Empress Xiaoherui

Empress Xiaoherui (20 November 1776 – 23 January 1850), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Niohuru clan, was a consort of the Jiaqing Emperor. She was 16 years his junior.

Empress Xiaoherui
Empress Dowager Gongci
Empress consort of Qing
Tenure27 May 1801 – 2 September 1820
PredecessorEmpress Xiaoshurui
SuccessorEmpress Xiaoshencheng
Empress dowager of Qing
Tenure2 September 1820 – 23 January 1850
PredecessorEmpress Xiaoshengxian
SuccessorEmpress Xiaojingcheng
Born(1776-11-20)20 November 1776
(乾隆四十一年 十月 十日)
Died23 January 1850(1850-01-23) (aged 73)
(道光二十九年 十二月 十一日)
Shoukang Palace, Forbidden City
Burial
Chang Mausoleum, Western Qing tombs
Spouse
(
m. 1790⁠–⁠1820)
IssueSeventh daughter
Miankai, Prince Dunke of the First Rank
Mianxin, Prince Ruihuai of the First Rank
Posthumous name
Empress Xiaohe Gongci Kangyu Ancheng Qinshun Renzheng Yingtian Xisheng Rui
(孝和恭慈康豫安成欽順仁正應天熙聖睿皇后
孝和恭慈康豫安成钦顺仁正应天煕圣睿皇后)
HouseNiohuru (鈕祜祿; by birth)
Aisin Gioro (by marriage)
FatherGūnggala (恭阿啦)
MotherLady Yehe Nara
Empress Xiaoherui
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese孝和睿皇后
Simplified Chinese孝和睿皇后
Manchu name
Manchu scriptᡥᡳᠶᠣᠣᡧᡠᠩᡤᠠ
ᡥᡡᠸᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠰᡠᠨ
ᠰᡠᠩᡤᡳᠶᡝᠨ
ᡥᡡᠸᠠᠩᡥᡝᠣ
Romanizationhiyoošungga hūwaliyasun sunggiyen hūwangheo

Life

Family background

Empress Xiaoherui's personal name was not recorded in history.

  • Father: Gūnggala (恭阿拉), served as the Minister of Works from 1810–1811, the Minister of War from 1811–1812 and the Minister of Rites from 1804–1810 and from 1812–1813, and held the title of a first class duke (一等公)
    • Paternal grandfather: Gongbao (公寶)
  • Mother: Lady Yehe Nara
    • Paternal grandfather: Baiming (白明)
  • One elder brother and two younger brothers
  • Two younger sisters

Qianlong era

The future Empress Xiaoherui was born on the tenth day of the tenth lunar month in the 41st year of the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, which translates to 20 November 1776 in the Gregorian calendar.

In 1790, Lady Niohuru became a secondary consort of Yongyan, the 15th son of the Qianlong Emperor. She gave birth on 2 August 1793 to his seventh daughter, who would die prematurely in July or August 1795, and on 6 August 1795 to his third son, Miankai.

Jiaqing era

On 9 February 1796, the Qianlong Emperor abdicated in favour of Yongyan and became a Retired Emperor, while Yongyan was enthroned as the Jiaqing Emperor. On 12 February 1796, Lady Niohuru was granted the title "Noble Consort".

When the Jiaqing Emperor's primary consort, Empress Xiaoshurui, died of illness on 5 March 1797, Lady Niohuru was placed in charge of the emperor's harem, making her a de facto Empress, and was elevated to "Imperial Noble Consort". The Jiaqing Emperor wanted to make Lady Niohuru his new Empress but had to wait until the mourning period for Empress Xiaoshurui was over. The Qianlong Emperor died on 7 February 1799 so Lady Niohuru's promotion to Empress was delayed until 27 May 1801.

Lady Niohuru was put in charge of the upbringing of Minning, the Jiaqing Emperor's second son who was born to Empress Xiaoshurui. She took care of Minning and treated him well, and they shared a close and harmonious relationship.[1]

On 9 March 1805, Lady Niohuru gave birth to the emperor's fourth son, Mianxin.

Daoguang era

When the Jiaqing Emperor died on 2 September 1820 before designating one of his sons as Crown Prince, the decision on the succession was left to Lady Niohuru, who became Empress Dowager. Lady Niohuru proclaimed Minning the new emperor before an imperial edict was officially issued. She ordered her servants to deliver the message to Minning, who was away in Chengde at the time. Minning rushed back to the Forbidden City and was enthroned as the Daoguang Emperor.

