Wise Empress Dowager (睿智皇后)

Overview

Wise Empress Dowager was an empress Consort of Jingzong.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 994 統和十二年
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 107, passages 15-16
AD 979 to AD 983 乾亨間
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 74, passages 137, 141
AD 979 是年
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 84, passage 18
AD 983 to AD 1012 睿智皇后南征
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 109, passage 30
AD 983 統和初
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 84, passage 19
AD 969 保寧初
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 78, passages 48-49

Show 3 more source-backed claims

AD 969 to AD 1031 景宗
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 65, passage 67
AD 969 to AD 982 景宗睿智皇后
Directly stated · History of Liao 67, passages 53, 56
AD 982 聖宗沖年嗣位
Directly stated · History of Liao 61, passage 96

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Guanyinnü (觀音女)
bore 生
Directly stated · History of Liao 65, passages 67-68
Parent of Changshounü (長壽女)
bore 生
Directly stated · History of Liao 65, passages 67, 76
Parent of Yanshounü (延壽女)
bore 生
Directly stated · History of Liao 65, passages 67, 84
Child of Siwen (思溫)
daughter 女
father 父
Directly stated · History of Liao 78, passage 49; History of Liao 67, passage 53
Spouse of Yelü Xian (耶律賢)
Marriage
empress consort 皇后
empress 後
empress 皇后
Sources vary in certainty · History of Liao 84, passages 6, 18; History of Liao 67, passage 53; History of Liao 78, passage 49; History of Liao 65, passage 67
Parent of Emperor Shengzong of Liao (遼聖宗)
Wise Empress Dowager 睿智皇后
empress dowager 皇后
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 61, passage 96

Kinship Role daughters · Count 3
Directly stated · History of Liao 65, passage 67

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Assumed
Regent
Directly stated · History of Liao 84, passages 19, 36
Held
Regent
Directly stated · History of Liao 61, passage 96

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Relation Associated with
Directly stated · History of Liao 78, passage 49; History of Liao 109, passage 30
Polity Id liao · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 16
Polity Id liao · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 67, passage 53
Polity Id liao · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Liao 74, passage 141; History of Liao 84, passage 18
Polity Id liao · Relation Subject of
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 65, passage 67

Events and relationships

Appointed heir
Political · Authority · With Xiao Jixian (蕭繼先)
Directly stated · History of Liao 67, passage 56
Held regency and urged lenient laws
Political · Regent
Directly stated · History of Liao 61, passage 96
Mourned Lady Chen and granted title
AD 994 統和十二年 · Ritual · Bestower
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 16
Saved from execution
Political · Intercessor · With Yelü Sha (耶律沙)
Directly stated · History of Liao 84, passage 18
Southern campaign and child castration program
Military · Commander
Directly stated · History of Liao 109, passages 30-31
Relation Fond of · Person Xiao Jixian (蕭繼先)
Directly stated · History of Liao 78, passage 52

Source notes

Sheng corrected to Zhi in Ruizhi
Field name-character
Directly stated · History of Liao 65, passage 67
Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of Liao 65, passage 67

References in the histories

Search passages

History

17 passages

History of Liao, Chapter 61Volume 61 Treatises 31: Punishment and Law 1 · 1 passage

Open chapter

聖宗沖年嗣位，睿智皇后稱制，留心聽斷，嘗勸帝宜寬法律。 Shengzong succeeded as a child; the Wise Empress Dowager held regency, attended carefully to judgments, and urged him to lighten the laws.

History of Liao, Chapter 65Volume 65 Tables 3: Princesses · 3 passages

Open chapter

睿智皇后生三女：睿智皇后智原作「聖」。按卷七一本傳作知，紀、志、表、傳另見者並作智，據改。 Born to Empress Ruizhi, three daughters—the received text had "Sheng" for Zhi; the biography in vol. 71 and annals, treatises, tables, and biographies elsewhere all have Zhi, and the text is corrected accordingly.

皇后尤加愛，賜奴婢萬口。 The empress favored her above all and bestowed ten thousand bondservants upon her.

性沉厚，睿智皇后於諸女尤愛。甚得婦道，不以貴寵自驕。 She was calm and steadfast in character, and among all her daughters the empress loved her most. She fully upheld the duties of a wife and did not grow proud from rank and favor.

History of Liao, Chapter 67Volume 67 Tables 5: Families of Imperial Consorts · 2 passages

Open chapter

景宗睿智皇后父思溫 Siwen, father of Empress Ruizhi, consort of Emperor Jingzong

北府宰相繼先。思溫無嗣，睿智皇后命為後。 Jixian, Northern Chancellor. As Siwen had no male heirs, Empress Ruizhi appointed him as his successor.

History of Liao, Chapter 74Volume 74 Biographies 4: Yelu Dila, Xiao Hendu, Kang Moji, Han Yanhui, Han Zhigu · 2 passages

Open chapter

皇后引諸內戚徐為開解，上重違其請。 The empress and her kinsmen gradually pleaded for mercy; reluctant to refuse her, the emperor stayed his hand.

睿智皇后聞之，遣使臨吊，賻贈甚厚，後追贈尚書令。 When the Wise Empress heard, she sent envoys to mourn and gave lavish funeral gifts; later he was posthumously made Director of the Department of State Affairs.

History of Liao, Chapter 78Volume 78 Biographies 8: Yelu Yilage, Xiao Haili, Xiao Husi, Xiao Siwen, Xiao Jixian · 2 passages

Open chapter

上冊思溫女為後，加尚書令，封魏王。 The emperor made Siwen's daughter empress, appointed him Minister-in-Chief, and enfeoffed him as Prince of Wei.

幼穎悟，叔思溫命為子，睿智皇后尤愛之。 Clever as a boy, he was adopted as a son by his uncle Siwen, and Empress Ruizhi was especially fond of him.

History of Liao, Chapter 84Volume 84 Biographies 14: Yelu Sha, Yelu Mozhi, Xiao Gan, Yelu Shanbu, Yelu Haili · 4 passages

Open chapter

是年，復從韓匡嗣伐宋，敗績，帝欲誅之，以皇后營救得免。 That same year he again joined Han Kuangsi in a campaign against the Song and met with defeat; the emperor meant to put him to death, but the empress pleaded for him and he was spared.

睿智皇后稱制，召賜几杖，以優其老。 When the Sagacious Empress Dowager assumed the regency, she summoned him and granted him a folding stool and staff as marks of esteem for his advanced years.

時皇后以父呼幹。 The empress addressed him as "Father."

及後為皇太后稱制，幹數條奏便宜，多見聽用。 Later, when she ruled as empress dowager, Gan submitted one practical proposal after another, and many of his recommendations were adopted.

History of Liao, Chapter 107Volume 107 Biographies 37: Exemplary Women · 1 passage

Open chapter

睿智皇后聞之，嗟悼，贈魯國夫人，刻石以表其行。 When Empress Dowager Ruizhi heard of her death, she sighed in grief, granted her the title Lady of Lu, and had a stone inscription carved to commemorate her conduct.

History of Liao, Chapter 109Volume 109 Biographies 39: Music and Imperial Officials · 2 passages

Open chapter

睿智皇后南征，繼恩被俘。 When Empress Ruizhi marched south, Jien was taken prisoner.

初，皇后以公私所獲十歲已下兒容貌可觀者近百人，載赴涼陘，並使閹為豎，繼恩在焉。 Earlier the empress had gathered nearly a hundred children under ten, handsome boys taken in raids and by other means, sent them to Liangjin, and had them all castrated as palace attendants; Jien was one of them.