Wang Zhengjun facts for kids

Wang Zhengjun (Chinese: 王政君; 71 BC – 13 AD) was a powerful empress during the Western Han dynasty in China. She was also known as Empress Xiaoyuan and later, more commonly, as Grand Empress Dowager Wang. Born in Yuancheng (modern Handan, Hebei), she played a very important role in the lives of five different Han emperors. These included her husband, her son, two step-grandsons, and a step-great-grandnephew. Many historians believe she accidentally helped her nephew, Wang Mang, take over the throne.

Historians often see Wang Zhengjun as a kind and caring woman. She tried her best to help the empire and use her power for good. She was not involved in her nephew's plans to take power. However, her strong trust in her own family (the Wangs) eventually led to the end of the Western Han Dynasty.

Early Life of Wang Zhengjun

Wang Zhengjun was the second daughter of Wang Jin, who was a government official, and Lady Li. She had 11 other brothers and sisters, but only she and two brothers were born to Lady Li. Her parents tried to find her a husband, but sadly, her potential husbands kept passing away before the weddings could happen. One of them was the Prince of Dongping.

After these sad events, Wang Zhengjun decided to focus on studying books and playing the guqin, a Chinese musical instrument. When she was 18, she joined the palace as a palace woman. She served one of the emperor's concubines.

Becoming a Crown Princess

The favorite concubine of Crown Prince Liu Shi became very ill and passed away. Crown Prince Shi was heartbroken and became sick himself. He refused to see any of his other concubines. His father, Emperor Xuan, suggested that Empress Xiaoxuan choose new palace women to serve the crown prince.

Wang Zhengjun was one of six women presented to the crown prince. He chose her, supposedly because she was sitting closest to him at that moment. Three years later, Wang Zhengjun gave birth to a son named Ao. This was a big deal because none of the crown prince's previous concubines had given him a child.

Wang Zhengjun as Empress

In 49 BC, Emperor Xuan passed away, and Crown Prince Shi became the new emperor. He made Consort Wang the empress, and her son, Ao, became the heir apparent, meaning he was next in line for the throne. Empress Wang's father was given the title of Marquess of Yangping. This title was later passed down to Empress Wang's brother, Wang Feng (王鳳), who would become very important in the government.

Emperor Yuan was not known for having many wives, but he did have two favorite concubines besides Empress Wang: Consort Fu and Consort Feng Yuan. Each of them had a son with the emperor. Empress Wang tried to get along with both of them, and she was mostly successful, especially with Consort Feng. However, Consort Fu and Empress Wang later had a struggle over which of their sons would become the next emperor.

Challenges to the Heir

As Crown Prince Ao grew older, Emperor Yuan became less happy with him as his heir. Instead, he was more impressed with Consort Fu's son, Prince Liu Kang of Shanyang. There were a few reasons for this.

One time, in 35 BC, Emperor Yuan's youngest brother, Prince Liu Jing of Zhongshan, passed away. Emperor Yuan was upset because he felt that the teenage Crown Prince Ao was not grieving enough. Prince Ao and Prince Jing were similar in age and had grown up together. A trusted official named Shi Dan convinced Emperor Yuan that Crown Prince Ao was actually trying to help the emperor from grieving too much. But this event still made the emperor a bit unhappy with his son.

As the princes got older, Emperor Yuan grew closer to Prince Kang. They both loved music, especially playing drums. Prince Kang was also very smart and hardworking, while Crown Prince Ao was known for enjoying drinks and parties. When Emperor Yuan became ill around 35 BC, Consort Fu and Prince Kang were often called to his bedside to care for him. Empress Wang and Crown Prince Ao were rarely called.

During his illness, Emperor Yuan thought about making Prince Kang his heir instead of Crown Prince Ao. Consort Fu likely encouraged this idea. Only when Shi Dan stepped in did Emperor Yuan change his mind. When Emperor Yuan passed away in 33 BC, Crown Prince Ao became Emperor Cheng.

Empress Dowager Wang's Influence

After Emperor Yuan's death, Empress Wang became the empress dowager. This meant she was the emperor's mother and held a lot of power. As empress dowager, she became directly involved in running the country. She gave her five surviving brothers large areas of land within the Han empire. They became known as "The Five Vassals." This meant that Empress Dowager Wang and her brothers were the real rulers of the empire, while the emperor was more of a figurehead. They made most of the important decisions.

Prince Kang, as was common for imperial princes, was sent to govern his own region. Even though Consort Fu and Prince Kang had tried to change the heir, Empress Wang and Emperor Cheng did not hold grudges. Emperor Cheng often invited Prince Kang to the capital city of Chang'an for long visits.

The Rise of the Wang Clan

Empress Dowager Wang was kind, but she was also very protective of her son and her brothers. Emperor Cheng trusted his uncles (Empress Dowager Wang's brothers) a lot and gave them important jobs in the government. Besides Wang Feng, who inherited his father's title, six of Empress Dowager Wang's brothers were also made marquesses. This went against a rule set by Emperor Gao, the first emperor of the dynasty, who said that only those who had greatly helped the empire could become marquesses.

