Qin and Han · Empress Dowager and Royal Family Member

Empress Dowager Bo 薄氏

Bo Shi

First attested BC 180; died BC 155

Passages: 9
Chapters: 5
Histories: 2

Overview

Empress Dowager Bo was an empress Dowager and Royal Family Member.

Life and dates

Death

BC 155 二年夏四月壬午
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 49

Attested activity

BC 155 二年夏四月壬午
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 49
BC 157 後七年
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 4
BC 155 為薄太后服
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 13
BC 180 to BC 157 薄太后
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 102, passage 33
BC 155 薄太后服喪事件
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 44, passage 268
BC 176 薄昭為言薄太后
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 57, passage 105

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Ancestor of Emperor Jing of Han (漢景帝)
Grand Empress Dowager 太皇太后 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 4
Parent of Emperor Wen of Han (漢文帝)
empress dowager 太后
mother 母
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 102, passage 33; Book of Han 6, passage 4

Key source chapters

Places and affiliations

Polity Han 漢 · Relation Of
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 4

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 13

References in the histories

Search passages

History

9 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 6Volume 5: Annals of Emperor Jing · 2 passages

丁未，太子即皇帝位，尊皇太后薄氏曰太皇太后，皇后曰皇太后。 On the day Dingwei, the crown prince ascended the imperial throne, honoring Empress Dowager Bo as Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress as Empress Dowager.

夏四月壬午，太皇太后崩。 On the day Renwu in the fourth month of summer, the Grand Empress Dowager passed away.

Book of Han, Chapter 44Volume 35: Princes of Jing, Yan and Wu · 1 passage

三年冬，楚王來朝，錯因言楚王戊往年為薄太后服，私姦服舍，請誅之。 In the winter of the third year, the King of Chu came to court. Chao Cuo then reported that in earlier years, while observing mourning for Empress Dowager Bo, the King of Chu, Wu, had had illicit relations in the mourning quarters, and he requested that Wu be executed.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 50House of Prince Yuan of Chu · 1 passage

王戊立二十年，冬，坐為薄太后服私姦，削東海郡。 In the twentieth year of King Wu's reign, during winter, he was found guilty of committing adultery during the mourning period for Empress Dowager Bo, and the commandery of Donghai was stripped from him.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 57House of Zhou Bo, Marquis of Jiang · 2 passages

及系急，薄昭為言薄太后，太后亦以為無反事。 When Bo's imprisonment grew dire, Bo Zhao interceded with Empress Dowager Bo, who likewise believed there was no truth to the charge of rebellion.

文帝朝，太后以冒絮提文帝，曰：「絳侯綰皇帝璽，將兵於北軍，不以此時反，今居一小縣，顧欲反邪！」 At Emperor Wen's morning audience, the Empress Dowager seized the emperor by his headdress cloth and said: "The Marquis of Jiang once held the imperial seal in his hands and commanded the Northern Army. If he did not rebel then, why would he now, living in some small county, suddenly wish to rebel?"

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 102Biographies of Zhang Shizhi and Feng Tang · 3 passages

薄太后聞之，文帝免冠謝曰：「教兒子不謹。」 When Empress Dowager Bo heard of it, Emperor Wen removed his cap and apologized, saying, "I have failed to teach my sons carefully enough."

薄太后乃使使承詔赦太子、梁王，然後得入。 Empress Dowager Bo then dispatched messengers bearing an imperial edict to pardon the Crown Prince and the King of Liang, after which they were permitted to enter.

久之，文帝與太后言之，乃許廷尉當。 After a long while, Emperor Wen discussed the matter with the Empress Dowager and finally accepted the Commandant of Justice's ruling.