Princess Xian was a tribal chieftain of the Li tribe in Southern China. She was a loyal supporter of the Chen Dynasty. When the Chen Dynasty fell, Princess Xian lent her support to Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.[1] Emperor Wen greatly admired Princess Xian.[2] He awarded her with many honours.[3] In return, she helped keep her tribal region loyal to the Sui Dynasty.[4]
In 512 C.E., Princess Xian was born in Gaoliang (modern-day Yangjiang District in Guangdong Province).[5] Her personal name was Xian Ying.[6] She belonged to the Li tribe, which was a non-Han tribe in Southern China.[7] Her family had been leaders of the Li people for generations and controlled over a hundred thousand tribal families.[8] Princess Xian was educated in becoming a “leader and a fighter.”[9]
Princess Xian had a brother named Prince Xian Ting.[10] He was a regional inspector of the Southern Liang Dynasty.[11] He was very “arrogant because of his power and wealth.”[12] He often mistreated the neighbouring regions and caused many people to complain about him.[13] Princess Xian reprimanded him until he finally changed his behaviour.[14] Her actions caused many people to support her, and the tribe of Hainan Island became subjects of the Xian family.[15]
In 535 C.E., Princess Xian married Feng Bao, a prince of the fallen Northern Yan Dynasty.[16] Prince Feng Bao was the Governor of Gaoliang.[17] She helped in political affairs.[18] She advised the tribal chieftains to follow the Han Chinese laws.[19] She helped Prince Feng Bao restore law and order in the region.[20]
In 548 C.E., General Hou Jing sacked the Southern Liang Dynasty’s capital of Jiankang. Li Shiqian ordered Prince Feng Bao to send him troops.[21] However, Princess Xian advised him not to because she knew that Li Shiqian would rebel.[22] A few days later, Li Shiqian rebelled.[23] Princess Xian brought an entourage of a thousand men to meet Li Shiqian.[24] She claimed that she was bringing him gifts.[25] Once she arrived, she attacked Li Shiqian’s army.[26] They were defeated, and Princess Xian lent her support to General Chen Baxian.[27]
During the rise of the Chen Dynasty, Prince Feng Bao died. Princess Xian took control of Gaoliang.[28] When Chen Baxian became Emperor of the Chen Dynasty, Princess Xian sent her eight-year-old son, Prince Feng Pu, to pledge his loyalty.[29] Emperor Chen Baxian decided to reward Prince Xian because she brought the Gaoliang’s ethnic tribes under the Chen Dynasty.[30] Therefore, he made Prince Feng Pu the Governor of Yangchun.[31] However, the Inspector of Guangzhou rebelled against the Chen Dynasty and kidnapped Prince Feng Pu.[32] Princess Xian sent her Li people to attack Guangzhou.[33] They crushed the rebellion.[34] As a reward, Prince Feng Pu was made “Leader of Court of Gentlemen”[35] and the Governor of Shilong. Princess Xian was made “Leader of the Court Gentlemen”[36] and “Lady Dowager of Shilong.”[37] She was also given “a carriage with embroidered curtains, a marching band, and ceremonial flags.”[38]
In the late 580s C.E., Prince Feng Pu died. Princess Xian officially became the leader of the Li tribe.[39] She was given the title of “Holy Mother.”[40] In 681 C.E., Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty conquered the Chen Dynasty. At that time, Princess Xian did not know that the Chen Dynasty had fallen and still remained deeply loyal to the dynasty.[41] His son forced the former Emperor of the Chen Dynasty to write a letter to Princess Xian.[42] He explained to her his situation and that she must submit allegiance to Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.[43] When Princess Xian read the letter, she gathered over a thousand local chieftains.[44] Together, they wept over the fall of the Chen Dynasty.[45] She then sent her grandson, Prince Feng Hun, to welcome the Sui army and pledge her allegiance.[46]
Shortly after she pledged her allegiance to the Sui Dynasty, Wang Zhongshan rebelled against the Sui dynasty.[47] She sent her grandson, Prince Feng Xuan, to send troops to aid Emperor Wen.[48] However, Prince Feng Xuan refused because he was friends with a member of the rebellion.[49] Princess Xian threw her grandson in jail.[50] She sent Prince Feng Ang to help Emperor Wen, and he put down the rebellion.[51] Princess Xian also rode in full armour to accompany the Sui ambassador on a tour of the Gaoliang region.[52] The tribal leaders of Gaoliang paid their respects to her as the leader of their region.[53]
