Deng Sui facts for kids

Deng Sui (Chinese: 鄧綏; AD 81–121), also known as Empress Hexi, was a powerful empress during the Han dynasty in China. She was the second wife of Emperor He. After he passed away, she became a regent, ruling the empire for his young son and nephew from 106 to 121 AD. People remembered her as a very skilled and hardworking leader.

Empress Deng Sui was known for making important changes. She helped make paper officially used across the empire and supported arts and learning. During her time as regent, she cut down on palace spending, helped people who were struggling, and successfully managed big natural disasters like floods and droughts. She also helped calm down conflicts with groups like the Xiongnu and Qiang. She was praised for making sure justice was fair. Empress Deng was well-educated and created new jobs for scholars. She encouraged new ideas and helped make sure important classic books were standardized. She even had 70 members of the royal family study these classics and oversaw their tests herself. Many historians see her as the last truly effective ruler of the Han Empire before it faced more internal problems and corruption.

Early Life and Family

Deng Sui was born in 81 AD in a place called Nanyang. Her father, Deng Xun, was the sixth son of Deng Yu, who was a very important official (like a prime minister) for Emperor Guangwu. Her mother, Lady Yin, was related to Emperor Guangwu's wife, Empress Yin Lihua.

From a young age, Deng Sui loved to study. She could read history books by the time she was six years old. By age twelve, she could even recite important classic texts like the Shujing and the Analects.

In 95 AD, she was chosen to join the palace. The next year, in 96 AD, she became a consort to Emperor He. She was 15 years old at the time, and the Emperor was 17. She was also quite tall for her time, standing about 166 centimeters (about 5 feet 5 inches) tall.

Becoming Empress

When Deng Sui became an imperial consort, Emperor He already had an empress named Empress Yin. Empress Yin was described as beautiful but also very jealous. Consort Deng tried to get along with her by being humble and often tried to cover up Empress Yin's mistakes. However, this only made Empress Yin more jealous because Emperor He was very impressed with Consort Deng and liked her a lot.

Empress Yin was also unhappy because Consort Deng, worried that Emperor He's sons kept dying young, often suggested that he spend time with other consorts to have more children. At one point, when Emperor He was sick, Empress Yin even said that if she became empress dowager, the Deng family would be in danger. Luckily, the Emperor got better, and Consort Deng and her family were safe.

In 102 AD, Empress Yin faced accusations of using witchcraft against other imperial consorts. She was removed from her position and sadly passed away that same year. Emperor He then chose Consort Deng to become the new empress.

As empress, Empress Deng was known for being hardworking and modest. She turned down offers from Emperor He to promote her relatives to high positions. She was also taught by Ban Zhao, a famous female scholar, whom she made a special assistant (Lady-in-Waiting).

Empress Deng also stopped the usual practice of provinces sending her expensive gifts. Instead, she insisted on receiving only paper and ink as annual gifts.

Ruling for Emperor Shang

In 106 AD, Emperor He died, which caused a problem for who would rule next. Empress Deng and the other imperial consorts had not had sons for a long time. Emperor He had several sons who died very young. To help them survive, two of his younger sons, Liu Sheng and Liu Long, were raised outside the palace by foster parents.

When Emperor He died, Liu Sheng, the older son, was still young and believed to be often sick. The younger son, Liu Long, was only about 100 days old. Both were brought back to the palace. Empress Deng decided to make Liu Long the crown prince, believing he would be healthier. That very night, he was announced as the new emperor, Emperor Shang.

Since Emperor Shang was just a baby, Empress Dowager Deng took control as the regent. Her brother, Deng Zhi, quickly became a very powerful official in the court. She also continued to ask for advice from the scholar Ban Zhao until Ban Zhao's death in 116 AD. Empress Deng issued a general pardon, which helped many people who had lost their rights because they were connected to the family of Empress Dou, a powerful family that had been removed from power earlier.

Later in 106 AD, the young Emperor Shang died. This created another problem for who would rule next. By this time, officials realized that Prince Sheng was not as sick as they first thought, and most wanted him to be emperor. However, Empress Dowager Deng was worried that Prince Sheng might hold a grudge against her for not choosing him first. So, she decided to make Emperor Shang's cousin, Prince Hu, emperor instead. He became Emperor An at the age of 12.

Ruling for Emperor An

When Emperor An became ruler, his father, Liu Qing, was still alive, as was his mother, Consort Geng. However, Empress Dowager Deng made sure she kept full control over the young emperor. She sent Consort Geng to live with her husband, Liu Qing, in his home region.

Empress Deng showed herself to be a very capable regent. She did not allow corruption, even among her own family members. She also made important changes to criminal laws. For example, in 107 AD, she made a rule that allowed more time for people to appeal death penalty decisions.

She cut down on the royal court's expenses, stopping the creation of expensive items like jade and ivory carvings. She also sent home palace workers who were not truly needed. She demanded less tribute (gifts and taxes) from the provinces. During her rule, she twice opened the imperial food storage areas to feed hungry people. She also made landlords reduce the rent they charged, repaired waterways, and cut down on expensive court ceremonies and banquets.

In 107 AD, there were big problems on the borders of the empire. First, kingdoms in the Western Regions (areas like modern Xinjiang and Central Asia) had been resisting Han rule. Empress Dowager Deng decided to let go of these distant territories. That same year, Qiang tribes, who felt unfairly treated by Han officials, started a major rebellion. This rebellion spread across a large area, including modern Shaanxi, Gansu, and northern Sichuan. Qiang forces even entered modern Shanxi and threatened the capital city. The situation was so serious that Empress Dowager Deng's brother, Deng Zhi, suggested giving up a whole province, but Empress Dowager Deng wisely refused. The rebellion was finally put down in 118 AD, but it had caused a lot of damage to the western part of the empire.

Also, from 107 to 109 AD, there were many natural disasters like floods, droughts, and hail in different parts of the empire. Empress Dowager Deng was very effective at organizing help for those affected by these disasters.

In 109 AD, the Southern Xiongnu, who had been loyal to the Han dynasty, also rebelled. They thought the Han empire was weak because of the Qiang rebellions. However, after the Han showed their strength, the Southern Xiongnu quickly surrendered again and did not cause problems for the rest of the Han Dynasty.

In 110 AD, Empress Dowager Deng's mother, Lady Yin, passed away. Her brothers wanted to resign from their government jobs to mourn for three years, as was customary. After some hesitation, Empress Deng allowed them to do so, following the advice of the scholar Ban Zhao. Even without official government jobs, her brothers remained powerful advisors. As the years went by, Empress Dowager Deng, who had once been very humble, seemed to hold onto power more tightly. When some of her relatives and close friends suggested she give control to Emperor An, she became angry and refused.

In 121 AD, Empress Dowager Deng died and was buried with her husband, Emperor He, with full honors. Emperor An finally took full power at the age of 28. Some people close to Emperor An, like his wet nurse and trusted eunuchs, made false accusations that Empress Dowager Deng had considered removing Emperor An and replacing him with his cousin. Because of this, Emperor An angrily removed all of Empress Dowager Deng's relatives from government positions. However, later that year, he changed his mind partly, and some of Empress Dowager Deng's relatives were allowed to return to their positions.

See also

In Spanish: Emperatriz Deng Sui para niños