The Daoguang Emperor was extremely pleased with Lady Niohuru's decision to make him emperor, claiming that she was broad-minded because she did not misuse her power to name either of her two sons as the new emperor. The Daoguang Emperor also granted Lady Niohuru the title "Empress Dowager Gongci". Lady Niohuru moved to the Forbidden City's Palace of Longevity and Health, which was traditionally a residence of the emperor's mother.

In 1836, Lady Niohuru celebrated her 60th birthday. The Daoguang Emperor donned his formal court regalia for the occasion. He first went to the Hall of Central Harmony, where he read a memorial for the Empress Dowager to wish her well. He then mounted a cart and rode through the right Wing Gate to the left Gate of Eternal Health, where he disembarked. Carrying the memorial in his hands, the emperor was accompanied by an entourage of nobles and high-ranking officials. After the emperor delivered his message and birthday gifts, the retinue jointly presented Lady Niohuru with a court scepter.[2]

On 10 April 1838, Lady Niohuru and the Daoguang Emperor visited the Western Qing tombs for 13 days.[3]

Lady Niohuru died on 23 January 1850. She was posthumously granted the title "Empress Xiaoherui", and was interred in a separate tomb near the Chang Mausoleum of the Western Qing tombs.

Titles
  • During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735–1796):
    • Lady Niohuru (from 20 November 1776)
    • Secondary consort (側福晉; from 1790)
  • During the reign of the Jiaqing Emperor (r. 1796–1820):
    • Noble Consort (貴妃; from 12 February 1796[4]), third rank consort
    • Imperial Noble Consort (皇貴妃; from 14 June 1797[5]), second rank consort
    • Empress (皇后; from 27 May 1801[6])
  • During the reign of the Daoguang Emperor (r. 1820–1850):
    • Empress Dowager Gongci (恭慈皇太后; from 2 September 1820[7])
    • Empress Xiaoherui (孝和睿皇后; from 12 April 1850[8])

Issue
  • As secondary consort:
    • The Jiaqing Emperor's seventh daughter (2 August 1793 – July/August 1795)
    • Miankai (綿愷; 6 August 1795 – 18 January 1838), the Jiaqing Emperor's third son, granted the title Prince Dun of the Second Rank in 1819, elevated to Prince Dun of the First Rank in 1821, posthumously honoured as Prince Dunke of the First Rank
  • As Empress:
    • Mianxin (綿忻; 9 March 1805 – 27 September 1828), the Jiaqing Emperor's fourth son, granted the title Prince Rui of the First Rank in 1819, posthumously honoured as Prince Ruihuai of the First Rank
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See also

Notes
  1. Weng (1998).
  2. Veritable Records of Emperor Xuanzong of Qing. DG272:66-7.
  3. Veritable Records of Emperor Xuanzong of Qing. DG307:14–21; Diziji 7:32
  4. 嘉慶元年 正月 四日
  5. 嘉慶二年 五月 二十日
  6. 嘉慶六年 四月 十五日
  7. 嘉慶二十五年 七月 二十五日
  8. 道光三十年 三月 一日

References
  • 清宮檔案 [Imperial Archives of the Qing Palace] (in Chinese).
  • 清皇室四譜 [Imperial Genealogy of the Qing Imperial Clan] (in Chinese).
  • 清宣宗實錄 [Veritable Records of Emperor Xuanzong of Qing] (in Chinese).
  • Wan, Yi; Shuqing, Wang; Yanzhen, Lu; Scott, Rosemary E. (1988). Daily Life in the Forbidden City: The Qing Dynasty, 1644-1912 (Illustrated ed.). Viking. ISBN 0670811645.
  • Wei, Betty Peh-T'i (2006). Ruan Yuan, 1764-1849: The Life and Work of a Major Scholar-Official in Nineteenth-Century China Before the Opium War. Hong Kong University Press. p. 272. ISBN 962-209-785-5.
  • Weng, Tonghe (1998). 翁同龢日記 [Weng Tonghe's Diary] (Reprint ed.). 中华书局 [Zhonghua Publishing House]. ISBN 7101014682.
  • Zhao, Erxun (1928). Draft History of Qing (Qing Shi Gao) (in Chinese).
Empress Xiaoherui
House of Aisin-Gioro (1636–1912)
Born: 1776 Died: 1850
Chinese royalty
Preceded by
Empress Xiaoshurui		 Empress of China
1801–1820		 Succeeded by
Empress Xiaomucheng
Actual successor: Empress Xiaoshencheng
Preceded by
Empress Xiaoshengxian		 Empress Dowager of China
1820–1850		 Succeeded by
Empress Xiaojingcheng
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