292:, succeeded in making Liu Bian emperor; Liu Bian is historically known as Emperor Shao. As the mother of the reigning emperor, Empress He became empress dowager, while Empress Dowager Dong became grand empress dowager. But Empress Dowager He began to receive court audiences and make decisions on state matters, alongside her son to legitimize her authority, although Grand Empress Dowager Dong also informally received separate audiences in her palace. The empress dowager and grand empress dowager started vying for influence in court politics and doing everything to stop each other; their respective pillars of support, He Jin and Dong Zhong, were also locked in a power struggle. Grand Empress Dowager Dong contemplated getting Dong Zhong to help her eliminate He Jin. When Empress Dowager He heard about it, she informed He Jin and another brother of hers, He Miao (何苗). They decided to take preemptive action against the grand empress dowager.
249:
dilemmas. Also, she received a wide range of audiences from all walks of life and in exchange for bribes or gifts she would do what they asked of her son. She encouraged
Emperor Ling to start the practice of selling government offices for money and she even began to hide some sensitive state affairs from her son so as not to upset him or to prevent her or her friends' mistakes from being revealed; this practice severely damaged the Han civil service system and led to widespread corruption. In 188, her nephew, Dong Zhong (董重), was promoted from Minister of the Guards (衛尉) to General of Agile Cavalry (驃騎將軍) and put in command of over 1,000 troops.
296:
his troops to surround Dong Zhong's residence and arrest him; he committed suicide later. Grand
Empress Dowager Dong sank into paranoia and depression after hearing news of Dong Zhong's death and died of illness in 189 after being in power for about 22 years. The common people blamed Empress Dowager He and her family for the grand empress dowager's death. Grand Empress Dowager Dong's remains were transported back to Hejian Commandery and buried alongside her husband's in the Shen Mausoleum.
272:. Empress He and Empress Dowager Dong, who had already been fighting for control of the palace, promotion of family interests, and influence over the emperor, became engaged in a more serious rivalry because they wanted Liu Bian and Liu Xie respectively to be crown prince. Also, Empress Dowager Dong regularly complained to her son about the impudence and aggressive of Empress He, and especially her brother He Jin, and asked him to curb their power. When the
295:
One day, He Jin, He Miao and their supporters found an excuse to remove Grand
Empress Dowager Dong from Yongle Palace and send her back to her hometown in Hejian Commandery, so they raised their idea in the imperial court. The court officials and Empress Dowager He approved the idea. He Jin then sent
276:
broke out in 184, He Jin, who was covered by
Empress He in palace intrigues, was appointed General-in-Chief (大將軍). After the rebellion was quelled, He Jin continued in the role of General-in-Chief, technically in control of all the imperial armies. During this time, other members of his family, such
188:
to succeed his father. Emperor Ling died in May 189 before he managed to designate either of his two sons as crown prince. Liu Bian eventually took the throne as
Emperor Shao; Empress Dowager Dong, as the emperor's grandmother, became grand empress dowager, while her daughter-in-law became empress
248:
Empress
Dowager Dong was not involved in state affairs until after Empress Dowager Dou's death in 172. After her death, she dared to intervene in politics and became a force in the palace that could be counted on and no one could underestimate her. She participated in her son's decision-making in
340:). Her grandfather, Wang Bao (王苞), served as a General of the Household for All Purposes (五官中郎將) in the Han imperial court. She was not only beautiful in appearance, but also talented in arts and mathematics. After her death, Emperor Ling often mourned her by writing poetry dedicated to her.
245:, the imperial capital. He also honoured her as "Empress Xiaoren" (孝仁皇后) on 17 April 169, and appointed his mother's elder brother, Dong Chong (董寵), as Bearer of the Mace (執金吾). Dong Chong was later imprisoned for lying that he was acting on Empress Dowager Dong's order; he died in prison.
281:. The emperor ostentatiously paraded in front of the army and had himself named "Supreme General" (無上將軍). The emperor also had the army placed under the command of Jian Shuo, a trusted eunuch. Emperor Ling died in 189 before he could name one of his sons as his successor.
