Famous Chinese Women B.C.
China has a long history, dating several thousand years. Whether they were concubines, wives, or mothers of the Emperor, the women in the recorded history of early China are inextricably linked to China's imperial dynasties.
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Xi Shi
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Xi Shi, who lived around 500 B.C., is one of the Four Great Beauties of China. The daughter of a tea trader, she was trained in court etiquette and given to the King of Wu. Her goal was to bewitch the King and to cause his downfall. She succeeded and withdrew from public life.
Wang Zhao Jun
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Wang Zhao Jun was selected for the harem of Emperor Yuandi, who reigned from 49 B.C. to 33 B.C. After spending several years in the harem without ever meeting the emperor, Wang Zhao Jun requested to be removed from the court. She was promised to a ruler of the Xiongnu, a non-Han people. She married him and upon his death married his son, with whom she had two daughters. Her decision to marry the Xiongnu ruler was unusual because of the Han sense of superiority and the predominant attachment to ancestral homes. Many works of music and poetry have been written to commemorate Wang Zhao Jun.
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Concubine Qi
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Concubine Qi is sometimes called Lady Qi. The date of her birth is unknown, but she died in 194 B.C. She was the favorite concubine of the first Han emperor, Han Gaozu. She was intensely disliked by the Emperor's mother, who plotted to kill them both and install another son as Emperor. The Emperor's mother arranged to have Lady Qi's arms and legs chopped off and her tongue cut out. The Emperor was so distraught that he gave up power and withdrew from public life.
Empress Dou
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Empress Dou, also known as Empress Shiao Wen, died in 135 B.C. She was the wife of Emperor Wen of the Western Han. She was a devout Taoist and influenced her husband, thus helping create an era of peace and tranquility in the Western Han empire.
Empress Dowager Lu
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Empress Dowager Lu, who died in 180 B.C., is remembered not for her positive qualities, but for her bloodthirsty traits and hunger for power. She was the mother of Concubine Qi.
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References
- Photo Credit Illustration: Simona Dumitru, stock.xchng