Emperor Wen greatly admired Princess Xian.[54] He made her grandsons, Prince Feng Xuan and Prince Feng Ang, inspectors.[55] He also made her husband, Prince Feng Bao, a Sui duke.[56] He was made Duke of Qiao State.[57] He then gave Princess Xian the title of “Lady of Qiao State.”[58] Emperor Wen also gave Princess Xian a “seal to control the armies of the six regions with permission to act should crises present themselves.”[59]
Princess Xian remained fiercely loyal to Emperor Wen.[60] One day, an official caused many of the tribal members to break away from the Sui Dynasty.[61] Princess Xian reported the incident, and Emperor Wen punished the official.[62] Princess Xian was given the task of bringing the rebels over to the Sui.[63] Therefore, she travelled throughout the regions until the rebels pledged their loyalty to Emperor Wen.[64] Emperor Wen awarded Princess Xian with a “bath fief of 1,500 households.”[65] In 602 C.E., Princess Xian died. Emperor Wen gave her an honorary funeral.[66] He also gave her the posthumous title of “Loyal and Respectful Lady.”[67]
Princess Xian was a very powerful and respected tribal chieftain.[68] She had great military knowledge and was morally upright.[69] She was able to maintain peaceful relations between the Han Chinese and the non-Han Chinese ethnic tribes.[70] Some modern historians have recently viewed her in a negative light.[71] This is because she helped “the Han colonizers to rule over her own people.”[72] However, other modern scholars see her as a unifier.[73] There is a Royal Diaries novel about Princess Xian. It is titled Lady of Ch’iao Kuo: Red Bird of the South, Southern China, A.D. 531 by Laurence Yep.
Sources:
iNews. (n.d.). “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”. Retrieved on May24, 2025 from https://inf.news/en/history/dd58482cc686a88f549b0808afb0d5ac.html.
Lee, L.X.H. (2015). “Xian, Lady of Qiao State”. Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. – 618 C.E.. (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; A. D. Stefanowska, Ed.; S. Wiles, Ed.). NY: Routledge. pp. 353-356.
[1] Lee, 2015; iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
[2] Lee, 2015
[3] Lee, 2015; iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
[4] Lee, 2015; iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
[5] Lee, 2015
[6] iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
[7] Lee, 2015; iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
[8] Lee, 2015; iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
[9] Lee, 2015, p. 353
[10] Lee, 2015
[11] Lee, 2015
[12] Lee, 2015, p. 353
[13] Lee, 2015
[14] Lee, 2015
[15] Lee, 2015
[16] Lee, 2015
[17] Lee, 2015
[18] Lee, 2015
[19] Lee, 2015
[20] Lee, 2015
[21] Lee, 2015
[22] Lee, 2015
[23] Lee, 2015
[24] Lee, 2015
[25] Lee, 2015
[26] Lee, 2015
[27] Lee, 2015
[28] Lee, 2015; iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
[29] Lee, 2015
[30] Lee, 2015
[31] Lee, 2015
[32] Lee, 2015
[33] Lee, 2015
[34] Lee, 2015
[35] Lee, 2015, p. 354
[36] Lee, 2015, p. 354
[37] Lee, 2015, p. 354
[38] Lee, 2015, p. 354
[39] Lee, 2015; iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
[40] Lee, 2015, p. 354
[41] Lee, 2015
[42] Lee, 2015
[43] Lee, 2015
[44] Lee, 2015
[45] Lee, 2015
[46] Lee, 2015
[47] Lee, 2015
[48] Lee, 2015
[49] Lee, 2015
[50] Lee, 2015
[51] Lee, 2015
[52] Lee, 2015
[53] Lee, 2015
[54] Lee, 2015; iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
[55] Lee, 2015
[56] Lee, 2015
[57] Lee, 2015
[58] Lee, 2015, p. 355
[59] Lee, 2015, p. 355
[60] iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
[61] Lee, 2015
[62] Lee, 2015
[63] Lee, 2015
[64] Lee, 2015
[65] Lee, 2015, p. 355
[66] Lee, 2015
[67] Lee, 2015, p. 355
[68] Lee, 2015; iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
[69] Lee, 2015; iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
[70] Lee, 2015; iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
[71] Lee, 2015
[72] Lee, 2015, p. 356
[73] Lee, 2015; iNews, n.d., “Lady Xian: The Balancer of Political Ecology in Lingnan Region”
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