels were defeated, and the Qing gradually subdued the rebellion.^[32]

In September 1687 C.E., Empress Dowager Zhaosheng fell ill. Emperor Kangxi stayed by her side and nursed her.^[33] However, she died on 27 January 1688 C.E. Before she died, she asked to be buried near her son rather than her husband, whose body was laid to rest in Manchuria.^[34] Emperor Kangxi agreed to her request, and she was buried in the Qing Dynasty’s Eastern Mausoleum in Hebei Province.^[35] Emperor Kangxi was so grief-stricken by her death that he mourned her for twenty-seven months.^[36] During the period of mourning, he stayed away from his royal chambers and lived in a tent.^[37] She was given the posthumous name of Empress Xiaozhuangwen.

Empress Xiaozhuangwen was the most powerful woman during the reigns of three emperors of the early Qing Dynasty. Empress Xiaozhuangwen helped the Qing empire to consolidate its rule in China.^[38] She chose capable ministers to run the Qing Empire and chose experienced generals to help suppress the rebellion. Her tutoring of Emperor Kangxi led him to become the greatest Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.^[39] Therefore, Empress Xiaozhuangwen was a formidable female leader who helped the Qing Dynasty flourish. Empress Xiaozhuangwen is also an icon in popular culture. She has been the subject of many television series and films. The most recent television series about her is The Legend of Xiao Zhuang in which she is portrayed by Jing Tian. Thus, China will never forget the accomplishments that Empress Xiaozhuangwen achieved for her dynasty.

Sources:

Benyi, L. (2015). “Empress Xiao Zhuang Wen”. Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century. (B. B. Peterson, Ed.). London: Routledge. pp. 325-328.

McMahon, K. (2016). Celestial Women: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Song to Qing. NY: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Yu, S. & Wang, L. trans. (2015). “Empress Xiao Zhuang Wen of the Borjigit Clan”. Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women v. 1: The Qing Period, 1644-1911 (1st ed.). (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; C. Lau, Ed.; A.D. Stefanowska,. Ed.; S. Wiles, Asst. Ed.) NY: Routledge. pp. 339-342