Several of her brothers (Wang Feng, Wang Shang, and Wang Gen), along with her cousin Wang Yin, took turns leading the armed forces and effectively controlled the government. After Wang Gen, Empress Dowager Wang's nephew, Wang Mang, took on this powerful role.

• Wang Feng, 33 BC–22 BC
• Wang Yin, 22 BC–15 BC
• Wang Shang, 15 BC–12 BC
• Wang Gen, 12 BC–8 BC
• Wang Mang, 8 BC–7 BC

The Wang family members were generally not corrupt. They seemed to genuinely try to help the emperor. However, they were very focused on increasing their own power. This meant they didn't always choose the best officials for different jobs, which led to problems in Emperor Cheng's government. Emperor Cheng sometimes thought about changing this power structure but never managed to do it.

The Succession Problem

Emperor Cheng had many favorite concubines. His first favorite was Empress Xu, and he also liked Consort Ban. However, neither of them had a child with him. Empress Dowager Wang was worried about having a grandson to be the next heir, so she encouraged Emperor Cheng to have more concubines. But still, no heir was born.

Around 19 BC, Emperor Cheng met two dancing girls, Zhao Feiyan and her sister Zhao Hede, and fell in love with them. They became his new favorite concubines. In 18 BC, the Zhao sisters falsely accused Empress Xu and Consort Ban of using magic. Empress Xu was removed from her position. Consort Ban was able to prove her innocence, but she chose to leave the palace and serve Empress Dowager Wang instead.

Emperor Cheng wanted to make Zhao Feiyan empress, but Empress Dowager Wang was not happy about her low birth and her past as a dancing girl. She finally agreed to her son's wishes in 16 BC, but she never truly liked the Zhao sisters. Neither the Zhao sisters nor another favorite, Consort Li, had a son with Emperor Cheng.

In 9 BC, still without an heir, Emperor Cheng considered making either his younger brother Prince Liu Xing of Zhongshan or his nephew Prince Liu Xin of Dingtao (Prince Kang's son) his heir. Emperor Cheng became convinced that Prince Xin was more capable. At the same time, Prince Xin's grandmother, Consort Fu, was giving expensive gifts to the Zhao sisters and Wang Gen. So, the Zhaos and Wang Gen both spoke highly of Prince Xin. Emperor Cheng made Prince Xin the crown prince in 8 BC.

Emperor Cheng passed away suddenly in 7 BC. There were rumors that he had sons with other concubines, but these sons and their mothers were killed by Consort Zhao Hede out of jealousy. Crown Prince Xin became the new emperor, known as Emperor Ai.

In 6 BC, a report ordered by Empress Dowager Wang confirmed that Emperor Cheng did have two sons. However, both sons were killed when they were babies by Consort Zhao Hede's orders, and Emperor Cheng seemed to agree because he was so in love with her. In response, Emperor Ai removed the Zhao family members from their positions. Only Empress Zhao Feiyan was spared for a while.

Grand Empress Dowager Wang

When Emperor Ai became emperor, Empress Dowager Wang received the title she is most famous for: Grand Empress Dowager Wang. At first, Emperor Ai respected her and allowed the Wang family, including Wang Mang, to keep their important government jobs.

However, Emperor Ai's grandmother, Consort Fu, soon gained more influence. Consort Fu was not happy with just being a princess dowager; she also wanted to be an empress dowager. Grand Empress Dowager Wang was willing to let her have the title. So, Consort Fu was given a special title of Grand Empress Dowager. Emperor Ai's mother, Consort Ding, was also given the title of Empress Dowager.

Consort Fu wanted more than just titles; she wanted to control her grandson's government. Part of her plan was to remove the Wang family from power. Grand Empress Dowager Wang did not want to fight with Fu. She willingly told members of the Wang family to resign and let the Fu and Ding families take over. Her humble actions impressed the people and officials. As Emperor Ai's poor leadership became clear, people who had been against the Wangs during Emperor Cheng's reign now wanted them back. This was partly because Consort Fu had unfairly accused Consort Feng Yuan of using magic, leading to her death and the exile of many of her family members. Because of this, in 2 BC, Emperor Ai called Wang Mang back to the capital to serve Grand Empress Dowager Wang.

In 1 BC, Emperor Ai passed away without an heir. This caused a lot of confusion in the imperial family, and Grand Empress Dowager Wang played a very important role.

Wang Mang Takes Power

When Emperor Ai died, his favorite, Dong Xian, was in charge of the army and was the most powerful official. No one knew what would happen next. This was when Grand Empress Dowager Wang made a crucial move. She immediately went to the imperial palace, took the imperial seal, and called for Dong Xian. Dong was surprised and couldn't react. Grand Empress Dowager Wang also called Wang Mang to the palace and gave him command of the imperial guard instead of Dong. Dong Xian later passed away.