240:
of Shen Garden (慎園貴人)" in April or May 168. In 169, following the downfall of
Empress Dowager Dou and her clan, Emperor Ling sent his attendants to fetch his mother from Hejian Commandery to live in Yongle Palace (永樂宮) in
193:, to unseat her mother-in-law from power. Grand Empress Dowager Dong died of illness shortly after her downfall; the common people held Empress Dowager He and her family responsible for the grand empress dowager's death.
232:(later empress dowager) selected 12-year-old Liu Hong, the Marquis of Jiedu Village, to be the new emperor. He is historically known as Emperor Ling. The newly crowned Emperor Ling awarded his late father the
277:
as his younger step-brother He Miao (何苗), were also elevated to positions of importance. In 188, perhaps as a counterweight to the power of the He family, Emperor Ling created the
264:, so the motherless Liu Xie was raised by his grandmother. Empress Dowager Dong often urged Emperor Ling to designate one of his only two surviving sons, Liu Xie and
288:(a eunuch and close aide of Emperor Ling) supported by Empress Dowager Dong to put Liu Xie on the throne, Empress He and her brother, General-in-Chief
168:
of China. She was never empress throughout her early life because she was the wife of a marquis; she only became empress dowager because her son,
213:). She was the wife of Liu Chang (劉萇), the Marquis of Jiedu Village (解犢亭侯). (Liu Chang was a great-grandson of Liu Kai (劉開), the sixth son of
556:(進與三公及弟車騎將軍苗等奏：「孝仁皇后使故中常侍夏惲、永樂太僕封諝等交通州郡，辜較在所珍寶貨賂，悉入西省。蕃后故事不得留京師，輿服有章，膳羞有品。請永樂后遷宮本國。」奏可。何進遂舉兵圍驃騎府，收重，重免官自殺。后憂怖，疾病暴崩，在位二十二年。民間歸咎何氏。喪還河閒，合葬慎陵。)
153:
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624:
619:
614:
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237:
609:
236:"Emperor Xiaoren" (孝仁皇) and named his father's burial place "Shen Mausoleum" (慎陵); he also gave his mother the title "
172:, became the emperor by chance. During her son's reign, she developed a rivalry with her daughter-in-law,
599:
440:
day in said leap month, which corresponds to 25 Apr to 24 May 168 in the proleptic
Gregorian calendar.
278:
478:(建寧元年，帝即位，追尊萇為孝仁皇，陵曰慎陵，以后為慎園貴人。及竇氏誅，明年，帝使中常侍迎貴人，并徵貴人兄寵到京師，上尊號曰孝仁皇后，居南宮嘉德殿，宮稱永樂。拜寵執金吾。後坐矯稱永樂后屬請，下獄死。)
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173:
65:
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29:
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360:
Although Lady Dong's age was not recorded, she should be born in the early 140s or before.
8:
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Liu Chang (劉萇) died before 168 so Liu Hong inherited his father's title and marquisate.
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era of his reign. This corresponds to 17 Apr 169 in the proleptic
Gregorian calendar.
381:
era of his reign. This corresponds to 7 Jul 189 on the proleptic
Gregorian calendar.
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260:. Beautiful Lady Wang was subsequently poisoned to death by Emperor Ling's empress,
189:
dowager. Empress Dowager He eventually conspired with her brother, General-in-Chief
233:
161:
132:
24:
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517:(時王美人任娠，畏后，乃服藥欲除之，而胎安不動，又數夢負日而行。四年，生皇子恊，后遂酖殺美人。帝大怒，欲廢后，諸宦官固請得止。董太后自養協，號曰董侯。)
543:(何太后臨朝，重與太后兄大將軍進權埶相害，后每欲參干政事，太后輒相禁塞。后忿恚詈言曰：「汝今輈張，怙汝兄耶？當勑票騎斷何進頭來。」何太后聞，以告進。)
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20:
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504:(王美人，趙國人也。祖父苞，五官中郎將。美人豐姿色，聦敏有才明，能書會計，以良家子應法相選入掖庭。帝愍協早失母，又思美人，作追德賦、令儀頌。)
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156 - 7 July 189), personal name unknown, formally known as
491:(及竇太后崩，始與朝政，使帝賣官求貨，自納金錢，盈滿堂室。中平五年，以后兄子衛尉脩侯重為票騎將軍，領兵千餘人。)
336:
Wang (王美人) was from the Zhao State (趙國; in present-day
221:. It is not known whether she had any other children.
