Queen Qianjin – The Queen who was the Sui Dynasty’s greatest enemy

Queen Qianjin was the wife of three Turkic Khans. She was made queen in her third marriage to her stepson, Khan Tulan Qaghan.^[1] Queen Qianjin was originally a princess of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.^[2] However, the Northern Zhou Dynasty was destroyed, and the Sui Dynasty killed her family.^[3] Queen Qianjin harboured a deep hatred for the Sui Dynasty and wanted revenge.^[4]

The birthdate of Queen Qianjin is unknown.^[5] Her personal name is unknown.^[6] She was from the imperial family of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.^[7] Her father was Yuwen Zhao (the Prince of Zhao).^[8] He was the brother of three Northern Zhou Emperors: Emperor Ming, Emperor Xiaowu, and Emperor Wu.^[9] Princess Qianjin was Emperor Xuan’s first cousin.^[10]

In 579 C.E., Emperor Xuan arranged for Princess Qianjin to marry the Eastern Turks khan, Taspar Qaghan.^[11] In return for Princess Qianjin to marry Khan Taspar Qaghan, the Northern Zhou would be handed their enemy, the Prince of Northern Qi, who had sought refuge with the Eastern Turks.^[12] Princess Qianjin left the imperial capital of Chang’an and journeyed to the Eastern Turkic Court (located near modern-day Qaraqorum, Mongolia).^[13] In 580 C.E., Princess Qianjin married Khan Taspar Qaghan.^[14] In 581 C.E., Princess Qianjin learned that the Northern Zhou Dynasty had been defeated and that a new dynasty, known as the Sui, had been established.^[15] Princess Qianjin also learned that the Sui Dynasty had executed her father, her three brothers, and two of her uncles.^[16] Princess Qianjin developed a deep-seated hatred for the Sui Dynasty.^[17] In that same year, her husband, Khan Taspar Qaghan, died.^[18] It is unknown whether she ever bore Khan Taspar Qaghan any children.^[19]

In 581 C.E., Princess Qianjin followed the nomadic Turkish custom of remarrying Khan Taspar Qaghan’s successor, Khan Ishbara Qaghan.^[20] Princess Qianjin still mourned the loss of her family and sought revenge against the Sui Dynasty.^[21] She persuaded her second husband, Khan Ishbara Qaghan, to launch an attack against the Sui Dynasty.^[22] In 582 C.E., Khan Ishbara Qaghan declared war against the Sui Empire.^[23] The Eastern Turks joined forces with Gao Baoning, who was once an officer of Northern Qi.^[24] This attack forced Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty to strengthen the Great Wall.^[25]

In 584 C.E., the army of the Eastern Turks had weakened.^[26] This forced Khan Ishbara Qaghan and Princess Qianjin to make peace with the Sui.^[27] Because of the peace treaties, the Sui adopted Princess Qianjin and gave her a new name, Princess Dayi.^[28] In 587 C.E., Khan Ishbara Qaghan died. It is unknown if Princess Qianjin had any children with him.^[29]

Khan Ishbara Qaghan was succeeded by his brother, Khan Chuluohou.^[30] However, Princess Qianjin did not marry him because of his brief reign.^[31] In 588 C.E., Khan Chuluohou died.^[32] He was succeeded by Khan Ishbara Qaghan’s son, Tulan Qaghan, who was also Princess Qianjin’s stepson.^[33] Khan Tulan Qaghan married Princess Qianjin and made her his queen.^[34] It is not known if she ever gave Khan Tulan Qaghan any children.^[35]

Queen Qianjin still harboured a deep hatred for the Sui Dynasty.^[36] In 589 C.E., Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty sent Queen Qianjin a room panel that once belonged to the recently defeated Chen Dynasty.^[37] Queen Qianjin was greatly displeased with the gift, and she wrote a poem that expressed her sorrow.^[38] In this poem, she lamented the collapse of the Chen Dynasty and compared it to her own fate as a princess of a defeated dynasty.^[39] An excerpt of the poem went:

“I was after all born of the imperial family

who drifted through into the caitiffs’ camp

Going through success and defeat—

my heart subjected to sudden ups and downs.

Since ancient times things have been thus

I am not alone in registering my name—

But the only tune of Wang Zhaojun

truly becomes the trauma of moving far away.”^[40]

When Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty heard about Queen Qianjin’s poem, he was greatly displeased.^[41] He also believed that Queen Qianjin was conspiring with his enemy, the Western Turks, to launch an attack against him.^[42] Therefore, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty viewed Queen Qianjin as a threat.^[43] He decided it was time to eliminate her.^[44]

In 593 C.E., Khan Tulan Qaghan’s Turkish cousin, Khan Yami Qaghan of Tujue, asked Emperor Wen for a Sui princess.^[45] However, Emperor Wen said that he could have a Sui princess if he killed Queen Qianjin.^[46] Khan Yami Qaghan of Tujue slandered Khan Tulan Qaghan.^[47] Khan Tulan Qaghan believed that it was Queen Qianjin who was slandering him.^[48] He went into Queen Qianjin’s tent and killed her.^[49] When Khan Tulan Qaghan realised that Queen Tianjin was innocent, he immediately regretted what he had done.^[50] However, it was too late because she was already dead.^[51] Because Emperor Wen’s conditions were met, Khan Yami Qaghan of Tujue married the Sui Princess, Yichen. Khan Tulan Qaghan also asked for a Sui princess, but was denied.^[52]

Queen Qianjin spent fourteen years in the Eastern Turkic court.^[53] During her time there, she never stopped bearing a grudge against the Sui Dynasty.^[54] She even launched an unsuccessful war against them.^[55] It is tragic that Emperor Wen of Sui perceived her as a threat and eliminated her in the most cruel way possible.^[56] Through Emperor Wen’s political machinations, Queen Qianjin died at the hands of her husband.^[57] Still, Queen Qianjin was a very influential figure in the Eastern Turkic Court.^[58] However, her lasting accomplishment was her poem.^[59] For thousands of years, readers have been moved by her poem.^[60] They viewed her as a sorrowful princess who had to marry far from her homeland.^[61] Through her poem, readers see “the poignancy of her tragic life as a princess bride.”^[62] Thus, Queen Qianjin’s poem will never be forgotten.^[63]

Sources:

Jay, J. W. (2015). “Yuwen, Princess Qianjin of Northern Zhou”. 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. 378-379.

Urgunbuyan, B. (2023). “Princesses of the Central Plains Married into the Turkish Khaganate”. Mongolian Diaspora. Journal of Mongolian History and Culture, 3(1), 37-51. https://doi.org/10.1515/modi-2023-2006.