Wang Mang quickly began to remove anyone who might stand in his way. However, he made sure to appear loyal to the Han Dynasty. With Grand Empress Dowager Wang's approval, he removed the Fu and Ding families from government. Without her knowing, he also disrespected Consort Fu's and Consort Ding's graves. Grand Empress Dowager Wang then called her remaining step-grandson, Prince Jizi, to become the new emperor, Emperor Ping.

During Emperor Ping's reign, Wang Mang served as a regent, meaning he ruled for the young emperor, with Grand Empress Dowager Wang's support. When he was with her, he did everything to convince her that he was loyal to the Han Dynasty and flattered her. But at the same time, he continued to remove potential enemies from the government. He also used propaganda to make himself seem very special and holy.

In 1 AD, Grand Empress Dowager Wang was convinced of her nephew's loyalty and made him Duke of Anhan. This was a big deal because no one had been made a duke in Han history before. In 2 AD, when choosing an empress for Emperor Ping, Grand Empress Dowager Wang first said that girls from the Wang family should not be considered. But Wang Mang quickly arranged for many people to gather around the palace, asking her to make his daughter empress. Grand Empress Dowager Wang gave in and chose Wang Mang's daughter to be Emperor Ping's empress in 4 AD.

In 3 AD, another big event happened that greatly increased Wang Mang's power. Wang Mang's son, Wang Yu, was unhappy with his father's strict rule. He secretly planned with Emperor Ping's maternal uncles against Wang Mang. When their plan was discovered, Wang Mang had Wang Yu and the uncles killed. He also used this chance to accuse many other people, who were his actual or potential enemies, of being part of the plan. He had them killed or sent away. This even included his own uncle, Wang Li. Wang Mang tricked Grand Empress Dowager Wang, telling her that Wang Li had died of an illness.

Wang Mang made Grand Empress Dowager Wang feel like she was in control. He arranged for her to visit areas around the capital Chang'an to give money and goods to people and to visit orphans and widows. He also tried to please her by building a grand temple for her husband, Emperor Yuan.

In 5 AD, Wang Mang became worried that Emperor Ping would seek revenge for his uncles' deaths, so he poisoned Emperor Ping. He then began to show his true intentions to Grand Empress Dowager Wang. He forced her to give him the title of acting emperor, even though she didn't want to. He also made her approve his choice of Liu Ying, a great-great-grandson of Emperor Xuan, as the new emperor (Emperor Ruzi). In 8 AD, Wang Mang officially took the throne and started his own dynasty, called the Xin Dynasty. When he demanded that Grand Empress Dowager Wang hand over the imperial seal, she first refused but eventually gave in.

Wang Mang's Reign and Grand Empress Dowager Wang's Final Years

Tomb of Wang Zhengjun in Weiling (渭陵), Xianyang, Shaanxi

Wang Mang initially wanted to change Grand Empress Dowager Wang's title, but she was very offended by this idea. So, he kept her title but gave her an extra one: Wenmu, which meant she was a co-founder of his new dynasty. However, she never accepted his new dynasty. When Wang Mang changed the calendar, holidays, and even the uniforms of the palace staff, she ordered her ladies-in-waiting to continue using the old Han calendar and wearing the Han uniforms. Wang Mang tried hard to please her, but his efforts failed.

Around 12 AD, Wang Mang destroyed Emperor Yuan's temple and built a new one, which he intended for Grand Empress Dowager Wang after her death. When she found out that her husband's temple had been destroyed, she was very sad and cursed Wang Mang. She passed away in the spring of 13 AD. Wang Mang buried her, as was the custom, in the same tomb as Emperor Yuan. However, he dug a trench between her and Emperor Yuan, showing the separation between them.

Family of Empress Wang

House of Liu

• Husband: Emperor Yuan of Han
  • Son: Emperor Cheng of Han
• Concubine of Husband: Consort Fu
  • Liu Kang, Prince Gong of Dingtao
    • Liu Xin, Emperor Ai of Han
• Concubine of Husband: Consort Feng Yuan
  • Liu Xing, Prince Xiao of Zhongshan
    • Liu Kan, Emperor Ping of Han

House of Wang

• 1st Brother: Wang Feng, Marquess of Yangping
• 2nd Brother: Wang Man, Marquess Ai of Xindu
  • Wang Mang
    • Empress Xiaoping (Wang Mang's daughter, Emperor Ping's empress)
• 3rd Brother: Wang Tan, Marquess An of Ping'a
• 4th Brother: Wang Chong, Marquess Gong of Ancheng
• 5th Brother: Wang Shang, Marquess Jincheng of Chengdu
• 6th Brother: Wang Li, Marquess Fang of Hongyang
• 7th Brother: Wang Jin, Marquess Yang of Quyang
• 8th Brother: Wang Fengshi, Marquess of Dai of Gaoping

See also

In Spanish: Wang Zhengjun para niños