176:, because she wanted Emperor Ling's younger son,
39:Empress Dowager Dong / Grand Empress Dowager Dong
586:
16:Chinese Han dynasty empress dowager (died 189)
432:day in the leap month of the 1st year of the
461:day in the 3rd month of the 2nd year of the
377:day of the 6th month of the 6th year of the
228:died without a son to succeed him, his wife
252:In 181, one of Emperor Ling's consorts,
436:era of his reign. However, there is no
587:
453:According to Liu Hong's biography in
420:According to Liu Hong's biography in
369:According to Liu Hong's biography in
306:Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms
217:.) In 156, she bore Liu Chang a son,
184:while Empress He wanted her own son,
457:, Lady Dong was made empress on the
530:(初，后自養皇子協，數勸帝立為太子，而何皇后恨之，議未及定而帝崩。)
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394:(萇，河閒孝王開孫淑之子也。) Annotation in
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595:Han dynasty empresses dowager
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72:Grand Empress Dowager of the
407:(孝仁董皇后諱某，河閒人。為解犢亭侯萇夫人，生靈帝。)
284:Despite the machinations of
256:Wang (王美人), bore him a son,
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625:Mothers of Chinese emperors
620:Suicides in the Han dynasty
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615:2nd-century Chinese people
279:Army of the Western Garden
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610:2nd-century Chinese women
268:(born to Empress He), as
205:(河間郡; around present-day
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57:17 April 169 – 13 May 189
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373:, Lady Dong died on the
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274:Yellow Turban Rebellion
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170:Liu Hong (Emperor Ling)
46:Empress Dowager of the
258:Liu Xie (Emperor Xian)
224:In January 168, after
139:Empress Xiaoren (孝仁皇后)
574:Book of the Later Han
455:Book of the Later Han
424:, Lady Dong was made
422:Book of the Later Han
371:Book of the Later Han
150:Empress Dowager Dong
201:Lady Dong was from
166:Eastern Han dynasty
122:Emperor Ling of Han
83:15 May - 7 July 189
600:2nd-century births
560:vol. 10 (Part 2).
547:vol. 10 (Part 2).
534:vol. 10 (Part 2).
521:vol. 10 (Part 2).
508:vol. 10 (Part 2).
495:vol. 10 (Part 2).
482:vol. 10 (Part 2).
411:vol. 10 (Part 2).
398:vol. 10 (Part 2).
203:Hejian Commandery
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133:Posthumous name
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270:crown prince
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226:Emperor Huan
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182:crown prince
157:
149:
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28:
21:Chinese name
230:Empress Dou
74:Han dynasty
48:Han dynasty
41:董太后 / 董太皇太后
25:family name
605:189 deaths
589:Categories
348:References
262:Empress He
174:Empress He
103:7 July 189
579:Houhanshu
558:Houhanshu
545:Houhanshu
532:Houhanshu
519:Houhanshu
506:Houhanshu
493:Houhanshu
480:Houhanshu
469:, vol. 08
467:Houhanshu
444:, vol. 08
442:Houhanshu
409:Houhanshu
396:Houhanshu
385:, vol. 08
383:Houhanshu
379:Zhongping
286:Jian Shuo
160:, was an
111:Liu Chang
62:Successor
463:Jianning
434:Jianning
300:See also
266:Liu Bian
219:Liu Hong
207:Cangzhou
186:Liu Bian
180:, to be
19:In this
569:Fan, Ye
428:on the
243:Luoyang
178:Liu Xie
164:of the
95:Unknown
426:guiren
375:xinhai
290:He Jin
191:He Jin
108:Spouse
80:Tenure
54:Tenure
23:, the
438:jiawu
430:jiawu
338:Hebei
312:Notes
211:Hebei
117:Issue
459:yisi
197:Life
100:Died
92:Born
30:Dong
154:fl.
27:is
591::
581:).
209:,
577:(
152:(
33:.
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